Super Bowl balls will be kept under lock and key in the hours before game: Report

The NFL will keep Super Bowl balls under "added security" ahead of the game as the Deflategate investigation continues to dominate the headlines.

There will be 108 balls used in Arizona between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots on Sunday — 54 for each team and five times more than any other game. Both teams will practice with the designated set and break them in on Friday, but the NFL will take them into their custody afterwards before they are inspected by officials three hours before kick off.

During a press conference on Thursday, vice president of officiating Dean Blandino insisted that the heightened security wasn't a result of Deflategate but was normal protocol for the Super Bowl. 

"There will be some added security just because of the environment we're in for this game,"said Blandino.

 "The thing with the Super Bowl is during the first half, we rotate footballs in as much as possible, because then those balls are used for charity and NFL auction."

On Sunday, three hours before kickoff, the game balls will be delivered to the officials' locker room, where they will be inspected. Then the balls will be returned to an independently-chosen equipment manager, Tony Medlin of the Chicago Bears, who will bring them to the field and give them to ball attendants.

Asked whether officials will test balls mid-game, as they did on Jan. 18 after receiving a complaint, Blandino said there were no such plans. "If a situation comes up, we'll adjust, but we're just going to go through the normal protocol," he said.

Blandino also hinted at the possibility of a league-wide review into pre-game football preparations during the off season. 

"They're not logged and that's certainly something that could be a thought," he added. "They're tested, they make sure that they're in that acceptable range and then they basically mark the football to say this is an acceptable football in that proper specification."

Mop boy nearly trampled during fast break (VIDEO)

Mop boys usually clean under the basket when the players are at the other end of the court but, sometimes even they can't help but get caught up in the action.

Buffalo Bulls junior Rodell Wigginton stole the ball to start a fast break on Friday against the Kent State Golden Flashes. As he drove to the hoop, this mop boy left a little sweat of his own behind.

Dangerous? Yes. But it's better than swabbing booths down at the local adult film store.

Iowa WR tops Odell Beckham's world record for one-handed catches (VIDEO)

After Odell Beckham Jr. teamed up this week with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees to set a Guinness World Record for most one-handed catches in a minute —  making 33 grabs in the allotted time — the mark has already been broken.

Make that obliterated.

Just days after OBJ set the once obscure record in Scottsdale, Ariz., Iowa receiver Tevaun Smith decided to give it a shot, and video shows he managed to catch an impressive 41 balls in one minute on Friday. Since there were no Guinness officials around to verify the record, it looks like the Iowa junior won't be getting one of those snazzy certificates to hang on his wall.

Smith — who caught 43 passes for 596 yards last season for the Hawkeyes — still has a long way to go before he is in Beckham's class but, at least he got his name on the map — if not in the books.

And he'll always have the video.

Jerry Seinfeld 'insanely furious' about release of Mets announcer: Report

A report that Bobby Ojeda will not return to SNY as part of the Mets broadcast team this season, and ex-Met Nelson Figueroa is in serious negotiations to succeed Ojeda, shook up Citi Field Thursday.

The popular Ojeda pitched five years for the Mets and was a part of SNY's pre and post-game shows for the team's broadcasts since 2009. Ojeda and SNY could not agree to a new deal after his contract ran out following the 2014 season, according to the N.Y. Daily News.

The news of Ojeda's abrupt exit didn't go unnoticed by some Mets fans — especially the Metsie who seemingly notices everything: Jerry Seinfeld.

The comic — and occasional Mets broadcaster — didn't take the news lightly and in his own inimitable style called for justice via Twitter:

@Robbie_Dizms @AdamRubinESPN @Mets @SNYtv I'm insanely furious!!!!!!!!!
— Jerry Seinfeld (@JerrySeinfeld) January 30, 2015

Having Seinfeld on your side is like snagging the last marble rye but, where's Keith "Pretty Boy" Hernandez when you need him?

Odell Beckham Jr. breaks world record with 33 one-handed catches in a minute (VIDEO)

Odell Beckham Jr. has been one pretty busy NFL player during this year's Super Bowl week. In between destroying kids in dodgeball and whipping it on the runway, ODB added a Guinness World Record to his resume.

Beckham's one-handed catches were an NFL sensation this season and, with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees throwing to him from 10 yards away, the Giants receiver obliterated the previous record of 10 one-handed catches in a minute, as he grabbed 33 in front of a crowd with the ESPN cameras rolling.

What can't this guy do and who even knew there was such a record?

Porn sounds heard on-air during Nashville Predators broadcast (VIDEO and AUDIO)

If you thought you heard some lusty female moaning in the audio background during the Predators-Blues broadcast on Fox Sports Tennessee Thursday night — you would be right.

Not once, but twice, during the telecast of the NHL matchup, viewers — more precisely, listeners — picked up the distinctive sounds of a porn scene.

How the sexy soundtrack got there is anyone's guess but, luckily, the announcers didn't confuse slap shot with money shot.

And what a time to run a Cialis spot.

Did Andy Murray's fiancee call Tomas Berdych a 'Czech flash f**k' during match (VIDEO)

Things got a little testy during Andy Murray's Australian Open semi-final victory against Tomas Berdych after Murray's fiancee appeared to fire an expletive-ridden blast towards her man's opponent during a heated match.

After Murray won a grueling baseline rally in the first set to claim a break back, his bride-to-be, Kim Sears, was caught on camera apparently mouthing "F***** have that you Czech flash f**k" at Berdych.

“@BenRothenberg: Forget how big the diamond is; THIS is what true love is made of. #ausopen https://t.co/jETjH7CunD” f****** hilarious!
— Anne Keothavong (@annekeothavong) January 29, 2015

The potty-mouthed comment was just part of a series of heated moments during Murray's marathon 6-7 (6-8), 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 win against Berdych on Thursday.

Berdych was clearly incensed at losing the point, and gave Murray a long stare as both players walked back to their chairs.

As Murray sat down, he pumped his fist towards his own box, to which Sears responded with a fist pump of her own before letting loose with the f-bombs as she glanced over towards Berdych's team.

Moments later, Berdych complained to umpire Pascal Maria about the quality of the tennis balls, to which Murray responded: "He always does this."

Murray went on to close out the match and clinch a spot in the final and the handshake between the pair at the net after was surprisingly civil after all the naughtiness.

And love is a four-lettered word too.

Odell Beckham Jr. destroys kid in dodgeball game (VIDEO)

Whether he calls it dodgeball or bombardment, to Odell Beckham Jr., it's still a competition — and apparently doesn't care who's on the other side.

The Giants wide receiver hooked up with a couple of kids to show them the fine art of throwing a utility ball by nailing one youngster with a laser to the face.

Odell Beckham Jr. is wrong for this 😂. https://t.co/RiQFl9Ylko
— Not Tony Romo (@not_romo) January 29, 2015

Kid must have skipped the wrench training.

Odell Beckham Jr. does the runway 'whip' at fashion show (VIDEO)

Odell Beckham Jr. had been showing off "The Whip" in NFL stadiums for most of last season. Now the Giants wide receiver is even bringing his trademark dance to the runway.

The rookie phenom did a mini-Whip, at the Suits and Sneakers Super Bowl event he hosted at the W Scottsdale hotel Wednesday night, wearing a casual plaid pants and loafers combination.

Apparently louder than Beckham's slacks was Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson egging his fellow model on. And it worked: 

Just guessing that Peterson won't want to see Beckham's celebratory dance the next time they meet on a football field though.

[NJ.com]

Jerian Grant single-handedly stops Notre Dame's students from storming court after beating Duke (VIDEO)

After No. 8 Notre Dame knocked off No. 4 Duke Wednesday night, the Fighting Irish fan base was ready to explode onto the court after beating the despised Blue Devils.

That was until they ran into Irish star Jerian Grant:

Grant, who was outstanding in the come-from-behind victory, played the role of traffic cop at mid-court by putting his hands up in the air. And, surprisingly, as the swell of fans came to the edge of the court, they saw Grant, and actually turned around.

What can't this guy do?

ND star Jerian Grant singlehandedly stopped fans from storming the court after beating Duke: http://t.co/CEgcZLFgdn pic.twitter.com/YQHqMtBWjy
— SB Nation (@SBNation) January 29, 2015

Lone man shovels Boston Marathon finish line (PHOTO)

The nearly two feet of snow from Winter Storm Juno that piled up on New England Monday and Tuesday didn't stop one intrepid Bostonian from shoveling the Boston Marathon finish line and making sure it was visible. 

The lone shoveler, whose identity was unknown at first, has now been identified as Chris Laudani, who works as a bartender at Back Bay Social Club.

Help Boston solve a #BlizzardOf2015 mystery. #WhoShoveledTheFinishLine? #BostonStrong pic.twitter.com/1icgPcW9Vc
— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) January 28, 2015

The rest of the 26-mile course, and particularly the sidewalks that line it, are likely to be under snow for some time. But, thanks to Laudani, at least the finish line, an important landmark in the city and running community, whose significance only increased after the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013, is clear: Boston Strong.

“I only did it to send a message…I love the Boston Marathon and everything it stands for, the finish line doesn’t deserve to be covered in snow,” Laudani told Boston magazine.

#WhoShoveledTheFinishLine? Turns out he's a bartender on Boylston Street: http://t.co/eZtZbXusWJ pic.twitter.com/AbhzNfVG6M
— Runner's World (@runnersworld) January 28, 2015

The photographer, Charles Hillman, was staying at a local hotel when he noticed someone clearing the snow outside his window. He told Runner’s World Newswire that, after posting the image on his Twitter account, “I had no idea it would have this response.”

Bill Belichick says Mark Bavaro worthy of Hall of Fame

Bill Belichick might have the best tight end in the NFL right now in Rob Gronkowski but, it was another brutish tight end that the Patriots coach made his bones with and still hasn't forgotten: Mark Bavaro.

At Tuesday's Media Day session, Belichick reminisced about being the Giants' defensive coordinator when Bavaro played for the Giants and helped the team to Super Bowl victories after the 1986 and 1990 seasons.

Photo: Tony Mangia

Although Belichick wouldn't compare Rambo and Gronk directly — "it's a different era, a different game" — Belichick had nothing but praise for the hard-nosed Bavaro, a fourth-round pick out of Notre Dame whose career was cut short by a knee injury.

"I think Mark's in a really special category," Belichick said. "His toughness, his overall complete play as a tight end and blocker, just as a total competitor was just outstanding. I don't think Mark has ever gotten the recognition that any of us that coached him or played with him know that he deserves."

While Bavaro's silent, no-nonsense approach to the game differed greatly from Gronk's ebullient style, Belichick praised their similar all-round abilities on the field.

"He [Bavaro] blocked [Eagles defensive end] Reggie White better than most tackles blocked him," Belichick said. "That alone should put him in the Hall of Fame. This guy was a great football player."

Bill Belichick heaps praise on former Giants TE Mark Bavaro via @Newsday http://t.co/hugMANK2qr
— Bob Glauber (@BobGlauber) January 28, 2015

Belichick recalled his favorite memory of Bavaro, and it wasn't his catch-and-run in a 1986 Monday night game against the 49ers when he carried about half the Niners defense on his back before being brought down. 

"I would say if there's a memory in my mind, it's of training camp of all the times that LT [Lawrence Taylor] and Carl [Banks] would line up against from Mark in one-on-ones," Belichick said. 

"Those are back in the days of training camp where you practiced every day in pads. There were no better battles in my entire career than watching Carl and LT go against Bavaro one-on-one. I mean, it was just awesome. All three of them were so good, so competitive and so tough."

If you need a reminder, here's the play that most fans remember:

Mayweather and Pacquaio meet up at Miami Heat game

The most awesome thing happened at a Miami Heat game and it had nothing to do with basketball.

After Manny Pacquaio’s flight was canceled due to Winter Storm Juno, he was at the Heat-Bucks game in Miami at the same time Floyd Mayweather showed up. The two fighters met at halftime, and shook hands after a few words and a once over. It was reportedly the first time either boxer had spoken to each other face-to-face although they have been mouthing off to each other via Twitter for what seems like ages.

IN-TALKS Floyd Mayweather & Manny Pacquiao talking at center court at the HEAT game. @FloydMayweather @MannyPacquiao https://t.co/ohFm05B5tO
— Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) January 28, 2015

According to the Associated Press, the meeting went down like this:

”PACQUIAO SAYS MAYWEATHER GAVE HIM HIS CELL NUMBER AND TOLD HIM IT’S TIME FOR THEM TO WORK THIS FIGHT OUT THEMSELVES. PAC SAYS HE GOT TOLD 1 MINUTE BEFORE HALFTIME THAT FLOYD WAS COMING OVER FOR A CHAT. PACQUIAO SAID HE NEVER SPOKE TO FLOYD IN PERSON BEFORE TONIGHT. THANK WINTER STORM JUNO IF THIS FIGHT EVER HAPPENS. PAC WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TONIGHT — BUT HIS FLIGHT WAS CANCELED.”

Mayweather and Pacquiao sealed the deal. Shook on it. Exchanged phones and typed in each others' numbers. pic.twitter.com/A1Fv18xQXj
— Grant Smith (@StrategySmith) January 28, 2015

It all raises the possibility of the two getting together to fight in what would likely be the highest grossing pay-per-view event in television history. Although they still don’t have a fight date maybe last night's personal touch will speed things up.

Asked to clarify if the exchange meant the two fighters would negotiate directly about meeting in the ring, Pacquiao said that was the case.

Mayweather did not respond to questions. “Not now,” one of his security guards said, as Mayweather punched in the digits.

Hopefully it wasn't another snow job.

So @FloydMayweather just walked over and spoke to @MannyPacquiao ... I'm told it was "a very good conversation."
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) January 28, 2015

Hotel fire alarm wakes Patriots in middle of the night: Report

The New England Patriots players and coaches were able to get out of Boston before the big blizzard shut down the airports but, getting a good night's sleep in advance of Tuesday's Media Day? Not so easy.

NFL Media's Jeff Darlington tweeted early Tuesday that a fire alarm at the Patriots' hotel went off for about 10 minutes at approximately 1:30 a.m. local time.

According to Darlington, the front desk called the alarm "an anomaly." Thankfully, the hotel was not on fire.

Fire alarm lasted maybe 10 minutes. No big deal. Nothing these players didn't face during college away games once in a while. Just... loud.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 27, 2015

Just wondering if Bill Belichick mistook it for a burglar alarm.

Hope Solo could be left off US World Cup team: Report

Hope Solo faces the possibility of being left off the American roster for this year's Women's World Cup if the goalkeeper fails to complete tasks set for her by the U.S. Soccer Federation, which may include alcohol counseling.

The troubled soccer star was suspended for 30 days last Wednesday for what the U.S. Soccer Federation called "an incident that occurred during the current WNT training camp" in Carson, California.

On Monday, USSF President Sunil Gulati answered questions about Solo being left off the team.

"Look, that's possible," he said. "We hope that's not the case. We hope she's making progress and joins the team. That's certainly the goal, hers and ours."

Jerramy Stevens, Solo's husband, was driving a team vehicle when he was arrested last week on suspicion of driving under the influence, a person familiar with the details of the arrest told The Associated Press last week. 

Solo was ordered to refrain from drinking alcohol last June after she was arrested on domestic violence charges at her sister's home in Kirkland, Washington. The charge was dropped this month.

Speaking on a conference call with U.S. coach Jill Ellis, Gulati said he had to speak carefully because of the involvement of "health-related issues." Asked whether Solo had been asked to undergo alcohol counseling, Gulati said "I think neither of us denied or confirmed that."

"She's been given time to deal with some issues, and we think that in this period she'll certainly start that process, and we'll evaluate," he said.

Gulati said the length of the suspension was determined during conversations he had with Ellis and USSF Secretary General Dan Flynn.

"Thirty days seemed to be the appropriate suspension under our rules and given the circumstances," he said. "So there are a number of things that Hope is being asked to do in that 30 days. We're not going to get into the specifics of that. And then we'll evaluate where things stand at the end of that period and make the decision going forward."

Solo will miss exhibition games at France (Feb. 8) and at England (Feb. 13). She could return for the Algarve Cup tournament in Portugal in March.

MMA fighter destroys opponent with brutal kick to ribs (PHOTO)

Vitor Nobrega fought Philip Mulpeter for the International Pro Combat welterweight title Monday night — and this image of  the defending champion unleashing a devastating kick to Mulpeter's side was captured perfectly by a photographer.

The image shows the brute force behind Nobrega's roundhouse at the moment of impact.

Ouch!: http://t.co/oScNRYLVkw pic.twitter.com/tRAI0fhnRR
— Dan Willis (@danwillis23) January 27, 2015

Brazilian Nobrega went on to retain the title against Ireland's Mulpeter at the Estoril Casino in Portugal in the main event of International Pro Combat 6. But, from the looks of Nobrega's face, you'd be hard-pressed to tell who won the fight. 

That is, until you see the chest x-rays.

Kudos to the unnamed cameraman.

Jameis Winston's alleged rape victim goes public about her 'ordeal' in documentary

The woman who accused Florida State University football star Jameis Winston of raping her has come forward for a new documentary that premiered Friday at the Sundance Film Festival.

Kirby Dick's The Hunting Ground (trailer at bottom) investigates sexual assault on campuses across the country and features Erica Kinsman —  the college coed who claims she was raped by 2013 Heisman Trophy winner.

In the film, the 20-year-old Kinsman describes her ordeal, allegedly at the hands of Winston, then a Florida State University freshman. She says she had been drinking and was admittedly woozy on that December 2012 night. Kinsman tearfully recalls a man buying her a shot at a local Tallahassee bar, then being in the back of a cab the next before being raped on the bathroom floor of an apartment, according to The Daily Beast.

Kinsman says she remembers coming to while the man on top of her, and claims that she asked him to stop. The man allegedly ignored both her and his roommate, who Kinsman says entered the room and told him to stop, before taking her into the bathroom.

“All these people were praising (Winston)… and calling me a slut, a whore,” Kinsman says in the film.

The 21-year-old Winston was never charged and Florida State cleared him of the accusations at a student code of conduct hearing in December.

Seahawks players booed by fans at Pro Bowl — and they weren't even playing (VIDEO)

The Seattle Seahawks had no players participating the Pro Bowl because the team is happily playing in the Super Bowl next week.

But midway through the first quarter of Sunday night's NFL talent showcase, five Seahawks players — safety Kam Chancellor, running back Marshawn Lynch, cornerback Richard Sherman, safety Earl Thomas and linebacker Bobby Wagner — who were elected to the game were announced to the crowd.

And they were booed ... ruthlessly.

It's no surprise that the pro-Arizona Cardinals crowd drowned out NFL Network's Willie McGinest's interview during a break in the action, but the boobirds were merciless.

While no under-inflated balls at the game were used at the game, this probably pumped up a few Seahawks egos. 

Odell Beckham Jr. reveals he played with muscle tears during season: Report

Odell Beckham Jr. continued to dazzle fans during his spectacular rookie season after snagging five catches for 89 yards in his first Pro Bowl Sunday night. But, after setting a New York Giants rookie records with 91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns, the receiver had some surprising news to share after the game.

Right after the Pro Bowl, Beckham revealed to reporters that the hamstring injury which kept him out of nearly the entire offseason program and training camp — and forced him to miss the season's first four games — is still not fully healed.

"I was never fully healthy for the season," he said. "I was just trying to manage and maintain it the best I could all year. It's still not right. Still working on it, trying to get it 100 percent for next year."

Turns out @OBJ_3 played the whole year with muscle tears in his legs: http://t.co/hLqy1K7tSq pic.twitter.com/8yUf9Xe4qh
— NFL (@nfl) January 26, 2015

Even with the nagging injury, he put up numbers that likely will be good enough to earn him NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors when the award is presented on the eve of Super Bowl XLIX.

"It was a long recovery process," he said. "It took a while to get back into it. It took a lot of extra rehab day-in and day-out. Just to be able to make it through the season, I was very grateful."

And Beckham said he suffered not one but two hamstring tears. 

The first occurred during his first offseason practice and the second took place the week of the next-to-last preseason game. He finally played his first regular-season game on Oct. 5.

"You look at the Colts game [on Nov. 3] and the Philly game [on Oct. 12], every time I went to break away, you can see I'm stumbling," he said. "It's because my hamstring wasn't strong enough to maintain it. It's still something that I'm working on today, and I'll keep working on it throughout the offseason."

Beckham plans to ease off training almost entirely and devote more time to rehabbing his hamstring before getting back into full gear. 

"I'm going to have to shut it down for a little bit of time and just rehab," he said. "You build yourself back up and you get back to your running."

If Beckham was that good nursing those lingering injuries, Giants fans can only wonder what greatness lies ahead for him in the future.

Imprisoned Cowboys fan files $88 billion lawsuit against NFL for reversed Dez Bryant play: Report

One Cowboys fan — with more than enough time on his hands — thinks that the overturned Dez Bryant catch two weeks ago is just plain criminal and wants someone to pay.

Inmate Terry Hendrix, who is incarcerated in a Colorado correctional facility, has filed a lawsuit against the National Football League seeking over $88 billion in damages because of the controversial call against Dallas in the divisional playoff game against the Green Bay Packers.

Hendrix is reportedly seeking $88,987,654,321.88 in damages from the NFL "for but not limited to: negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and also reckless disregard," according to WFAA.com.

The jailbird specifically names NFL Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino, referee Gene Steratore and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the lawsuit.

Bryant's catch, which was ruled incomplete after a video review, would have put the Cowboys at the 1-yard line. Hendrix writes "the Cowboys' offensive line would have perfectly created an 'Autobahn' for DeMarco Murray to drive into the endzone for the score and victory."

If Charles Manson can find love on death row, I guess anything is possible.

Mayweather heckled by fans calling for Pacquiao fight at Clippers game (VIDEO)

Floyd Mayweather's appearance at the Clippers-Nets game with celebrity pals Justin Bieber, Beyonce and Jay Z drew a lot of attention courtside at the Staples Center Thursday night.

And maybe more than the boxer wanted.

As the undefeated welterweight champ tried to enjoy the Clippers 123-84 blowout, more than a few fans used the opportunity to heckle Mayweather about avoiding a fight with Manny Pacquaio by chanting "We want Pacquiao, we want Pacquiao."

Negotiations between the two fighters are still ongoing as the boxing world waits for some sort of confirmation of the $200 million mega fight.

Pacquiao has already agreed to Mayweather's terms for the eagerly-awaited fight which has been penciled in for May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. But the Filipino, who has given Mayweather a Jan. 31 deadline to commit, is already scouting out a potential bout with Amir Khan if a deal doesn't materialize.

Pacquiao making plans if Mayweather falters http://t.co/WfyGtcIw5g via @espnboxing #boxing #Mayweather #Pacquiao #fight
— Douglas Holtzman (@DouglasHoltzman) January 24, 2015

Angry hockey dad breaks glass with wedding ring (VIDEO)

An rabid hockey dad got a little upset with a missed penalty call during youth league game and took out his frustration on the glass.

The d-bag parent punches the glass during a tournament in York, Penn. and sends shards all over the ice. Listen for another parent yell out, "Way to go, Paul" after the childish stunt.

The arena's president said the man's wedding ring concentrated the impact causing the safety glass to crumble, reported The York Daily Record.

"He broke the (wedding) ring," Menzer said. "Apparently, his hand wasn't in great shape either."

Charlotte McKinney goes au naturel in Carl's Jr. Super Bowl commercial (VIDEO)

Carl's Jr. is once again pushing the limits of Super Bowl censorship with a racy new ad starring Guess model Charlotte McKinney strolling through a farmer's market totally nude.

Well apparently nude.

The hamburger chain's ad features the shapely 22-year-old McKinney — who's being called the next Kate Upton — walking among the vegetable stands naked, using strategically placed giant onions and voluptuous tomatoes to conveniently censor her “bits and pieces,” just like the comical Austin Powers scene it mimics.

Oh yeah. She's promoting the company's new All-Natural Burger.

“I love going all natural,” the Florida native says in a voiceover. “It just makes me feel better. Nothing between me and my one hundred per cent all natural juicy grass-fed beef.”

Too bad the sexy spot will only be broadcast in the western times zones, so here it is below.

And there's no under-inflated anythings for the NFL or anyone else to worry about.

Blake Griffin did what to Clippers trainer? (GIF)

Blake Griffin scored 22 of his 24 points in the first half of the Clippers 123-84 rout of the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night at the Staples Center.

After having his way with the Nets in the first half, it looks like Griffin thought he could do the same with one of the Clippers trainers on the bench in the fourth-quarter.

We know it was a blowout Blake but, we get the point.

Australian Open ballboy takes 121-mph serve to nuts (VIDEO)

Balls have been in the headlines a lot lately — whether under-inflated in New England or blown-up on Justin Bieber. But here is one guy who's making ball news for a public — and painful — reason.

This poor Australian Open ballboy ended up on the receiving end of a 121-mph serve from Spain's Feliciano Lopez that hit him directly in the man-zone.

Even Lopez, ranked No. 14 in the world, knew the power of his serve and had a look of real concern as the ballboy dropped to one knee. 

This ball boy just got hit in the groin by a 196 km/h serve at the Australian Open! https://t.co/meN2f0pVqN
— TheLADbible Writers (@TLBWriters) January 22, 2015

After a collective groan of "Ohhh" from the seats, both players came over to check on him before he left the court to a round of applause — especially from all of the sympathetic men in the stands.

Yankees won't sign free-agent James Shields because of A-Rod: Report

As if Yankee fans need another reason to vilify Alex Rodriguez, along comes this little tid-bid of info coming from Brian Cashman on Wednesday afternoon.

The Yankees general manager claims that James Shields, one of the most desirable starting pitchers available in free agency this offseason, will not be contacted by the team. 

And the reason the Bombers — just one elbow away from a rotation disaster — are taking a pass on Shields?

Because of the high-priced A-Rod who is returning to the team and inflating the organization's payroll this year.

Via NJ.com:

"We in fact had some contracts coming back on with Alex Rodriguez returning from his suspension,"Cashman said on WPAT-AM radio in an interview. "That was $21 million dollars coming back on the payroll...We'll still have about the second-highest payroll and I don't see it going any higher."

"Typically, when we're aggressive in the winter with a lot of big-time contracts is when big contracts are coming off (the payroll). This winter wasn't that case," he added.
The Yankees did spend heavily on Andrew Miller, investing $36 million on the reliever. But that has been it for their spending.

Their rotation does have some questions. CC Sabathia is coming off two consecutive down seasons. Hiroki Kuroda is gone. And Masahiro Tanaka is still a mystery as he avoided surgery and continues to pitch despite a partially torn ligament in his pitching elbow.

"He certainly may need Tommy John at some point and maybe sooner (rather) than later," Cashman said of Tanaka. "We just don't know. It's a complete guessing game. He made two starts before the season ended on us. It's just hard to predict what's going to happen, but we're certainly hopeful he can return to what he was prior to the injury."

Hopefully A-Rod has been working on a splitter.

Yankees announcer, John Sterling, among hundreds displaced by apartment complex blaze: Report

Hundreds of people were left homeless after a massive fire tore through a luxury apartment complex in New Jersey Wednesday — leaving many families out in the cold.

The "surreal" blaze, which broke out in the late afternoon and was still raging 12 hours later, engulfed The Avalon at Edgewater, located along the shores of the Hudson River directly across from Manhattan.

One of the residents who wondered what would be left of their homes was long-time New York Yankees radio announcer John Sterling.

While authorities announced that, thankfully, no one was seriously injured in the inferno, Sterling, like many others watched video of the fire on the 10 o'clock news. He saw that the fire struck the side of a section where his apartment was located.

"There are two sides to the building, and unfortunately for me the fire is on my side," said Sterling, who until 10 had not been able to see video of the inferno because the hotel where he has taken shelter does not carry local cable news channels.

"I would expect there would be nothing left," he said.

Sterling, who was relieved that "they got everyone out," said he was not as concerned over the loss of his memorabilia as he was with more mundane needs such as his clothes.

"I'm not a memorabilia person, so that doesn't bother me," he said. "Even my kids' pictures; I'll get other pictures. You can say, well there's that picture of you and [Bill] Clinton and you and [George] Bush and [Rudy] Giuliani, but that's not a big thing to me. I would like to have my clothes and my passport and my bags. But what are you going to do?"

And Sterling's broadcast family kept fans up to date on Twitter:

“@drossnyy: @RealMichaelKay thanks for update. Hope He is okay.”thank goodness he is fine. He can replace things. He realizes that.
— Michael Kay (@RealMichaelKay) January 22, 2015

John Sterling, radio voice of the @Yankees, OK after devastating Edgewater blaze. We're thinking about you, John. http://t.co/mdaieL1tON
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) January 22, 2015

Sterling, who has not missed a Yankees game since 1989, called the support he received in the hours after the fire "a wonderful thing."

"I get teary when people are nice to me, so it's been a great outpouring for me," he said. "I just feel sorry for all the families with little kids, dogs. They all have to go somewhere."

Will Ferrell nails cheerleader in face with basketball (VIDEO)

Ever wonder how Hollywood manages to get those crowd-filled sporting events on film without having to pay thousands of extras (excuse me, background actors)? Well, if you are sports parody king Will Ferrell, you just take over the arena during halftime.

Ferrell, channelling his best Andy Kaufman,  hit a cheerleader in the face with a basketball and was then dragged out of the arena by security during Wednesday night's Pelicans-Lakers game at the Smoothie King Center.

The staged incident was part of a film shoot where Ferrell's character was attempting a half-court shot with the cheerleaders lined up alongside him. Instead of aiming for the basket, he fired the ball directly into the face of one of the girls,

The scene is for the upcoming film, "Daddy's Home," which also stars Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini and Hannibal Buress.

"When a divorced guy's ex-wife re-marries someone way more uptight, he re-enters her life and wreaks havoc," is how IMDB describes the flick.

Production has been filming around New Orleans for a while and is expected to take place at the arena over several days. Fans in attendance will be informed of the shoot, according to NOLA.com.

And you thought nothing could upstage Kobe and his castmates' comedy blockbuster  this season. 

Nuggets' Randy Foye gets beer shower during game (VIDEO)

Randy Foye was scrambling for a loose ball in the first quarter of the Denver Nuggets' game vs. the San Antonio Spurs at the Pepsi Center Tuesday night when he got tangled up with defender Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard's power sent Foye flying out of bounds and into a beer vendor, causing the brewmaster to spill all of his goods, much of which landed on the Nuggets guard.

Randy Foye trips and fells on the sidelines and gets a nice beer shower @Trollrco https://t.co/NMcD5nGw1Q
— Trollr.co (@Trollrco) January 21, 2015

Luckily, for Foye, it wasn't the nachos guy.

Watch Randy Foye take a beer bath in last night's game. http://t.co/PbGldJ9fSs pic.twitter.com/WZalZc8t6Y
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 21, 2015

Steph Curry likes Speedo-wearing Davidson fans' free-throw distraction (PHOTO)

When the Davidson Wildcats hosted the Dayton Flyers in North Carolina on Tuesday night, the home-town fans left little to the imagination when it came down to distracting the visiting team. 

With future Atlantic 10 seedings possibly at stake, the Davidson students knew it was their job to give the Wildcats a true home-court advantage. That's why they stripped down to their Speedos.

The Davidson speedo guys are doing their best to distract Dayton's free-throw shooters ... pic.twitter.com/Es0FO9l1vy
— Ryan Fagan (@ryanfagan) January 21, 2015

And one former Davidson star approved of the summer look.

Stephen Curry, who is having his own swimmingly spectacular season with the Golden State Warriors, showed his support:

Davidson Bros Take Icing FT Shooter to New Level (via http://t.co/ewa4VnMsOO)......yep that's my school right there! http://t.co/UH4SrMNaLY
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) January 21, 2015

[Bleacher Report]

Rob Gronkowski tweets logical reason why Patriots balls were soft

On Monday the NFL said it was investigating the alleged deflating of footballs during the Patriots lopsided victory over the Colts. Patriots coach Bill Belichick has said that his team will cooperate fully with the investigation of the Deflategate scandal until the tampering charges are cleared.

But he need not look any further than Rob Gronkowski for a logical explanation for the soft balls.

On his Twitter page, the tight end blamed the air loss on a simple theory that "Gronking May Cause Deflation."

Whoops lol pic.twitter.com/uLxN7A5cpq
— Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) January 20, 2015

And Gronk knows logic.