Today, your best friends at The FindSportsNow Blog are rolling out a new weekly feature where we'll take a look at the origins of one of the hundreds of sports posted on the site. This week's selection is everyone's favorite way to travel 26 miles, MARATHON.

Like all of history's craziest inventions (maps, thermometers, democracy) marathon began in ancient Greece. As the story goes, the Greek army had just scored a major victory over the ever-menacing Persians. In the midst of soaking the locker room in wine and ouzo, they realized that they hadn't started bragging yet. Wanting to spread the word as quickly as possible, they sent the ancient world's equivalent to a text message: a foot messenger. This messenger, Pheidippides, strapped on his sandals and ran from the battleground in Marathon to the media capital of Greece - Athens. Upon arriving in the ATH, Pheidippides said, "We have won...." Then, he fell over and died. Which, by all accounts, makes him the first person in the world to regret running a marathon. Fortunately for both modern-day distance runners and corporate sponsors alike, Pheidippides tragic run through the Greek countryside has been immortalized in the sport/race/experience known as marathon.

Subject: This Season
From: Lebron James
Date: October 27, 2008 11:14:44 AM CST
To: Dan Gilbert
Cc: Mike Brown, Barack Obama, Shawn Carter

Hi Mr. Gilbert. This is Lebron. With the new season starting tomorrow, I just wanted to remind you of how much I want to win. I want to win so badly that I'm taking time out of my day to write you this letter. Do you have any idea how much my time is worth? Each second of my day is worth $470. $470!! Writing you this letter is costing me thousands and thousands of dollars. I'll probably have to do another Vitamin Water ad just to make the money back. Sure, Vitamin Water is delicious and it helps me play my best, but a guy can only hang with Tom Brady for so long. I swear, 15 minutes of that guy and you want to break his legs. I'm serious. If one of those shoots run long I will break his legs clean off. Anyways, that's how much I want to win.

The thing is, sir, basketball is a TEAM game. The league has this crazy rule that requires you to put five guys on the court at all times. Absurd, right? I'll continue because based off the way things have gone the past few years, I assume you don't know any of this. I think they made this crazy rule so you can pass, run plays, create open shots, play defense, and you know, win basketball games. Now that you know this, I was wondering if you would go out and get me some players? Good players. Players who have touched a basketball before, or at least know what one is. As much as I like taking 60 shots a game, it's tiring, and well, I'm not going to make 60 shots a game. Maybe 40. I am pretty freaking good.

Anyways, come the trade deadline I expect to be writing you to thank you for completing the Wally Szczerbiak for Carmelo Anthony deal.

Go Cavs!

Lebron James

FindSportsNow caught up with Eli Manning, eight months after winning Super Bowl XLII, to ask him a few questions.

FindSportsNow: How's life changed since winning the Super Bowl?
Eli Manning: It's been amazing. Nothing but the three W's: Women, Wendy's and Waterparks

FSN: What?
EM: WOMEN, WENDY'S, WATERPARKS

FSN: Wendy's. The burger place?
EM: You know it. Their burgers are square. Square! Crazy.

FSN: We'd like to move on, but before we do....Waterparks?
EM: Have you ever been to one? They're insane. They have these things called lazy rivers. Tell me those things aren't amazing.

FSN: Alright. Um, what's it like playing in the same city as Brett Favre?
EM: It's great. I'm a Super Bowl champ. He's a Super Bowl champ. Me more recently, though. Which one did he win? It was like X or XI, right?

FSN: It was actually XXXI.
EM: No. Definitely wasn't that one.

FSN: Really. It was Super Bowl XXXI in 1997, against the Patriots.
EM: (staring silently)

FSN: Are you OK?
EM: I'm sorry. I was just waiting for the next Brett Favre question. Maybe we can even wheel his ancient ass right in here and he'll do the interview. I don't mind. I would love to sit here while you ask him all about leather helmets and Statue of Liberty plays and the Ice Bowl. I've got plenty of time. Wendy's doesn't open for a few hours, anyways.

FSN: Moving on. Favorite thing to do when not on the football field?
EM: Whatever the hell I want. The other day I ate about 20 rolls of sushi then threw up on a bunch of tourists at the Disney Store in Times Square.

FSN: The Disney Store, huh?
EM: Don't judge me. This is an interview, not an interjudge.

FSN: That's not a word.
EM: Neither is "shut up, website."

FSN: That's actually three words.
EM: No. It's one big one. It's probably French.

FSN: Getting back to women.... Jessica Biel or Jessica Alba?
EM: Had 'em both.

FSN: Really? Jessica Biel is dating Justin Timberlake. And, isn't Jessica Alba married?
EM: Did you watch the Super Bowl?? Do you think that kind of stuff matters anymore? Ask Tom Brady.

FSN: Ask him what?
EM: Exactly. No one's asking him anything.

FSN: Well, he's injured. Naturally he's not really in the news right now.
EM: Is that why, or is it because he's scared?

FSN: Scared of what?
EM: I believe I already answered that question

FSN: You definitely answered something.
EM: Yeah. It's an interview.

FSN: Is it really? We thought it was an interjudge.
EM: So you're a humor website now?

FSN: Thanks, Eli. I think we have everything we need.

1. Alaska and Hawaii, tired of being non-continuous, join forces to form a new nation called Icy Hot. To ease the trauma of succession, Alaska will cool the pain, while Hawaii relaxes it away.

2. A Back To The Future prequel will be made. It will detail how exactly a life vest-wearing high school student and a plutonium stealing-scientist became friends.

3. Brett Favre will start an NFL expansion franchise, called the Brett Favres. He'll then go through months of drama before deciding he wants to be their QB.

4. Realizing the error in her ways, Heidi dumps Spencer and attempts to renew her friendship with Lauren. Lauren promptly spurns Heidi and begins dating Spencer. Spencer kicks off this new era by shaving that weird, weird, blonde goatee.

5. Tom Brady develops a taste for blood, and begins traveling the world searching for victims. The death toll will be in the billions.

6. The long-awaited Home Improvement reunion will occur. A nation will collectively ask the question: "Where have you gone JTT?"

7. Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy will be released. It'll sound kinda like an irrelevant former rock star took 10+ years to make an album that no one cares about.

8. American Apparel will create pants that don't use the word "skinny" in the description. MySpace will crash and all of Brooklyn will riot.

9. Apple will release an iPhone that uses YOU as a phone/iPod/internet device. Your freedom can only be bought through the App Store. A demo version will be priced at $11.99.

With the 2008 college football season well underway, FindSportsNow would like to point out nine things we'd like to see removed from the game.

1. The State of Alabama's Mascot Issues

Crimson Tide. Tiger. Elephant. War Eagle. PICK ONE!

2. Jaws Theme

We've always questioned the logic in the University of Florida playing the Jaws theme at home games. They're the Gators right? Sure there probably isn't a huge catalog of gator attack songs, but still. And Jaws? When was the last time anyone referenced Jaws? Do they even have that ride at Universal Studios anymore? We'll just assume cultural relevance isn't too important in Gainesville.

3. "THE" Ohio State University

So much emphasis on such a small word. Is this a way of asserting dominance over the powerhouse that is Ohio University? The mighty Bobcats? We hope not. Bobcats weigh like 50 pounds, and they have those cute ears. But, we suppose anything is more intimidating than a Buckeye.

4. Notre Dame's Helmet Painting

We don't claim to be experts in the fields of helmets or painting, but we do know that if you have to paint your helmet every single week, you're probably doing something wrong. OK, the helmet-painting scene in Rudy was definitely touching. But that was a movie. A Sean Astin movie. All Sean Astin movies are touching. Ever seen Encino Man? Touching as hell. But we suppose that was more a Brendan Fraser movie. Or even a Pauly Shore movie.

5. Jim Tressel's Vest

If not for Joe Paterno's 1950's gym teacher uniform, Tressel would be the worst dressed coach in Division 1. We're suggesting a switch to a cardigan. Maybe even a track jacket.

6. Hyping Madison, WI

We get it. It's quaint. It's the best college town ever!! It's still Wisconsin though. All the badgers in the world can't change that. It's still cheese-eating, Brett Favre-loving Wisconsin.

7. Lou Holtz

Watching Lou Holtz comment on college football is like watching a wrinkly, Southern midget with a speech impediment get excited about a piece of candy. FindSportsNow once got carsick watching him one morning. Carsick. We swear.

8. Calling the Rose Bowl the "Grandaddy."

FindSportsNow urges anyone who refers to their grandfather as "grandaddy," to email us at youreridiculous@findsportsnow.com.

9. Duke University

Since 2007, the FindSportsNow Awesomes have won more college football games than the Blue Devils. Seriously. We had a good year, last year. A stingy, stingy defense.