Ref gets knocked out by player's elbow during tip-off (VIDEO)

Veteran basketball referee Rick Crawford was officiating the consolation game between LaSalle and Vanderbilt at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday. Shortly after the tip off, he was inadvertently struck in the face by Vanderbilt's center Damian Jones' elbow. 

Crawford immediately went down and was on the hardwood with both of his eyes open. Play was stopped and the crowd went silent as he and was quickly seen to be paramedics. Crawford was put in a neck brace and also suffered from bruises to his eye before he was stretchered off the court and taken to hospital. 

A Barclays Center spokesman said Crawford was talking as he made his way to the hospital and could remember what happened.

Deadspin noted that shortly after the incident, the Vanderbilt Men's Basketball team tweeted that "it looks like Crawford is coherent and moving extremities." 

The Vanderbilt Commodores went on to win the game 68-55. 

Here's to a speedy recovery, Craw.

'Homeless' boxer: I 'was paid to throw fight' against Mickey Rourke: Report

In a report that will come as no surprise to fight fans, according to the boxer who lost by TKO to 62-year-old Mickey Rourke in the actor's trumpeted "comeback" bout last Friday, the fix was in.

That's right. Twenty-nine year-old Elliot Seymour, the "half his age" who was knocked down by Rourke's soft jabs and flimsy right in the second-round, is a homeless drifter was paid to fly to Russia to make the actor "look good," according to MailOnline.

Seymour, who was noticeably 33 years younger than the Hollywood actor and went down in an exaggerated heap, was "paid to throw the fight," he claims.

And since Rourke's Botox-tweaked face looked harder than the actor's creaky punches, the scenario is more than believable.

After Rourke's victory, he celebrated by carrying his trainer Marvin Somodio on his shoulders and parading him around the ring. Somodio is Freddy Roach's assistant at Wild Card — a gym where Seymour (now 1-10 as a pro) also trains.

"It was clearly a fixed fight. The whole bouncing off the ropes, hands down, punches were not landing and they were intentionally hitting each other’s gloves," said a source close to Seymour. 

"There are people at Wild Card gym who know that Elliot’s in a really terrible situation and pretty much living on the streets, these are Mickey Rourke’s people who Elliot’s been around and known for some time. 

"I’d be surprised if they didn’t know something about his situation but they have decided to put him in the ring against Mickey Rourke"

The source, who asked not to be named, spoke out because they are worried Seymour has mental health issues and has been exploited by the the fight's organizers.

"All these headlines Mickey Rourke beat someone half his age… yeah he did but you’re not telling them the real story," said the insider.  "The real story is he’s homeless and desperate and he will probably go back to living on the streets when he gets back. People have no clue about that."

Give Rourke credit for getting into the ring ... but come on.

Former Southern U player uses marching band to pop the question (PHOTOS)

Former Southern University fullback Calvin Mills needed a little help from friends to propose to his girlfriend Brittney Ramsey Saturday afternoon.

So Mills used the school's famous marching band to help him pop the question during halftime of the Bayou Classic in front of 41,000 people.

A man proposed via Southern University’s marching band. She said yes! http://t.co/temIfpCOm6 pic.twitter.com/QByghvcQ3S
— SB Nation (@SBNation) November 29, 2014

He even used Ramsey's young daughter as ring bearer in a giant box as if the the whole band thing wasn't big enough.

And she said yes.

Well played. That's an unique twist on taking a knee on the football field.

Watch Odell Beckham Jr. spin a football and kick it for 31-yard FG (VIDEO)

Just a few days after Beckham’s one-handed catch broke the Internet, the Giants’ rookie wide receiver put on an incredible display of some other skills at Friday’s practice.

After joining quarterbacks Eli Manning and Ryan Nassib in a fun game of throwing the ball into a netted bag, Beckham spun a ball while standing, then kicked the spinning ball for a 31-yard field goal.

It took two attempts but when was the last time you saw something like that?

Here's the video proof, courtesy of NJ.com:

We know Beckham can catch. But who knew the kid could be used as a backup QB and kicker too.

Here is video of Odell Beckham's latest trick: spin the ball, kick 31-yard field goal #giants http://t.co/7kajtmKFVh pic.twitter.com/oInr4XhBly
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) November 29, 2014

Ray Rice is most added player in fantasy football leagues after NFL reinstatement: Report

NFL owners may be reluctant to add Ray Rice to their teams, but fantasy owners appear to be more forgiving when it comes to helping out their teams.

Not surprisingly, after the former Ravens running back was reinstated by the NFL on Friday, fantasy owners — who won't have to worry about a public relations nightmare by picking up the disgraced running back —wasted no time in adding Rice to their teams as many begin their final playoff push.

The Yahoo! transaction trends page shows Rice has been added to 201, 968 teams as of 7 p.m. Friday.

That dwarfs the next most added player, Vikings running back Matt Asiata, who has been added to 20,277 teams.

Rice is still without a real NFL team and it may be difficult for the 27-year-old find an organization willing to take a player with all the excess scrutiny he'll surely attract.

But that doesn't mean NFL teams won't follow the fantasy owners lead.

295-pound Virginia DT David Dean scores on Pick-6 (VIDEO)

In the second quarter of the Commonwealth Cup between Virginia and Virginia Tech, 295-pound defensive tackle David Dean grabbed a deflected pass hanging in the air and rumbled into the end zone for the score and a 13-10 Cavaliers lead. 

The giant lineman wasn't too winded since the pick-6 rumble was all of five yards:

And who says fat men can't jump.

Brent Grimes says his one-handed INT was better than Beckham Jr.'s catch (VIDEO)

New York Giants rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s incredible one-handed catch Sunday night is being called the greatest catch of all time but, at least one NFL player is claiming he made a better grab just two weeks before.

That's right. Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes thinks his similar leaping interception robbing the Lions' Calvin Johnson of a touchdown during Week 10 deserves as much consideration as Beckham's widely publicized play — and maybe more.

"It was a cool catch. I may be biased, I think mine was better," Grimes joked, via ESPN’s James Walker. "I jumped and everything. I was on defense. They weren't throwing me the ball. That was a great catch, though."

Here's Beckham's fantastic catch ... again:



Let's make it simple and separate Big Apples from Orange Bowls by calling it like it is: Best Catch and Best Interception — respectively.

Settled.

Seahawks' Bruce Irvin trolls 49ers with tweet after win

The Seattle Seahawks trounced the San Francisco 49ers with a 19-3 road win on Thanksgiving night, and linebacker Bruce Irvin decided to rub the victory in their arch-rival's social media faces.

Just after the game, Irvin trolled the Niners with this tweet, poking fun at 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh's team motto.

Whosss got it better than us?!!! NOOOBOODYYYY! #12thman
— Bruce Irvin (@BIrvin_WVU11) November 28, 2014

They meet again in a couple of weeks in Seattle. That should be fun.

Hockey goalie rushes into stands to perform CPR on fan: Report

We've all heard of heart-stopping saves by hockey goalies. Well how about a heart-saving one?

That's what happened when a amateur Canadian hockey league netminder rushed into the stands to perform CPR on a man who collapsed struggling for breath minutes before the Gander Flyers took to the rink in Gander, Newfoundland.

Wearing skates, hockey pants and one giant shin pad, 26-year-old Patrick O'Brien raced out of the locker room to help the man who had no pulse, reported the Gander Beacon.

Luckily for the unidentified man, O'Brien recently graduated from a medical program in June and is now a paramedic.

“I just hopped in and started chest compressions,” he said after the man was taken to a local hospital and reported to be in stable condition. 

“There was lots of help,” said O’Brien, who made sure to single out the assistance of others later on Twitter:

Thanks very much for the kind words. Thanks as well to @whalen110 and Claude Elliott and all others on scene. Great work. @GanderFlyers
— Patty (@PatrickOBrien29) November 23, 2014

O'Brien played down his heroics.

"It wasn't just me," he said. "Anyone would have done what I did. I guess it's just where it was at the rink and I had some of my gear on. But it's what I do."

Yes he does — making saves both on and off the ice.

49ers owner apologizes for team's loss to Seahawks: Report

The 49ers were trounced by their arch-rival Seahawks on Thanksgiving night. 

At home in their new billion-dollar stadium. 

On national TV. 

And that's not a good combination when you pay for the whole enchilada.

So 49ers owner Jed York took to Twitter to express his frustration, apologizing to fans for the performance:

Thank you #49ersfaithful for coming out strong tonight. This performance wasn't acceptable. I apologize for that
— Jed York (@JedYork) November 28, 2014

The Niners play their cross-bay rivals, the Oakland Raiders next week in a must-win game to keep up in the playoff picture while Jim Harbaugh's future hangs in the balance.

"We know what we have to do now," the 49ers head coach said right after Thursday's game. "We've got to come back and win them all. We'll set our jaw to that."

To reach the playoffs, his 7-5 team technically might not have to "win them all." But they must win three of the four games and somehow hope to gain the tiebreaking advantage over several other teams that will probably have 10 victories.

And who's apologizing?

Wisconsin's Sam Dekker punches basketball into teammate's head during celebration (VIDEO)

The Wisconsin Badgers got a big 68-65 win on Thanksgiving over the Georgetown Hoyas, helping them advance to the Battle 4 Atlantis Finals.

Wisconsin's Sam Dekker was so happy after the final buzzer he slammed the ball down before inadvertently punching it into teammate Nigel Hayes face.

If Hayes is wearing a protective face mask in the finals, we'll know who to blame.

Rockets fan does his own version of Flashdance in stands (VIDEO)

This diehard Rockets fan took full advantage of his five seconds of fame when the camera turned in his direction on Wednesday.

Not only did he have "I (heart) Rockets" scrawled across his belly, he had a bottle of water ready to pour over his head after he tore off his Dwight Howard jersey.

The only thing missing was "Maniac" on the sound system for his low budget Flashdance.



This is for your burning eyes:

Mark Cuban: Realignment could help the NBA

Mark Cuban wants to throw out everything your second grade teacher taught you about geography — all to assist a plan to fix the gap in quality between the NBA's Eastern and Western Conferences — by realigning eight teams.

According to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, in the Dallas Mavericks owner's plan, the Mavs, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans would move to the Eastern Conference. The Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks would move to the West.

"It's not like it'd be the first time we've ever realigned," Cuban said while working out before Wednesday's home game against the New York Knicks. "It's happened many times before, so there's precedent and I just think it shakes things up and makes things interesting."

Just about any Western Conference owner wouldn't mind swapping conferences — especially when the East is as soft as ever. 

So is Cuban trying to make it easier for his Mavs by padding it with Knicks and 76ers games?

Not when he proposes sending perennial winners, the Spurs, and the up-and-coming Rockets and Pelicans with him.

But Cuban's plan does make some sense. The West has had a winning record against the East in 14 of the past 15 seasons, according to John Schuhmann of NBA.com, and change doesn't seem to be on the horizon. "After an 18-3 week, the West is an incredible 45-19 against the East this season," Schuhmann wrote on Nov. 24.

Cuban claims he has not discussed his idea with the commissioner or anyone else in the NBA.

"I did the trial close right here," said Cuban. "Then it'll turn into headline porn and then we'll see the response."

Martin St. Louis booed in return to Tampa as a Ranger (VIDEO)

Martin St. Louis said he was "expecting the worst" in his return to Tampa Bay as a member of the New York Rangers Wednesday night.

And he got it ... sort of.

The once beloved Lightning star was booed whenever he touched the puck and even during a video board tribute to the diminutive goal scorer.

St. Louis asked to be traded last season and then helped the Rangers get to the Stanley Cup Final. Lightning fans, who have not forgotten, seemed to have mixed feelings about his return to Amalie Arena.

"[The boos] were expected," St. Louis said. "But I understand. They care. They're great fans. They care."

Some fans tried to overtake the boo-birds with cheers by the time "Thank you Marty" appeared on the video board.

"It was great," St. Louis said. "Brought a lot of memories and I felt I wanted to give them the thank you that they deserved . . . I was very flattered by the ovation."

St. Louis was held without a shot all night while former Rangers captain Ryan Callahan — the other side of last season's blockbuster trade who has replaced St. Louis as a Tampa Bay fan favorite — scored the tying goal late in the first period and the go-ahead score at 10:17 of the second of the Lightning's 4-3 victory.

Welcome to your new life as a snowbird, Marty.

Australian cricket player Phil Hughes dies after being hit by ball: Report

Australian cricket star Phil Hughes, who suffered a head injury during a Sheffield Shield game at Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday, has died.

Hughes collapsed face first on the ground after being hit by a ball thrown by bowler Sean Abbott two days ago. The 25-year-old batsman was stretchered off the pitch before being put in a medically-induced coma at a hospital.

Australia team doctor Peter Brukner said he passed away at St. Vincent's Hospital, never regaining consciousness.

Hughes — batting for South Australia — had been wearing a helmet but the ball unintentionally struck him at the top of the neck, causing the freak injury.

Injury that killed Phillip Hughes was so rare doctors at hospital hadn't seen if before. http://t.co/GFqdwjjXNM pic.twitter.com/8Hnw7K2V1c
— The Daily Telegraph (@dailytelegraph) November 27, 2014

Medical staff administered CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the stadium field before Hughes was taken to the emergency room, where he had a 90-minute operation to relieve pressure on his brain.

Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes dies in hospital 2 days after being struck in head by ball http://t.co/Zun9nMfdX7 pic.twitter.com/sOUcYvjtU1
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 27, 2014

The injury has re-ignited debate about short-pitch bowling in the sport and the level of protection offered by helmets that first came into popular use in the late 1970s. 

Head injuries in cricket are more common than one might think, and there have been six other recorded deaths in cricket related to them since 1958.

R.I.P. Phillip Hughes.

St. John's' D'angelo Harrison gets a close-up view of Chris Obekpa's short-shorts (VIDEO)

St. John's center Chris Obekpa rocked some retro short-shorts against Minnesota during the NIT Season Tip-Off semifinal game at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night.

And the Red Storm's D'Angelo Harrison got a close up view of the John Stockton specials when he slipped through the 6'10" Obekpa's legs on this play:

Harrison looks very glad that his teammate stands 6'10" — and not a few inches shorter.

St. John's forward Chris Obekpa is rocking the old-school look with his shorts in the NIT Season Tip-Off. pic.twitter.com/C0X3XFQalp
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 27, 2014

Rex Ryan knew John Idzik planned on firing him since start of season: Report

The on-and-off chatter about firing Rex Ryan has been flying around MetLife Stadium for the past three years but, apparently, little planes with "Fire Rex" banners have been soaring around inside John Idzik's head since the season began.

It's not surprising a head coach who had such early success with the two AFC Championship Game appearances his first two years with Woody Johnson's team would hold on to his job this long, but according to the N.Y. Post, Ryan's fate was actually sealed long ago — and he knew about it.

Sources told The Post that, during the offseason, Ryan bumped into scouts and other coaches from around the league who told him Jets general manager had been telling people his plan all along was to replace Ryan after the season and bring in his own head coach.

“Did he think that wasn’t going to get back to me?” an angered Ryan told one confidant.

The Post wrote:

All year, Ryan has been exasperated by the deficiency of talent Idzik has given him — particularly at cornerback, which is the most crucial position on his defenses.

Through it all, he has remained a company man and kept those frustrations to himself, instead actually praising some of the ill-fated moves Idzik has made.

Idzik staying more than $20 million under the salary cap this year was a clear message to Ryan there was not a strong commitment to win during a year in which Ryan knew he had to win to keep his job.

Two sources told The Post in recent days Ryan has been hinting to people with whom he is close he is prepared to go directly to TV if (when?) he’s fired by the Jets.

And, after Monday's atrocious 38-3 loss to the Bills,  it appears he is about to lose his fight to remain the Jets head coach for a seventh season after the Jets failed to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive time — their longest drought since the six-year run from 1992 to 1997.

And at Monday's postgame presser, the always colorful and direct Ryan put it best: "One thing I know, unless it changes drastically, I will be the head coach here for the next five weeks."

Warm up the mic, Rex. TV beckons. 

Blind 12-year-year old signs letter of intent with Houston Cougars track team (VIDEO)

A 12-year-old girl — who lost her eyesight at a very early age — is one very happy person after she signed a letter-of-intent to run track with her favorite college program.

Maycie Gonzalez was the center of attention at the honorary signing with the Houston Cougar Track and Field program inside the Carl Lewis Auditorium on the UH campus Tuesday.

Head coach Leroy Burrell and track legend Lewis were both in attendance.

"It means a lot to me to be able to do something that I wouldn't have been able to do," she said. "It just means a lot to me that all the people believe in me. (It) helps build confidence in myself and what I think I can do."

At a very young age, Maycie was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma, a cancer of the retinas, in the eye. Doctors had to remove both eyes while she battled the disease. 

But so far, Maycie has been cancer free for 10 years, but still has to deal with treatment every day.

Maycie has refused to let her disability keep her down. She has been involved with softball for eight years and also enjoys running track and acting. And although she likes softball, Maycie has always had a passion for track and field.

The Signing Day event was organized by Boston-based nonprofit organization, Team IMPACT, whose quest is to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of teamwork.

It looks like they good.

Bengals' Devon Still hasn't paid child support, says mother of cancer-stricken daughter: Report

Devon Still, who made headlines and won the hearts of fans from all over when the Cincinnati Bengals re-signed the once-cut player to help pay for his daughter's battle with cancer, has not paid child support in months, the little girl's mother claims.

Still, a defensive end for the NFL team, has not paid any child support for his four-year-old daughter Leah since July, according to her mother Channing Smythe.

The deadbeat claim threatens to overshadow what has been one of the few feel-good stories in a league otherwise riddled with controversy, including allegations of domestic violence and child abuse.

Smythe's attorney, Gloria Allred, has delivered a letter to the NFL asking it to investigate if Still has violated its Personal Conduct Policy by failing to pay child support, reported the New York Daily News.

"I don’t think it is fair that Devon Still, who is Leah’s father, has refused to pay any child support for her for the months of August, September, October and November of this year.," Smythe said in the letter.

Still's highly-publicized story began when he initially missed out on making Cincinnati's 53-man roster so he could be by his daughter's side while she endured expensive treatment for cancer. The sympathetic Bengals organization then offered him a spot on the practice squad, ensuring Leah would be covered under the team's health insurance policy.

Still fired back at the newspaper via Twitter:

@NYDNSports "Truth allows you to live with integrity. Everything you do and say shows the world who you really are. Let it be the Truth."
— Devon Still (@Dev_Still71) November 26, 2014

He claims he went public with his daughter's cancer diagnosis "not for sympathy," he wrote on Instagram, but "because I've come to the point where I no longer [am] feeling sorry but [want] to ask that y'all keep my daughter in your prayers...

"The more prayers that go up, the more faith we [have] that she will overcome this obstacle," he wrote.

The courageous Leah was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in June and given a 50 per cent chance of survival. She has since endured surgery to remove a tumor, five rounds of chemotherapy, one round of radiotherapy and, most recently, stem cell treatment to restore bone marrow.

Still's trips from Cincinnati to Delaware to be with his daughter each time she goes in for treatment have been making news for months but, Smythe claims she has been unable to work at all because Leah needs full-time care.

Still's agent, a spokesman for the Bengals and an NFL spokesman did not respond to requests for comment when contacted by the Daily News.

He has set up a donation program encouraging people to pledge money for every sack the Bengals' defense gets this season in an effort to help raise money and awareness about pediatric cancer.

Hopefully this situation will be resolved right away and won't tarnish something the NFL can be proud of.

And — more importantly — a little girl's health.

Oregon player's easy fast-break dunk ends in epic fail (VIDEO)

Oregon's Elgin Cook looked like he was ready to make someone's highlight reel during a fast break Tuesday against VCU, but ended up making a blooper headline instead.

After coming up with a great steal around half court with his team down by five in the Legends Classic game, Cook looked like he was going to throw it down hard before deciding that maybe a layup was the better option.

Unfortunately, his body wasn't as quick as his mind and Cook missed the bunny too.

VCU went on to a 77-63 victory anyway.

Reggie Bush compares shooting of Mike Brown to Palestine: Report

Reggie Bush has been pretty outspoken about the verdict in Ferguson on Twitter the past couple of days. But on Tuesday, the Lions running back curiously compared the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown to the conflict in Palestine on his Instagram page.

Bush posted a photo of a man holding a sign with the message: "The Palestinian People know what mean to be shot while unarmed because of your ethnicity. #Ferguson #Justice."

The post suggests that unarmed Palestinians were being shot by Israel.

Bush also included the caption: "No matter who you are, what color skin you have, where you live, we are all in this together! This isn't a Ferguson problem it's a Global Problem! We need change NOW! What happened to humanity? #JusticeForMikeBrown."

No matter who you are, what color skin you have, where you live, we are all in this together! This isn't a Ferguson problem it's a Global Problem! We need change NOW! What happened to humanity? #JusticeForMikeBrown

A photo posted by reggiebush (@reggiebush) on Nov 11, 2014 at 9:33pm PST

While the 29-year-old Bush has every right to voice his opinions regarding the verdict handed down in Ferguson, comparing it to the Middle East bloodshed might be a reach.

Bush, who famously dated reality star Kim Kardashian for two years, made the comment late on Monday. It was liked by more than 14,000 of his followers on Instagram.

'Fire John Idzik' billboard has new suggestion for Jets owner (PHOTO)

There is a new twist to the "Fire John Idzik" billboards which have been popping up around MetLife Stadium. The newest sign on Route 3, the main thoroughfare right outside the stadium where the Jets play, not only calls for owner Woody Johnson to clean house and fire Idzik — the Jets embattled general manager — it also suggests Johnson (and Jets fans) would be better off if he sold the franchise.

The latest billboard appeared one day after the Jets embarrassing 38-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills Monday night in Detroit, reports NJ.com.

The signage is a result of the work being done by firejohnidzik.com. The site is run by disgruntled Jets fans and refers to "The Florham Park Circus" and pleads for the Jets to "Clean House."

So it looks like they're going to need longer banners on those planes that fly over Jets games.

Terrell Suggs reaches 100-sack mark and lists his sackees (PHOTO)

Terrell Suggs topped 100 career sacks in Monday night’s 34-27 victory over the New Orleans Saints, bringing down quarterback Drew Brees on a key play in the third quarter. 

Immediately after the sack, the Ravens linebacker held up his arms to signal that he’d passed the century mark.

And later, the Ravens organization made sure that every quarterback who helped him reach the milestone knew it too.

Suggs reacts to passing the century mark in career sacks: http://t.co/VQcZjZBe7x pic.twitter.com/7dLHLsqwLg
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 25, 2014

“It was good to finally get it. Everybody was talking about it,” Suggs said. “It was good to finally get to 100, and it was good to get the win, too.”

Monday night's sack was the sixth of the season for Suggs, and it gives him 100.5 for his career. The Ravens franchise sack leader became the 31st player in NFL history to reach that plateau.

Soccer player gets clobbered by goalkeeper, scores amazing goal anyway (VIDEO)

Nico Lopez scored an equalizing goal in the 39th minute against Fiorentina on Sunday, but he certainly paid a price for it.

Neto, the Fiorentina goalkeeper, came well out of the box to challenge the hard-charging Lopez. He was late but followed through with the tackle anyway, completely upending the Hellas Verona midfielder and earning a yellow card in the process. 

Gol de #nicolopez hoy primer tiempo #hellasverona @Embajadores_gol @AlejoEtcheverry @SebasGiovanelli https://t.co/3TPxeS2sE7 @Bambino627
— Laura #Garracharrua (@LBCeleste) November 23, 2014

Lopez was uninjured and immediately hopped back up to celebrate his goal. Unfortunately, Fiorentina would go on to a 2-1 win.

Aussie cricket star in coma after being hit by ball (VIDEO)

Australian cricketer Phil Hughes is in critical condition after being struck in the head by a ball during a match at the Sydney Cricket Ground Tuesday.

The 25-year-old South Australia batsman was knocked unconscious and reportedly stopped breathing as doctors attempted to resuscitate him on the field after being hit by the "bouncer" on the side of his head, according to BBC.

A medivac helicopter landed on the field, but Hughes would eventually be taken to the hospital in an ambulance. He's currently in a medically-induced coma following surgery for a head injury.

A bouncer is a type of delivery in cricket that often results in the hard ball flying toward the batsman's head at over 100 mph. It's heavily regulated due to its chances for injury.

Hughes staggered a bit before collapsing face first on the pitch after he was hit by the ball bowled by New South Wales' Sean Abbott during day one of the Sheffield Shield.

WARNING: Video might be disturbing to some.

Pray for a speedy and healthy recovery.

LeBron James, other athletes respond to Ferguson verdict via Twitter

Within minutes of Monday’s Ferguson verdict, NBA star LeBron James used social media to express his remorse for the family of dead teenager Michael Brown and the chaos that followed.

The grand jury’s decision not to prosecute police officer Darren Wilson was announced on Monday evening during the Cleveland Cavaliers' 106-74 win over the Orlando Magic.

After the game, James took to Twitter to voice his frustration at the situation in Ferguson by tweeting a drawing of Brown and Trayvon Martin walking arm-in-arm.

As a society how do we do better and stop things like this happening time after time!! I'm so sorry to these families. Violence is not the answer people. Retaliation isn't the solution as well. #PrayersUpToTheFamilies #WeHaveToDoBetter

A photo posted by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:06pm PST

Twitter blew up with other prominent sports stars speaking out as well.

Magic Johnson expressed his disappointment with the situation in Ferguson by tweeting: "We must work together to stop the unnecessary loss of young men of color. Justice was not served in Ferguson."

We must work together to stop the unnecessary loss of young men of color. Justice was not served in Ferguson.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) November 25, 2014

Serena Williams also tweeted her shock. 'Wow. Just wow. Shameful. What will it take???,' she said.

Wow. Just wow. Shameful. What will it take???
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) November 25, 2014

NFL star Reggie Bush also tried to put it in perspective.

No matter who you are, what color skin you have, where you live, we are all in this together! This… http://t.co/iDYzkjygbE
— Reggie Bush (@ReggieBush) November 25, 2014

Bills' Scott Chandler celebrates TD by pretending to shovel snow (VIDEO)

Buffalo residents had a rough week due to the snow storm in New York state, with many of them having to dig out of up to seven feet of the white stuff just to get outside of their homes.

Luckily, the Buffalo Bill were able to escape the white hell and play the New York Jets in Detroit Monday night.

So how did Bills tight end Scott Chandler celebrate scoring a touchdown in the first half? By pretending to shovel snow of course.

And if he got flagged for an excessive celebration penalty doing his 'shovel dance,' he could always blame it on muscle memory.

Brawling parents cause two pee-wee football teams to be banned from championship series: Report

A fight between groups of parents caused two teams of five and six-year-old football players to be banned from their local Super Bowl series.

The pee-wee teams from St. Martin, Mississippi, who take part in the state's Gulf League were disqualified from each of their games following the fight in a parking lot, reported the Mississippi Press.

"A handful of parents can't control themselves," said Jimmy Williams, a St. Martin Youth Football Association board member. "This handful of parents ruined it not only for their kids, but all the other kids, as well."

According to both Williams and Ezell Johnson Jr., a coach of one of the teams, the two teams were playing Tuesday night for a berth in the coast-wide Super Bowl when a fight broke out between as many as four parents outside the youth football facility in Vancleave, which was hosting the playoffs.

Both Williams and Johnson said at least two of the parents involved in Tuesday's fight had already been banned from both the St. Martin and Vancleave facilities for an incident involving racial slurs which occurred during the regular season at the St. Martin facility. The players were allowed to finish the season, only when their mothers brought them to practices and games.

Williams said Jesse Peterson, president of both the Vancleave youth league and the coast-wide association, made an announcement multiple times during Tuesday's game that any incidents would result in the disqualification of both teams from Saturday's championships.

Suffice it to say, he parents "weren't pleased" about the decision and did not understand why the children had been punished. 

"The rules say the coaches are responsible for the parents, but that's inside the facility," said Williams. "We can't control what happens outside."

So once again innocent kids suffer for the antics of overzealous sports parents.

Beckham Jr.'s 'Fingertip' catch can't top Tyree's 'Helmet' catch

While Odell Beckham Jr.'s  one-handed, super-stretch touchdown grab against the rival Cowboys on Sunday night was a remarkable feat, it started a debate Giants fans will be having over at the office cooler for days to come.

Was it the greatest catch in NFL history, as it's being called, or even in the Giants own glorious past?

For the argument, one only has to look back at David Tyree's "helmet catch" against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII to draw a comparison.

Beckham's three-fingered grab may well be — athletically — the best NFL catch ever, but what did it accomplish?

Nothing, if you know it was meaningless regular season game that the Giants — realistically out of playoff contention — ended up losing and were basically playing for pride against a division rival.

Considering the scenario surrounding Tyree's "helmet catch," which was almost Shakespearean, the desperation third-down catch helped put the kibosh on the undefeated Patriots' season and help the unheralded Giants win Super Bowl XLII with 59 seconds on the clock.

Eli Manning — who deserves a little credit on the play too — would go on to hit Plaxico Burress for the winning TD four plays later in what has been called the best Super Bowl game ever.



So while the only thing each catch has in common is the quarterback Manning, the overall edge definitely goes to Tyree.

But it's still too early to even call the rookie Beckham's catch the finest of his career. He still has a long way to go.

Katy Perry to perform at halftime of Super Bowl XLIX: Report

Katy Perry will be the headlining act at the next Super Bowl halftime show when she takes the stage on the NFL's biggest night and during one of the world's most watched events, it was announced Sunday night.

The pop singer was picked for the vaunted spot during the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show next February 1, the singer and the National Football League both confirmed.

"Yeppers! And I've already started testing out ideas!" Perry tweeted moments after the announcement was made at halftime during the nationally-televised game between the Cowboys and Giants.

.@SNFonNBC @NFL Yeppers! And I've already started testing out ideas! http://t.co/eYUKcQTxtG #halftime
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) November 24, 2014

NFL announces @katyperry will headline #SuperBowl halftime show Feb. 1, 2015. pic.twitter.com/GHb79q1jVr
— Sean Jensen (@seankjensen) November 24, 2014

There was already speculation last month that the perky Perry would be the star performer at this year's Super Bowl. And after show business' worst kept secret, she beat out other popular artists which reportedly included Rihanna and Coldplay.

The most recent Super Bowl halftime extravaganza featured Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and drew a record 111.5 million US television viewers last February.

The 30-year-old Perry — known for her flamboyant costumes and such hits as Firework, California Gurls, Dark Horse, and Part of Me — will now find a new audience in millions of homes worldwide.

It seems the league's new policy for keeping abuse out of households doesn't apply to TV viewers' listening pleasure.

Just kidding Roar fans.

Well, at least she won't have skeevy Russell Brand in tow.

ESPN announcers crack up at Virginia fan singing to plastic goose (VIDEO)

A lot of strange things happen before, during and after ESPN college football games (i.e. Lee Corso comes to mind) but this Virginia football fan even had the network's experienced announcers at a loss for words Saturday.

Cameras caught a young man singing along to Journey's Don't Stop Believin' holding a very large plastic goose during the Cavaliers' 30-13 win over Miami and, before you could say Aflac, the usually verbose ESPN broadcasters were rolling in the booth — speechless.

But when the fan starts singing into the bird's beak, it sends them into hysterics:

I guess, "Nothing says college like singing Journey while holding onto a goose," does describe this scene pretty well.

Or maybe Steve Perry he ain't.

Broncos players weren't very happy after kicker missed FG (VIDEO)

With the Denver Broncos trailing the Miami Dolphins, 21-17, in the third quarter Sunday, Denver kicker Brandon McManus missed a routine 33-yard field goal when it hit the upright.

And that didn't sit well with Broncos guard Manny Ramirez or wideout DemaryiusThomas.

The two players were hardly the only players who were angry over the botched chip shot — McManus has now missed three of his last six field-goal attempts — but there was probably one teammate the kicker especially hoped he wouldn't run into on the sidelines — namely one Peyton Manning.

The missed field goals by McManus have re-ignited comparisons to clutch kicker Matt Prater, who was released by the Broncos in October following his four-game suspension and who has since signed with the Lions.

Somewhere, you know Prater is getting a real kick out of this.

Close-up of Odell Beckham Jr.'s unbelievable catch makes it even more incredible (PHOTO)

If you didn't see Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. make what is being called one of the greatest catches of all time on dozens of replays Sunday night, you're sure to see it all over ESPN along with the tweets and numerous memes making the rounds on the Internet Monday morning.

Some might say that the only thing that could have possibly made the rookie's acrobatic, one-handed grab of Eli Manning's wayward throw any better would be if The Odell  — as the catch is being called — helped lead to a Giants win.

Not true. When you look at a close-up of Beckham's hand on the play, it reveals something else to be marveled at.

Behold... The Odell. pic.twitter.com/chV7An8BPi
— Don Van Natta Jr. (@DVNJr) November 24, 2014

That's correct. Not only did Beckham make a one-handed catch while falling backwards with a defender in the way, but he snagged the football with only three fingers.

Pacquiao calls out Mayweather after dominating Algieri (VIDEO)

Manny Pacquiao dominated Chris Algieri for 12 rounds in Macau Saturday night and while PacMan didn't get the first knock out in six years which he so mightily predicted, the one-sided victory did set the table for the boxing match everyone is waiting for.

The six knock-downs Pacquiao landed on Algieri didn't finish off the Long Island fighter but showed that the Filipino is still a force to be reckoned with after retaining his WBO welterweight crown.

So when he was asked by Max Kellerman after the Cotai Arena beatdown if the fight against Floyd Mayweather might finally happen, Pacquiao said: "Yes, I want that fight and the fans deserve it."

Algieri's run-and-duck style might have prevented Pacquiao from the KO he wanted, but the question remains: Was the vintage display enough for Mayweather even think about avoiding what would be the richest fight in ring history?

The ball is in Money's court.

Maple Leafs remember to salute fans after beating Red Wings (VIDEO)

The Maple Leafs have won two games in a row thanks to their 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night following a victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

And this time the players didn't forget the fans by making sure to take part in their post-game salute by raising their sticks to the Leaf faithful before skating off to the locker room.

It seems the team skipped the stick salute after Thursday's win, sparking a controversy bigger than a Rob Ford bar tab.

And that's a real no-no at Air Canada Centre, eh?

Everyday in Tor it's something. Today, outrage because the Leafs ditched the stick salute to the fans. Player decision. Coaches didn't know.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 21, 2014

Glad to see everything back to normal north of the border.