Mariano Rivera bobblehead delay causes chaos during Yankees giveaway

A New York Yankees giveaway resulted in mayhem after a shipment of Mariano Rivera bobblehead dolls showed up late in the Bronx causing long lines and complaints at Yankee Stadium before Tuesday's game against the Rays.

The Yankees' decision to pass out 18,000 bobbleheads on "Mariano Rivera Bobblehead Night" turned into a promotional nightmare after a shipping snafu kept the valued souvenirs from arriving by 5 p.m. —when the gates were scheduled to open — after thousands of fans lined up outside the Stadium.

The gates opened more than 30 minutes later than usual, and the Yankees handed out vouchers instead, reported CBS New York. An announcement was made during the middle of the third inning that vouchers for the Little Mos could be redeemed from that point until 30 minutes after the game.

Lines formed immediately and stretched from beyond the right-field foul pole to third base on the main level, then up a ramp to another level and back down to the first level, as some fans waited several innings to scoop up their gifts. Pushing and arguing broke out among the anxious fans waiting for the freebies.

Deborah Tymon, the Yankees’ senior VP of marketing, said the shipment arrived shortly after 6 p.m., adding "everyone with a voucher will be receiving a bobblehead tonight."

According to Tymon, the shipment originated in Seattle and traveled by train through Chicago, before the truck transporting the dolls broke down in New Jersey.

Tymon added that the Yanks typically receive giveaway shipments on the day of a game due to storage restrictions at the Stadium. But fans were in no mood to hear excuses.

Before the game was over, some of the bobbleheads showed up on eBay with a $250 asking price.

Brian Wilson gets wild reception in return to AT&T Park as a Dodger (VIDEO)

After spending his first seven seasons as a member of the San Francisco Giants, Brian Wilson returned to AT&T Park on Tuesday wearing Dodger blue. The 30-second ovation was a smattering of boos and cheers for the former fan favorite — with the cheers mostly coming from visiting L.A. fans.

Wilson was perfect and struck out two batters in one inning of work.

As usual, Vin Scully succinctly put the whole scenario into perspective.

Foul ball makes splash-landing in Turner Field vendor's tray (VIDEO)

An Evan Gattis foul popup near home plate landed directly in an unsuspecting vendor's drink tray, triggering a huge splash-landing during Tuesday's Brewers-Braves game at Turner Field. Even Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy stopped and did a double-take when the ball sent beverages flying.

The slightly soaked vendor refused a fan's offer of the wayward ball and instead laughed it off to high-fives and cheers from the surrounding crowd

Rex Ryan implements push-up punishment to decrease Jets penalties

After Sunday’s 27-20 win over Buffalo — in which the Jets committed a franchise-record 20 penalties — coach Rex Ryan is implementing a form of public shaming during practices to help reduce the team's momentum-killing infractions. Ryan won't be slapping a scarlet "P" on anyone's chest, but whenever a player commits a penalty, anybody and everybody observing practice must drop down for 10 push-ups — while the offending player watches.

"I do not want our team associated with penalties," the Jets coach said Monday, a day after his team pulled off the win despite having the flag thrown at them  20 times. "That's not who we are."

But it is and, at that penalty rate, the practice push-ups might give Ryan's players the best delts and traps in the league.

After the first three games, the Jets lead the league in penalties with 34, thanks to four calls apiece Sunday on left guard Vladimir Ducasse and cornerback Kyle Wilson. Ryan believes he has  "a good plan" to eliminate those penalties with the same push-up tactic he employed in 2010. When a penalty flag is thrown in practice, everyone hits the ground — except the guilty party. Even team owner Woody Johnson will drop and do ten.

"Hey, Woody knocks those things out pretty good," Ryan. "I’m the one that struggles. I’ve got the strings for arms. I want the player to stand up. He doesn’t do them. And I want him to notice who he’s affecting. He’s affecting all of us.  After you’ve done a few of those, you’re like, 'Really? You got a penalty again?' They’ll get on each other. There’s a little bit of accountability, especially if you look over and the owner is knocking them out. We don’t want to look like Jack LaLanne or somebody either."

Looking like the late health guru might not be so bad Rex.

UNC shows off Military Appreciation Day helmets for ECU game

North Carolina's home game against East Carolina on Saturday will be the Tar Heels' chance to celebrate Military Appreciation Day at Kenan Stadium. The ceremonies at the game will include several opportunities to honor those who fight for our country, but UNC players will also show off their patriotism with the gear the team will wear on the field.

You can bet UNC fans won't mind trading Tar Heel sky-blue for these colors.

Photos of the American flag-themed helmets were posted to Twitter via the football team's official account.

.@CoachFedora at today's press conference with the UNC ROTC representatives. pic.twitter.com/muvZobrykj
— Carolina Football (@TarHeelFootball) September 23, 2013

Keegan Bradley makes eagle and starts Dufnering (VIDEO)

In the final round of the 2013 PGA Tour Championship on Sunday, Keegan Bradley holed out on the seventh hole for an eagle on the par four. Bradley humored his playing partner and good friend Jason Dufner by falling to the ground and Dufnering after the great shot.

You have to love it love that on a day when over $11 million is up for grabs, Bradley still has the sense of humor (and sense of timing) to take a poke at his buddy. Besides being one of the best golfers on the PGA Tour, Bradley is one of the most fun to watch.

Carl Banks: The 'scary' Giants 'don't like each other'

After what was virtually a 60-minute beat down of the New York Giants by the Carolina Panthers Sunday, one former Giants great called the team "scary."  And not in a good way.

Former Giants linebacker Carl Banks, a part of the Giants' radio broadcast team, spoke with WFAN on Monday and didn’t hold back when reflecting on what he saw while Big Blue was embarrassed in Charlotte, losing to the Panthers, 38-0.

"They were banging Giants, receivers getting knocked all over the place, and there’s not one guy that showed emotion," he said.  "And that’s scary. That really is scary."

But Banks didn't stop there and thinks New York’s problems might run deeper than just a lack of talent.

"They don’t like themselves," the two-time Super Bowl champion said. "That’s what it really comes down to. They don’t like each other. They’re not willing to fight for each other. When you have a premier quarterback in this league, and you don’t have enough self-respect — not for him, but for yourself — to protect him to do your job, I think it speaks volumes. I think these guys really do need to all stand in (front of) the mirror, and it’s gut-check time."

The Giants (0-3) have now been outscored 115-54 in the first three games of the season. It doesn’t get any easier from here, as Tom Coughlin’s squad will head to Kansas City this weekend to take on the undefeated Chiefs after the worst loss of the Coughlin era.

"I have a pretty good idea of what type of coach Tom Coughlin is, and what he expects of his guys, but he doesn’t play," Banks said. "And if they don’t have enough pride as men … And you can hate your coach, and never want to play this bad ever again. If you don’t have enough pride to stand up and do something … I don’t think I’ve seen a collective group just line up and get punched in the face, and stand up and do it again and again and again."

"I think the most disturbing aspect of it is … in all my years of being around the team, they’ve had some bad losses," Banks told WFAN co-hosts Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts. "They’ve had some highs and lows, and some good teams and bad teams. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team just not show emotion as they were just getting pummeled … I don’t advocate fighting, but show some emotion."

The final stats say it all.  The offensive line couldn’t protect Eli Manning, who completed 12 of 23 passes for 119 yards and threw an interception. He was also sacked seven times for 45 yards. The defense was equally as ineffective, surrendering 402 total yards and five touchdowns.

Not exactly Giants football — at least how Banks remembers it.