Monday, October 7, 2013

A's fan battles cops, gets tased at Tiger-A's game (VIDEO)

This video of a middle-aged Oakland A's fan battling cops and security during the ALDS game against the Tigers before getting tased comes via Deadspin.  The clip shows the guy fighting the cops while the crowd continually calls out to tase him. And, right on cue (1:20), the authorities oblige.

What's really funny is the guy near the end of the clip who starts naming the possible charges and years of lockup the tasered idiot might be facing.

And the end tag — “Now we’re in Oakland, folks!” says it all. It explains why some O.co Coliseum security personel wear batting helmets.


Tom Coughlin rips Eli Manning for 'unbelievable' interceptions

Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin will be forever irrevocably connected to each other in New York Giants history for their two miraculous Super Bowl wins and their decade long relationship as mentor and protege.  Throughout it all, you never heard the head coach besmirch the play of Manning — either as a raw rookie or a struggling veteran —until now.

In what must have been a painful burst of criticism towards his quarterback's poor play against the Eagles Sunday, Coughlin ripped Manning for throwing three interceptions and pinned the devastating loss squarely on his signal caller.

"It all comes down to the interceptions," Coughlin said after the game. " Two of them were just unbelievable."

The 36-21 loss at home to Philadelphia sees the Giants (0-5) match their worst start in a non-strike season since 1979.

"I honestly believe that he’s trying so hard to get us a win, he’s almost put too much on himself," Coughlin said. "He keeps it all pretty much inside. I’m not making excuses. There were a couple of those plays that were terrible."



The quarterback — who now has a head-turning 12 interceptions on the season and hasn't heard boos like this in over six years— held himself accountable for the Giants’ latest debacle.

"I know I can play better," Manning said. "Sometimes, things are going to go wrong, but you’ve got to make the best decision. Throw it away, take a sack. I know I can’t keep turning the ball over every time."

Coughlin didn’t help the Giants with his own mistake. The coach, normally so attentive to detail, burned two timeouts on one play with 12:40 left in the third quarter, when LeSean McCoy’s tiptoeing catch gave the Eagles an apparent first down. Coughlin wasn’t initially sure if he wanted to challenge the play, so he called a timeout, and "just settled everybody down." When he elected to challenge and the play stood, he lost another timeout.

"I instinctively just took a timeout," he said. "Obviously, had I known in advance, I would have challenged first."




Coughlin was angry but still made sure he found Manning after the game to talk it over.

"I just grabbed him a moment in the locker room," said Coughlin. "He's way, way too good a player to have these things happen."

The boos probably drowned him out.

Small earthquake hits near Oakland during Chargers-Raiders game

For NFL fans on the east coast getting up to your first cup of coffee Monday morning, two things happened in Oakland while you were sleeping. First, there was an NFL game between the Chargers and Raiders which kicked off at 11:35 ET (and ended during your REM stage) and there was an earthquake during the second quarter of the game.

Neither of which anyone on the Right Coast has a clue about —and couldn't tell a Janikowski from a Richter Scale.

The quake only added more freakishness to the latest starting game in NFL history.




The 3.1 earthquake had an epicenter about 17 miles from O.co Coliseum in Oakland, according to the United State Geological Survey. The game didn't stop because of the earthquake, but it was felt at the stadium, as you can see in this tweet from the San Francisco Chronicle's Ann Killion.




Oakland had a 14-0 lead when the earthquake hit and stretched that to 17-0 before halftime. 
Terrelle Pryor seems to be empowered by earthquakes — or late kickoff times — because he's had his best first half of the year. Through the first two quarters, Pryor was 13 of 18 for 141 yards and two touchdowns.



Pryor then set up a late field goal by turning a potential sack into a third-and-long conversion that gave the Raiders a 27-17 victory.

San Diego didn't seem to be enjoying the late kickoff and the earthquakes as much as the Raiders. For the first time this season, the Chargers failed to score a point in the first half.

Carl Crawford makes spectacular catch while flipping over railing (GIF)


The Los Angeles Dodgers carried a six-run lead into the late innings of NLDS Game 3 against the Braves on Sunday night, thanks in large part to Carl Crawford's three-run homer in the second inning. In the eighth, he contributed with this spectacular play on the field.


Dodgers manager Don Mattingly must have been clutching his heart while he watched his star player tumble into the left field stands — especially with a big lead in hand — but knows this is the playoffs.

Crawford was fine.

Here's Crawford's home run and catch on video below:



Female streaker invades Presidents Cup golf course (PHOTOS)

A female streaker showed off her patriotic spirit — and a lot more — during the final round of the Presidents Cup on Sunday.



As the U.S. was putting the finishing touches on its fifth consecutive win over the Internationals on Sunday at Muirfield Village Country Club, a woman waving an American flag caused a brief distraction at the 18th hole. Wearing only a thong, red-white-and-blue star-spangled nipples and holding a cell phone in her hand — the almost nude patriot raced across the green in front of the amused golfers and gallery.



Amazingly, the woman managed to slip away from security but not from the golfers' memories. And yes. That's Fred Couples in the white polo taking in the scenery.


Sunday, October 6, 2013

Peyton Manning fooled Cowboys defense AND Broncos offense on rushing touchdown (GIF)

While everyone on the Dallas Cowboys defense piled on Knowshon Moreno on this second quarter play, Peyton Manning faked out everyone by moseying in for his first rushing touchdown in five years. And even his own Broncos teammates didn't know Manning had planned to scamper left for the score.

After the game, the Denver Broncos tweeted that Manning didn't even tell his own team that he was going to take it in himself on this third-and-goal jaunt so his offense would sell the running back up-the-middle play better.






Manning already had three TD passes in the first half and — after his unmolested run faked out everyone from the cameraman to his own team — the Broncos quarterback even did a little fist pump as he crossed the goal line.

Omaha!



Soccer star Steve Cook drilled by coin tossed from stands (VIDEO)

Bournemouth's Steve Cook required medical treatment for a gashed head after he was hit by a coin thrown from the Millwall section of the stands during Bournemouth's 5-2 victory Saturday.


Cook, who returned to the pitch after some treatment, was celebrating Bournemouth's fourth goal with his teammates in front of the rowdy Millwall fans.

"There is no way the players deserve to have things thrown at them," said Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe.



Monster truck crash kills eight, injures dozens at Mexican air show (VIDEO)

At least eight people were killed and over 80 injured after a "monster truck" ran over spectators during the "Extremo Aeroshow" in Chihuahua, Mexico, according to the Mexican state news agency Notimex.

The city's mayor, Marco Quezada Martinez, told the agency that he has ordered an investigation into the incident after the truck lost control after rolling over an obstacle and plowing into the crowded stands. Initial reports blame the tragedy on mechanical failure. But witnesses said the driver lost his helmet and hit his head before the terrible scene unfolded.




According to the event's website, the show includes aerobatics, skydiving, hot air ballooning, motorcycles, fireworks and monster trucks.

SMU's Garrett Gilbert pulls off crazy two-point play to extend game against Rutgers (VIDEO)

The state of Texas already has one Johnny Manziel but Rutgers might make a good case for putting Garrett Gilbert into the same category.

Gilbert, the Texas University transfer and current SMU quarterback, did his best Johnny Football impression by going left, then right, left again before going all the way right to throw the ball the entire width of the field for a two-point conversion to even the score during a wild game on Saturday.

The ridiculous conversion tied it up at 35, which allowed for a triple OT to take place, with Rutgers ultimately coming back and winning it 55-52.

Still, the play deserves consideration as a play of the day. SMU coach June Jones called Gilbert's scramble, "all him."


Red Sox fan takes foul ball to chin (VIDEO)

This is one Red Sox fan who might be a little sore even after his team takes a 2-0 ALDS lead against the Rays into Sunday morning. After Will Middlebrooks' foul ball bounced off the Fenway Park tarp, it hit the guy square in the bottom half of his neatly-trimmed Van-Dyke beard.



Now if the guy had a Mike Napoli-style bush under his jaw, he wouldn't have felt a thing.



Puck shatters glass inside Bell Centre penalty box (VIDEO)


Here's something that doesn't happen every day — or ever for that matter. Fans have seen the glass in a hockey rink break behind the nets or due to a huge hit, but how many times have they seen the glass break inside the penalty box?

Well it  happened in Bell Centre Saturday night. With Philadelphia breaking into the Montreal zone, Canadiens defenseman Josh Gorges forced a turnover and looked the send the puck down the ice. However, just as he shot the puck down, Scott Hartnell was being released from the Flyers' penalty box. The door opened and —in a case of perfect timing — the puck must have flew in and hit the glass just right, because it shattered into little pieces.


The whistle blew halting play, giving the TV cameras time to survey the damage but that was it  — and the game went on with little delay.

Lucky for Hartnell and fans near the box,nobody was hurt.

It's just one of the most bizarre occurrences you'll ever see in a hockey game.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Kendrick Perkins dislocates finger, tries to fix it himself (VIDEO)


The Oklahoma City Thunder opened the NBA’s 2013 preseason schedule on Saturday morning, playing Fenerbahce Ulker in Istanbul as part of the Global Games that will see teams play eight preseason games in eight cities, in six countries and territories.

The Thunder was already without Russell Westbrook — who will now miss at least the first month of the regular season after undergoing an additional knee surgery last week — and lost the services of Kendrick Perkins late in the first half, although to something that looks to be far less serious.

Perkins dislocated a finger while battling for a rebound, and as seen in the video clip, he did his best to pop it back in place himself. He was apparently unsuccessful, however, as Perkins didn’t start the second half; rookie Steven Adams got the nod in his place.

The Thunder led 48-42 at the break, behind 20 points and six rebounds from Kevin Durant.



Craziest rider-passenger motorcycle stunt you'll ever see (VIDEO)

This video has to be one of the wildest motorcycle stunts you'll ever see and now — what is being called the "69 stunt" — it has gone viral. While it's hard to condone stunt riding on public roadways, this clip is still thrilling.

You can tell it's not shot in New York — where that gang took over the West Side Highway last week — because there are towering palm trees in the background.

Too bad the bike's passenger has a pretty lousy view.

Chris Snee's hip injury ends season, might end career too

Even being the head coach's son-in-law might not be enough to help get Chris Snee back in a New York Giants uniform in the future — or any uniform for that matter.

The four-time Pro Bowl offensive guard got word Friday that the surgery he'll likely need to repair a torn labrum and remove bone chips from his right hip will surely end his season. And now, Snee, after facing the fact he’ll be out for the year, is looking at the possibility that he’ll never play on an NFL field again.

A rock on the Giants’ offensive line for a decade, Snee was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Friday. At 31 years old, a season-ending injury very well could mean career-ending, too — especially since he pondered retirement when he battled through the same injury to his left hip last year.

Snee said retirement is “not something I’m thinking about right now. I’m honestly just trying to get over the frustration on this.”

But for a player who missed five games as a rookie and then not another start until last Sunday, that frustration won’t be easy to get over.



“I’ve always been a guy that by Friday, I can suit up and play,” Snee said. “I was secretly hoping I’d wake up and things would feel different, I’d respond to the treatment, the medicine, and it just didn’t happen. It’s frustrating. It’s just a new situation for me. I’ve always been able to play through things — sometimes things no one knew about, sometimes things I kept to myself.

“I had to be honest with everyone because it really got to the point where I was doing no good.”

Snee, who was placed on IR as soon as the Giants’ trade for linebacker Jon Beason became official on Friday afternoon, said he will meet with Dr. Bryan Kelly, one of the Giants’ team doctors, to discuss his options on Saturday.

“I’ve been feeling it for some time now,” Snee said. “I’ve always been able to play through things, but clearly I couldn’t. So the best thing is for me to watch my team play and try to get my hip right. If I was able to play through something I would.”

The two-time Super Bowl champion can now only wait and see if he'll be donning Giants' blue next year.

3-year-old girl knows Seahawks roster better than you (VIDEO)

Adorable three-year-old Kalee Buetow is a fan of the Seattle Seahawks but you will be a fan of hers regardless of who you cheer for. Not only does this precocious tot in a No. 3 Russell Wilson jersey know the names, numbers and positions of the starters on her favorite team —  she can name the second teamers and offensive coordinator as well.



While most adults can't even pronounce or care about kicker Steven Hauschka, little Kalee can recite the whole Seahawks roster because she "loves them."


Redskins fan gets likeness of RG3 shaved onto head (PHOTO)

A Redskins fan is so enamored of Robert Griffin III he had a likeness of the quarterback shaved into the back of his head. Last year's NFL darling has led the 'Skins to a disappointing 1-3 start in 2013, so I guess you could call the RG3 haircut this year's version of a "Fade."

Too soon?



Anyway, if you're stoked about getting this RG3 hairstyle you'll need to head out of D.C. because the intricate haircut was done by Illinois-based barber Jesus Cruz, who seems to have a thing for highly-detailed cuts. You can checkout other haircuts done by Cruz on his Instagram page. And some are pretty awesome.



One suggestion though. Get it without the granny glasses. 


Friday, October 4, 2013

Jason Kidd suspended 2 games over DWI, will miss home opener

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd will be suspended for two games for pleading guilty for driving while ability impaired, the NBA announced Friday morning.

The suspension covers the first two games of the season, Oct. 30 in Cleveland and Nov. 1 in Brooklyn against the defending champion Heat.

Kidd’s first game on the bench will come Nov. 3 in Orlando, and his Barclays Center home debut is reset for Nov. 5.



The suspension was expected as was the length, based on past suspensions issued by the NBA for a similar offense. Other players and coaches, including Eric Musselman, Zach Randolph and Carmelo Anthony, have received two-game suspensions for driving while impaired or under the influence.

“The decision is consistent with what the league has done in the past and we look forward to Jason leading our team versus Orlando and the rest of the year,” general manager Billy King said in a statement.

Kidd’s guilty plea stemmed from a July 2012 incident in which he crashed his SUV into a telephone pole in The Hamptons.

“You could have killed yourself that night,” said Judge Andrea Schiavoni said at Kidd’s sentencing this summer at Southampton Town justice court. “You could have killed somebody else.”

David Ortiz on Cano contract: I would give him $500 million

Big Papi thinks Robinson Cano deserves a big payday.

"I would give him 500 million," David Ortiz said with a smile Thursday of the rumored $300 million-plus the Yankees second baseman is seeking. "He deserves it."

The Red Sox slugger, a friend of Cano's, was joking. Wasn't he?

The Boston designated hitter believes Cano, who will turn 31 Oct. 22, should cash in big on the free-agent market while the going is good

"Good players deserve to get paid," Ortiz said after his team's workout at Fenway Park. "He's one of the top three players in the game, so somebody's going to have to."

Asked if he can picture Cano in a different uniform, Ortiz said "it might happen," but he believes the Yankees will ante up for their only real All-Star.

"Every team needs a player like him," Ortiz said. "I definitely believe the Yankees are going to come through. You don't let players like that go. That's a keeper. But you never know. The game is crazy. There's a lot of teams out there with money chasing players like that."

Cano is believed to be looking for a contract of eight to 10 years. The Yankees, already burdened with long-term deals with old and injured stars like Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia, want to avoid that kind of commitment.

Ortiz said Cano is worth both the money and the years.

"At the end of the day, can you expect production from Cano for the next 10 years?" asked Ortiz. 

"Yes. Cano makes the game look too easy. I hit the ball so hard toward him this year, and it was like he was expecting it. He anticipates the way you are going to hit, he knows the hitter's swings. He is an extremely smart player. I have never seen a ground ball go by him."

Ortiz's teammate, Dustin Pedroia, signed an eight-year, $110-million extension in July, the kind of deal the Yankees would do with Cano in a second. Pedroia and Cano are widely considered to be the top second basemen in the American League, but Cano is looking for far more money.

"Those are two different players," said Ortiz, who declined to speculate how Pedroia's contract might impact Cano's. "I don't think you can compare them [to each other]. They're good at what they do individually."

Cano hit .314 with 27 homers and 107 RBIs with a .383 OBP and .899 OPS in 160 games. He hit .329 against righthanders and .291 against lefthanders.

"I wouldn't be surprised if next year if the whole Yankee lineup is healthy, he ends up being the batting title champ," Ortiz said. "It wouldn't surprise me because that's him, he can hit against anybody. Lefty, righty, he has no weakness."

I think I just heard Hal Steinbrenner say Shut up.


5-year-old battling Leukemia sacks Northern Illinois quarterback (VIDEO)

Zach Dacy, a 5-year-old who is battling Leukemia, was recently invited to attend a Northern Illinois football practice.

His parents, Joe and Jen, are NIU alums and Joe had contacted the school over the summer to see about attending a Huskies game. His email made the rounds and the athletic department made arrangements for the Dacy family to come to the Eastern Illinois game and take in a practice the week before.



Little Zach is a huge football fan. He roots for the Green Bay Packers and says Clay Matthews and Aaron Rodgers — both of whom he got to meet last year— are his favorite players.



At the end of NIU practice last week, NIU coach Rod Carey set up a special surprise for Zach. He was going to get a chance to meet the 4-0 team and sack quarterback Jordan Lynch.

The offensive and defensive lines got set up and the blond-maned Zach looked like a miniature Matthews before getting into his stance. He made a few moves, zig-zagged his way through a couple of blockers before sacking Lynch in the pocket  For once, the team didn't mind seeing their QB take some lumps and hoisted a smiling Zach up in the air.

A small gesture with a big reward.




Robinson Cano called deadbeat dad by son's mom

New York Yankees free agent Robinson Cano is embroiled in a child-support battle with the mother of his young son, who is hoping to drive up his relatively low $600-a-month payments to $25,000.

The All-Star second baseman, who made $15 million this past season, is often late with payments that go toward raising his 3-year-old son, Robinson Miguel Cano Castro, the child’s  Dominican mom, Jackelin Castro, told ESPN.

The 30-year-old Cano insists he’s paying the agreed-upon amount. But Castro says the payments are inconsistent.

Castro says payments for May and June were made on July 2, and July and August payments were made on Aug. 15.

“It’s like a crumb because I [have] to chase after that money,” Castro told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines.”



Cano hopes to receive long-term contract offers in the $300 million range as a free agent next season. And, even though $600 is a lot of money in the Dominican Republic — where the average yearly salary is $2,370 — but it's hardly comparable to Cano's salary. Castro’s supporters believe the child deserves more.

Castro’s lawyer, Wendy Diaz, said Cano should be paying closer to $25,000 a month.

“I believe the money he gives to his son, when he does, is not enough to feed the dogs of Robinson Cano’s house,” said Diaz.

Castro did not sign the deal, according to the report, but Cano has been making the payments. “The intention of him and his advisers was somewhat to intimidate me,” Castro said.

“His living circumstances, financially, socially and culturally, are very, very far from what the child’s experiencing and gets,” Castro.




Cano said he’s giving plenty to his kid beyond the monthly stipend.

“I have gone above and beyond to care for my child, including an agreed-upon monthly stipend, a house, a car, insurance, school and other essentials for the baby and his mother, as well as many other things including toys and clothing,” Cano said in a prepared statement.

Whenever an innocent child is involved — common sense sometimes trumps contracts.

Cardinals players get kick out of Matt Adams 'scamper' to first base (VIDEO)

Matt Adams' Cardinals teammates had a good laugh after watching the first baseman handle a routine grounder closer to second and 'scamper' towards first to beat the batter.

Scamper might not be the best word to describe the 260-pound Adams' running style. Lumbering seems more apropos for Adams' jog as pitcher Adam Wainwright got caught "spectating."

Either way, the Cardinals' dugout got a kick out of mimicking his 10-yard gallop during the 9-1 romp over the Pirates.



Thursday, October 3, 2013

Chris Canty to Justin Tuck: Punch opponents not teammates

Justin Tuck recently vowed that he would punch any teammate who turns on Tom Coughlin or causes any locker-room trouble because of the Giants’ 0-4 start. But former Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty thinks Tuck should worry about punching somebody else, first.

"Justin needs to worry about punching opposing offenses in the mouth," Canty, the new Ravens defensive tackle, said on NFL Network on Wednesday night. 'The way you show that you have your coach’s back is by going out there on that football field and performing."


"I’m sure Tuck is defending his coach. Tom Coughlin is an excellent coach, he’s a great man, so obviously as a player, you want to have his back. But you’ve got to show that on the field. That’s got to be taken care of on the field."

Canty also weighed in on Antrel Rolle’s comments that some in the Giants locker room don’t believe the team can rebound from its 0-4 start.

"There are guys in that locker room that probably lack the confidence that they can win football games," Canty said. "But as we know confidence comes from demonstrated performance. They just have to go out there and win a football game to show themselves that they can overcome the adversity in that game and be successful as a team."




Soccer star Pepe gets gash on face stapled shut on pitch (GIF)

Real Madrid defender Pepe got his face busted open during a Champions League match today. He then got the gash on his face stapled closed right there on the pitch.



The soccer star opened a gash near his left eye during a head-to-head collision with Daniel Braaten of Copenhagen in a Champions League match on Wednesday night. With blood seeping from the cut as he lay on the grass at the Bernabeu, the defender was attended to by a team trainer.

Madrid held a slim 1-0 lead by way of Cristiano Ronaldo at the time of the Pepe-Braaten clash in the 38th minute of the first half. Rather than remove Pepe from the game for stitches, a trainer merely closed the wound closed with what else... a stapler.

Luckily, those eight years at Kinkos U didn't go to waste.

Here's the bloody proof.







Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Celtics' Brandon Bass learns to swim at age 28 (VIDEO)

It takes a lot courage to learn how to swim but it might take even more brass when your first breast stroke is at age 28 with a pool full of children splish-splashing around.

Brandon Bass, the 6-foot-8, 260-pound Boston Celtics power forward could go coast-to-coast on the hardwood but when it came to lapping a pool — he was the dunk. Ironically, a Bass who hated the water.

This week, Bass conquered a lifelong fear and climbed into the shallow end of a city pool with 10 children from the Boys & Girls Club of Boston to take their first swimming lesson. He has vowed to continue taking plunges until he is confident enough to swim on his own.

"My son’s the first one in the family to learn how to swim," says Bass, who is now in his third season with the Celtics.

"If you threw me out in the ocean, I would drown."

"I’m nervous, because I don’t know how to float," he told  the Boston Globe,  "I can’t tread water."



Bass hopes his desire to learn swimming well into adulthood will encourage more young and old people to learn the ability. And from the cheers and encouragement of the kids in his class  — it's sounds like he's already done so.

Growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, there was no place for Bass to learn to swim and he remembers a tragic drowning of young neighbor his own age back then.

He feels that as the man of the house he needs to learn to swim. He says he believes other parents should learn, too, and encourage their children.

"Even if you don’t want to swim," he said. "It’s important to learn in case you need to."

Way to go Brandon.



A-Rod tells MLB panel he was tricked into taking illegal drugs: Report

Alex Rodriguez said the only dope being taken was himself after claiming he was tricked into taking steroids by Biogenesis proprietor Anthony Bosch.

A-Rod —who is fighting a 211-game suspension by Major League Baseball — claims Bosch duped him into using the banned supplements at Tuesday's arbitration hearing.

According to the N.Y. Daily News, a source with knowledge of Rodriguez’s ongoing hearings in Manhattan, said the embattled Yankee and his lawyers have presented a case based partly on the idea that Rodriguez believed the substances he procured from the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic were innocent legal supplements.



That defense conflicts with the version told by Bosch — the founder and head honcho of the now-shuttered facility — who spent part of Monday and almost all of Tuesday testifying before the three-person panel that will decide on the appropriateness of the 211-game doping ban MLB commissioner Bud Selig imposed upon Rodriguez in August.


Bosch, who is cooperating with MLB, has spent much of that time validating a vast trove of Biogenesis documents as well as his own electronic communications with Rodriguez. The league believes the evidence reflects a deep dealer-source relationship. If the Biogenesis products were legitimate, MLB argues, why were they so expensive and why were the transactions so secretive?

Attorneys for Rodriguez will likely begin their cross-examination of Bosch on Wednesday, attacking his credibility during the closed-door hearing as they have for several months now — pointing out that MLB’s investigators paid Bosch for his evidence and offered to drop him from a lawsuit if he cooperated with their probe. They may also point out that Bosch is the subject of federal and state criminal investigations in Florida, and that he was fined $5,000 by the Florida Department of Health for holding himself out as a doctor.


By claiming that he was given banned drugs when he thought he was getting legal supplements, Rodriguez is tearing a page from the playbook that guided other tainted athletes. Barry Bonds told a grand jury in 2003 that he thought the creams he got from his BALCO-affiliated trainer, Greg Anderson, were something like flaxseed oil. Roger Clemens claimed he thought the intramuscular injections he got from his trainer, Brian McNamee, were shots of vitamin B-12 and lidocaine.

That sort of alibi got Clemens into trouble when he couldn’t explain why the injections took place during furtive visits to supply closets and an upper East Side apartment, and why he needed an unauthorized strength coach to give him shots instead of a team doctor.

Such claims have met minimal success in courtrooms, but they sometimes work in the confidential confines of a sport’s drug program. Olympic sports have the highest standard of what is loosely termed "strict liability," where an athlete is almost always held responsible for substances found in his or her specimen regardless of intent.



A-Rod's post-season hearing is expected to continue through this week but can't continue next week due to scheduling conflicts. They may pick up once again later this month or in November if necessary.

Wife of Reds Mat Latos reportedly attacked by Pirate fans outside PNC Park

The wife of a Cincinnati Reds player is claiming she was attacked by a group of Pittsburgh Pirates fans and punched in the head before Tuesday night's NL wild-card playoff game — while police and security guards virtually ignored her.

Dallas Latos, who is married to Reds starting pitcher Mat Latos, tweeted out that she was punched three times and grabbed by the hair by an angry female fan at a sports bar outside Pittsburgh's PNC Park.

The Reds-Pirates game was Pittsburgh's first appearance in the playoffs since 1992 — and the end of 20 straight losing seasons.

Mrs Latos tweeted: "Look. Check the police report. I was ambushed in the Budweiser bar, grabbed by the hair, drug down & punched in the head multiple times."

A Pittsburgh police desk officer could not confirm whether Mrs Latos had filed a report of an assault on Tuesday night. 

"Got punched in the head at least 3 times by a pirates fan so this has been cool," Latos tweeted.
She claims she was threatened by the boyfriend of the woman who attacked her. Latos, who married her husband in 2010, says she was appalled by how poorly the security at PNC Park and Pittsburgh police handled the alleged attack.

"Every opportunity was given to pirates security to deal with this before it happened. Unbelievable," she said.

"Only said something bc I’m shocked by how s****y that was handled by PNC security. Beyond," she added.



Mat Latos did not play in Tuesday night's Wildcard playoff game. The Reds lost 6-2, moving Pittsburgh into the NL Divisional Series against St. Louis — while Cincinnati's season is over.


George Parros injured after falling face-first onto ice during fight (VIDEO)

Montreal Canadiens enforcer George Parros was taken off of the ice on a stretcher after falling on his face while fighting Colton Orr of the Toronto Maple Leafs. While falling, Orr held onto Parros, who had his arms wrapped up and had no way to protect himself as his face collided with the ice.




The Canadiens announced after the game that Parros suffered a concussion and that he is undergoing further tests.

The NHL added a new rule for the 2013-14 season that prohibits players from removing their own helmets during a fight in an effort to protect them from hitting their heads during a fight. Doing a face-plant onto the ice during a tussle is another thing.

The Maple Leafs and Canadiens are no strangers to fisticuffs in their games, as the Parros-Orr fight was the fourth one of the game.

Both Parros and Orr received 10-minute game misconducts as well as five-minute majors for fighting.


Jamal Lewis rips Johnny Manziel and calls him the 'next Tim Tebow'

Former NFL running back Jamal Lewis thinks Johnny Manziel has more in common with Tim Tebow than just a Heisman Trophy — suggesting that the Texas A&M quarterback can look forward to having a mediocre pro football career as a signal caller.



TMZ caught up with the former Baltimore Ravens' workhorse at LAX where Lewis — an Atlanta native — claimed he is a huge Falcons fan but not so big on Johnny Football's future in the NFL.

"He's the next Tim Tebow," said Lewis about Manziel hinting that he plans on going pro after  his sophomore season.

"He's a good college quarterback," said the nine-year pro who helped the Ravens win the 2003 Super Bowl. But when it came to Manziel bringing his larger-than-life antics to the NFL, Lewis was less complimentary.

"I don't think he'll do good on the field or off of it."



Hear that Jacksonville Jaguars?







Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Government shutdown could halt Air Force-Navy game

College football may end up being penalized because of the narrow-minded stubbornness of politicians in Washington, D.C. and their own little game on Capital Hill.

Air Force associate athletic director Troy Garnhart confirmed to the Capital Gazette that there “is a possibility” the game against Navy in Annapolis may not be played Saturday due to the government shutdown.  The Gazette wrote “upper-class cadets at the Air Force Academy are considered military personnel, which means they could be subject to travel restrictions under the shutdown.”

An email seeking comment from Navy on the possibility of the shutdown forcing the postponement/cancellation of the game between the two service academies has yet to be returned.



The paper reports that there should be some clarity regarding the game and if it will go off as scheduled later on today.

The longest government shutdown came in 1995 and lasted 21 days.  The good news for Air Force is that they don’t have another road game scheduled after this weekend until a Nov. 8 trip to New Mexico. Experts say this shutdown could last for weeks.

One thing that isn’t clear, and what we’re attempting to clarify, is whether Army and Navy upperclassmen fall into the same category as the upper-class cadets at the Air Force Academy.  If so, the shutdown could impact a handful of those games in the next month: Army at Boston College this Saturday; Army at Temple Oct. 19; Navy at Duke Oct. 12; and Navy at Navy at Toledo Oct. 19.

A-Rod supporters protest 211-game suspension outside MLB offices

Alex Rodriguez may be a pariah in almost every ball park in America after his involvement with the Biogenesis doping scandal became public — including at Yankee Stadium — but he had plenty of fans showing support outside the Manhattan offices of the commissioner of baseball during the first day his arbitration hearing Monday.

The beleaguered A-Rod has found some support in the baseball doping scandal from Hispanics Across America, whose members can be seen waving Dominican flags and sporting No. 13 T-shirts outside the league's Park Avenue offices.




Rodriguez, who is fighting a 211-game suspension handed down by Commissioner Bud Selig for allegedly violating the game's collectively bargained drug policy in an arbitration hearing this week, greeted a large group of supporters waving signs and Dominican flags as he arrived for the hearing Monday. And Tuesday he will be supported by HAA, which says it plans to send a message to Selig, arbitrator Fredric Horowitz and even Yankee President Randy Levine that they are responsible for what the group describes as an unfair suspension.

According to the group's press release, protests will continue through the week with a possible 24-hour vigil in front of the MLB's headquarters from Thursday into Friday.

"We want the arbitrators, MLB and the NY Yankees to hear us loud and clear. We are the fans, we are the people," HAA president Fernando Mateo said.

"The punishment does not fit the crime, said Mateo —who was hospitalized after an altercation with a security guard Tuesday morning. "A-Rod is innocent. If A-Rod is found guilty by association a 50-game suspension like every 1st time offender would be fair."




Giants counting on Manning to close gap in NFC East — Peyton Manning that is

If the New York Giants have any chance of salvaging this season, it sounds like the team believes it will have to pin their slim hopes on the broad shoulders of a Manning or two.

If there was ever a good time for Giants quarterback Eli Manning to cash in on a family favor — it couldn't have come at a better time than this weekend.

As the Oh-and-four Giants regroup after Sunday's  31-7 shellacking at the hands of the Chiefs, salvation might come in the form of a quarterback from another team —namely Eli's big brother Peyton.

The division-leading Cowboys play Peyton's Broncos on Sunday and it sounded like Eli is already counting on that game as a win for his big brother and his seemingly unstoppable offense.

"Dallas is going to Denver this week, so we feel we’ve got to get a win here and hopefully we’ll get a win and we can be one game back," said the optimistic Eli on Monday.

The game is actually being played in Dallas, but Eli's point is taken.




Luckily for the pathetic Giants, every other team in the NFC East are almost as bad. The Cowboys are on top with a 2-2 record and the Eagles and Redskins each have one victory. Even with a four game losing streak to start the season, the Giants are only two games back.

The Giants have an opportunity to close the gap on Sunday. Don't discount what a little brotherly love can do.

Spectator upstages world record marathon runner at finish line (VIDEO)

Look for the guy in the yellow shirt. When Kenyan Wilson Kipsang broke the marathon world record by 15 seconds (2:03:23) — as he crossed the finish line at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday — his moment of glory was taken away by some self-promoting jerk who jumped in front of the runner and broke the tape.

This clip explains it all. This moron turned what should have been an amazing moment for Kipsang into a Look at Me Mommy joke. And, to make the scene a little more sleazy, the intruder used the occasion to promote a website that connects prostitutes with "gentlemen with high demands."



Congratulations to Wilson on breaking the world record. And to the d-bag in the yellow shirt — I still didn't get that web address.