Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Muhammad Ali hopes Manny Pacquiao beats Floyd Mayweather: Report

Muhammad Ali has finally weighed in the upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight and The Greatest wants the Filipino boxer to triumph over his American opponent in their long awaited bout on May 2.



Ali's daughter, Rasheda Ali, revealed that her father respects Pacquiao's abilities inside the ropes — but also admires how he handles himself away from the ring.

"My dad is team Pacquiao all the way," she told TMZ. "My dad really likes Manny, he's a huge fan of his.
"He knows Manny's a great fighter but it's more about what he does outside the ring. He's such a charitable person."




Rasheda added that her father acknowledges Mayweather's own boxing capabilities but admitted he wasn't all in on the flamboyant fighter's lifestyle.

"My dad stood for things. Mayweather... I don't think there's a comparison," she said, before revealing that Ali will not be in attendance for the fight in Las Vegas on May 2 but will watch it on television.

"There's no question he's going to order it," Rasheda said. "It takes my dad way back to when he was fighting."

With the bout a little over a month away, Pacquiao has kept supporters updated with his progress ahead of the showdown.

Pacquiao posted pictures on Instagram of him training and showed his sense of humor by also uploading a video of him running up a long line of steps, reenacting the famous scene from the film Rocky.




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Packers' Davante Adams challenges Odell Beckham Jr. to 1-on-1 hoops game

Davante Adams saw Odell Beckham showcase his dunking ability on Instagram a while back and says he would love to get a chance to go one-on-one with Giants' phenom on the court.



The Green Bay Packers receiver was only slightly impressed and told Yahoo Sports Radio's Ken Thomson about his own dunk video that had the Internet buzzing:

"I know Odell pretty well but it was just out of — I saw [Beckham and 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick] put their little dunk videos up too, so I was like, okay, let me make one. It was late — like 11 o'clock at night one time — and I just went to go to the court just to get a little run in, and you know, said, 'I'll show them that I'm just a little bit athletic.'"

Here's Adams backing up his bravado via Instagram:


Adams was then asked if he could take Beckham one-on-one. His reply: "Real basketball? Oh yeah! Tell him to come down to Cali." Thomson suggested the Las Vegas strip as a location and Adams said he'd "love for that to happen."

Maybe around May 2 when that other grudge match between Manny and Floyd is on. There should be more than a few fans in town that weekend.

And here's the Beckham jam that keeps giving and getting — that's getting as in challenges.


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Shaquille O'Neal takes shot at Lakers and Clippers during Justin Bieber Roast (VIDEO)

Shaquille O'Neal was a special guest for Comedy Central's Roast of Justin Bieber on Monday, and the Biebs wasn't the only one getting burnt by the former NBA star.


The former four-time NBA champion took at a shot at his old team, the Los Angeles Lakers, reminding them just how lame their starting lineup has been recently.


And Shaq didn't let Chris Paul, who was attending the roast, or his Los Angeles Clippers off the hook either. The big guy plainly told the All-Star point guard, "You guys suck."




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Miami (Ohio) player lays out to make incredible empty net save (VIDEO)

With his Miami (Ohio) team trailing 6-5 and the goalie pulled, defenseman Louie Belpedio puts his body on the line to make an incredible save and keep his team's hopes NCAA Tournament hopes alive against Providence.



The injured Belpedio crawled back to the bench after being injured during his desperate one-handed stick save when the puck hit the post and he violently crashed into the wall behind the net.




The freshman Belpedio, who is a Minnesota Wild draft pick, was unable to keep Providence from going on to a 7-5 victory though.

Effort! Effort! Effort!
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Monday, March 30, 2015

World Series or nothing for Yankees, says Joe Girardi

Opening day is only a week away and, even with all of the questions surrounding the New York Yankees, manager Joe Girardi won't call this season a success unless the Yankees win the World Series.



Not such a particullarly bold statement for most MLB managers days before the season's first pitch but, when your hopes hinge on an injury-prone rotation, a bunch of new faces and a pariah for DH, it's a tall order in the Bronx.

And it is the Yankees after all.

"That's why we come to camp, that's why we train, it's why we do everything," Girardi said before Sunday's 7-0 victory over the Astros. "It's the World Series. That's our goal . . . To me, it's all or nothing. That's why you play."

With most experts picking the Yankees to finish with about 81 wins, with a healthy rotation and a couple of new players coming up big, the Bombers could snap its two-year playoff drought.

"I think guys understand the expectations here," Girardi said. "Even the guys who haven't been here understand the expectations and feel we have something to prove."
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Tom Brady jumping off cliff not for faint-hearted or Patriots fans (VIDEO)

Chances are if there was a video of a New England Patriots player jumping off a rocky cliff into a small pool of water while on vacation it would be Rob Gronkowski, right?

Well Tom Brady, known mostly for sacrificing his body on the football field, is actually the one who took the death-defying leap and it seems Patriots fans weren't too thrilled about it.



This weekend as Brady posted a video on his Facebook page showing himself at the top of the rocky cliff first contemplating the plunge before someone (presumably wife Gisele) asks him, "Are you going to jump, Tom?"



The quarterback seems hesitant at first before taking the leap of faith with Pats fans' dreams of repeat Super Bowl hopes with him.


Here's the full video of Air Brady complete with the stirring Star Wars theme song:



Pretty awesome. But Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick would probably like to see Brady stick to less daring pursuits like getting buried in the sand.




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Saturday, March 28, 2015

Who gets Derek Jeter's locker remains a question with Yankees

A lot of questions face the New York Yankees as they head into the final week of spring training but one lingering quandary stands now out: Who's getting Derek Jeter's locker?



It's decision that will have to be made sometime within the next few days, before the team's Opening Day game against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium April 6, clubhouse manger Lou Cucuzza Jr. said.

The locker is significant because it was the space the recently retired Jeter occupied since the stadium opened in 2009. It's also prime real estate, positioned in the back of the clubhouse, near the entrance to the players' only section.

And unless Jeets heads to that stadium in the sky, it remains an available cubicle.



Cucuzza said he approached home-grown Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner more than a week ago about possibly taking over the spot, but Gardner hadn't made a decision yet.

Alex Rodriguez joined the Yankees in 2004, but he was suspended for all of 2014 for using performance-enhancing drugs. That interruption makes Gardner the longest consecutively tenured Yankee. 

Yeah ... and it's A-Rod.

Gardner made his big league debut in pinstripes in 2008.

"We'll figure out it out," Cucuzza said. "We've still got time."

Didi Gregarious, who will replace The Captain at shortstop this season, is too much a newcomer. And trying to fill Jeter's shoes on the field and then drop your sweat socks in the Yankee icon's locker might just be a little too much to handle.
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McDonald's All-American game shoes will have Big Mac insoles (PHOTO)

McDonald's officially stepped into the fashion business this week, launching its Big Mac Lifestyle collection in Sweden on Tuesday.


The lifestyle line consists of sweatshirts, galoshes, and cozy comforters so you can cuddle with those cheesy, gut-busters all night long. 

And the Mickey D didn't forget the athletic types either — namely the MacDonald's All-American basketball players.



Darren Rovell tweeted that all of the participants of the game will pad their shoes with Big Mac insoles:

Now you have two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce. cheese, pickles, onions and Dr. Scholl's on a sesame-seed bun.

And nothing says 'lovin' it' like ripe basketball kicks.
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Friday, March 27, 2015

Steve Lavin, St. John’s ‘mutually agree’ to part ways: Report

Steve Lavin will no longer be the men's basketball coach at St. John's, the school announced Friday, after the two sides mutually parted ways.


The news comes days after reports said Lavin was in talks over a contract extension and one week after the Red Storm were bounced from the NCAA tournament in the first round. Those extension talks didn't last long, as reports later stated his job was in jeopardy.

“Coach Lavin returned high expectations to our men’s basketball program and represented St. John’s in a positive way,” St. John's athletic director Chris Monasch said in a statement. “We appreciate his commitment to the program and to our student-athletes over the past five years. Our student-athletes represented the University well, especially our five-member senior class who excelled on the court, inside the classroom and within the community.”

Lavin did a lot of good at St. John's. He raised the profile of the basketball program, won 20 games 3 times and most will say he left the program in better shape now than when he got here. After all, he took the program to the 2011 NCAA Tournament for the first time after a nine-year drought but critics point out it was a roster filled mostly with previous coach Norm Roberts' recruits. And in postseason play, Lavin’s teams did not fare well. They were 1-5 in the Big East Tournament, 1-2 in the NIT and 0-2 in the NCAA Tournament.  

While Lavin went 21-12 during the 2014-15 season, and compiled a decent 81-55 record over five years, he never seemed to get the team over the hump.

And the disappointing 12 point loss to San Diego State in Charlotte last week — due largely because of the suspension of Chris Obekpa — was probably the last hinge to his fate despite all of the talk about the contract extension.


Granted, Lavin coached only four games in 2011-12 after bravely battling prostate cancer surgery, but there was always the academically ineligible recruits, untimely player suspensions and relatively low profile for a team in the nation's biggest media market that kept his job in question.

“In life change is inevitable, so I take the long view. I'm grateful for my time teaching at St. John’s University,” Lavin said in a statement. “I will take with me the lasting friendships forged during my tenure as Head Coach. I'm proud of our results both on and off the court — in particular our memorable runs to the NCAA tournament in 2011 and 2015. Most importantly, I take pride in our performance in the classroom having graduated our student athletes who will represent the institution in a first class manner."

Lavin is a decent man of principles and a well-liked coach but, with his senior-laden team all but gone, it seemed the time was right for the Red Storm to begin all over again.

And something tells me you'll be hearing the names Mullin and Hurley around Carneseca Arena a lot in the next few weeks. And maybe Mark Jackson.


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NBC bringing back 'Coach' with Craig T. Nelson: Report

Craig T. Nelson will be returning to the sidelines after NBC ordered 13 episodes of a sequel series to the '90's sitcom Coach.

The 70-year-old actor will reprise his role as Division-1 football coach Hayden Fox in a story that picks up two decades or so after the original show ended in 1997, according to EW.com.

Just think Lou Holtz goes back to Notre Dame — but with less mumbling — must have been the pitch.



"Coach Hayden Fox, in the present day, has retired from coaching. He is called back to become assistant coach to his own grown son, who is the new head coach at an Ivy league school in Pennsylvania that is just starting up a new team," NBC said.

For the last two seasons of the original series, Coach Fox coached the Orlando Breakers, a fictional National Football League expansion team.



The new show's 13 episodes will be shot in traditional multi-cam style, is being headed up by original executive producer Barry Kemp.

There was no word whether co-stars Jerry Van Dyke, who played goofy defensive coordinator Luther, or Bill Fagerbakke, who played dumb jock Dauber would return for the new show. Shelley Fabares played Hayden's girlfriend (and later wife) Christine Armstrong, a television news anchor.

Nelson recently ended a successful run playing family patriarch Zeek Braverman on the NBC's "Parenthood."

And Fagerbakke has enjoyed a long run as the voice of Patrick Star on SpongeBob Squarepants.

Who knows how the old coach will handle issues that were pretty much isolated back in the days before the proliferation of social media and political correctness took over sports.
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Blake Griffin wannabe fails spectacularly in dunk contest (VIDEO)

Lloyd Hickinson tried to channel Blake Griffin at the Golden Chihuahua All-Star Game in Mexico, hoping to hurdle a car on his way to a crowd-pleasing dunk during a contest.

And the initial results were, let's say, way less than spectacular.




As Hickinson dribbles toward the convertible filled with people — he tries to clear the vehicle but only gets rim, followed by both of his legs crashing against the car's door on the way face down. 

Holy Chihuahua.



The shamed Hickenson doesn't give up though and successfully completes the stunt on a second try. But that isn't as much fun.

Here's Griffin's famous dunk in all its slow-motion glory:

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Late Dean Smith bequeaths former players with $200 dinners in will: Report

When former North Carolina coach Dean Smith died last month at the age of 83, he left behind more than a basketball legacy deeper than just Xs and Os. Smith was the first coach at North Carolina, and among the first in the segregated South, to offer a scholarship to a black athlete and his humble "Carolina Way" became the standard of the school he cared so much for. 



And now, as per the late coach's pre-arranged instructions in his will, Smith is showing his gratitude by mailing out $200 checks to each of the varsity lettermen he coached over 36 years with one last instruction: "Enjoy a dinner out."

The letter to former UNC guard Dante Calabria, reads:

 “Each Player was important and special to Coach Smith and when he prepared his estate plan, Coach wanted to reach out to each of his letterman. Accordingly, Coach wanted each letterman to be sent a two hundred dollar ($200.00) check with the message 'enjoy a dinner [out] compliments of Coach Dean Smith.'”


USA Today confirmed the letter’s authenticity with accountant Tim Breedlove, who said that the letter was sent to about 180 of Smith’s former players.

Smith actually coached 184 players between 1961 and 1997 bringing the total cost of his posthumous gesture to about $36,800.

But no bean-counter will ever put a price on his memory. 
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Thursday, March 26, 2015

Third-grader banks in a no-look backwards 3-pointer at the buzzer (VIDEO)

At the AAA County Championship Game in Maryland between the Allentown Arrows and Bowie Bulldogs, third-grader Tyrik Petway banked in a no-look, backward three-pointer as time expired. 


From the video below, you can see him backing up into his defender near the three-point line and launching the ball without looking at the hoop. It hit the backboard and amazingly goes in. 

These kids can ball but fast-forward to 4:05 to see the remarkable shot:



And you are probably going to be seeing a lot more of Petway for years to come because he's ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the nation for the class of 2024 by Coast2CoastPreps.

Seriously. Look it up.
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Xavier's Matt Stainbrook drives an Uber to make up for scholarship he gave away

Matt Stainbrook does more a lot more driving than what your typical college basketball center usually does. At least off the court.

You see, Stainbrook, a fifth-year player enrolled in grad school and currently leading Xavier into the Sweet 16 this weekend, also drives an Uber car to help pay his bills.



Stainbrook was on The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday and explained how he gave up his scholarship to his little brother, a walk-on for Xavier basketball. 

"My little brother's a walk-on on the team, and he's doing undergrad classes right now while I'm doing my grad school in my fifth year," he said. "Grad school costs about $14,000 a year while undergrad costs about $43,000 a year. So, for me to be on scholarship and only using it for $14,000 didn't make sense to me. So, I talked to the compliance people, and they said I'd be able to switch my scholarship with my little brother, so I ended up doing that.

"And in order to pay my bills, I needed a flexible job, something to do to make some money, and I saw someone Uber-ing one day, and I said, 'Hey, you know, that's probably something I can do. I have a car, I can drive.'"



Stainbrook also joked that he drove a 2004 Buick Rendezvous, which he said was "the most typical old-person car you can have."

And could actually accommodate his 6-foot-10-inch frame.

In December, ESPN produced a video of Stainbrook driving for Uber in his time off.

In the video, Stainbrook explained that he has fun meeting and driving strangers, though he doesn’t plan to drive a taxi for much longer. He wants to take basketball as far as he possibly can, and when his basketball career is up, go into corporate finance. He would like to own a restaurant one day.

“I think a year from now I probably won’t be driving a taxi,” Stainbrook said. “I’m hoping not.”

For now, it's all about that drive to the Final Four.
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Jimmy Fallon submits to Ronda Rousey in six seconds (VIDEO)

Last month a video of Ronda Rousey busting some web show dude's ribs with a judo toss made the rounds and should have put all television hosts on alert.

Anyway, on Tuesday’s episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the MMA fighter known as "The Arm Collector" demonstrated how easily she could go about snapping one with her signature move — the arm bar.

And the perpetually grinning Fallon used himself as the practice dummy.


Before Rousey's “armbar” demonstration began, Fallon chose “Rumpelstiltskin” as his tap-out safe word. 

"Your arm doesn’t go beyond 180 degrees,” Rousey explained before grabbing Fallon's wrist. “It doesn’t take a lot of pressure [to break it], you just push it right at the elbow joint."

Well... you can guess what happened — all in six seconds.




“That was scary,” Fallon said afterwards. “That’s like putting your head in the lion’s mouth.”

Stick to those cutesy duets with starlets Jimbo.
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Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Top selling throwback jersey sales state-by-state may surprise you

You've seen them worn at every stadium and arena in the country and if you ever wondered what old school throwback jersey fans purchase the most in each state, here is your answer.

The clothing company, Mitchell & Ness, put together a map of the best-selling old school jerseys in each state — and some of the big sellers may shock you. 



Kobe Bryant (A throwback already? Isn't there a five-year rule?) is tops in seven states — Oregon, Nevada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Tennessee and Rhode Island — but, surprisingly, not California where Montana, as in Joe, rules.



In Montana, as in the state, Roger Staubach is the big gun while Wayne Gretzky is the Great One in Alaska. I guess the hosers in Canada get to contribute to that one.

The top old jersey in New Jersey was Ex-Jets QB Joe Namath's No. 12 and, funny enough, Broadway Joe's uniform top was also a best-seller on Main Street ... in Iowa?

Oddly, Namath was outsold by Knicks legend Patrick Ewing in New York but Pennsylvania still loves their ex-Eagles QB Randall Cunningham and Virginia still adores Riggo.

Most of the results make sense: Barry Sanders in Michigan or Pat Tillman in Arizona, but who can explain why Dave Winfield's No. 31 Padre's shirt is even worn 3,200 miles away never mind being the most worn throwback jersey in Maine? 

And why is Mickey Mantle so popular in Idaho? Or likewise, Lou Gehrig in Wyoming?

Hmm... maybe those old Yankees fans are cowboys at heart.
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Vinny Lecavalier selling his Tampa house next to Derek Jeter for $4.5M (PHOTO)

If you're a Tampa Bay Lightning fan and you're currently house-hunting, here's a deal for you: Vinny Lecavalier's Tampa-area estate went on the market Monday.

And, as a bonus, you get to be Derek Jeter's neighbor. The retired Yankee great lives just three doors down in his monstrous St. Jetersburg manse.



Lecavalier, who helped the Tampa Bay Lightning win a Stanley Cup championship in 2004, had his contract bought out by the Lightning in 2013. Soon after, Lecavalier went north and signed a five-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.



Now, with his work address in Philly and a home in Montreal, Lecavalier has finally decided to part with his Davis Island mansion for $4,450,000.

“It’s a Mediterranean-style home, which is really popular on Davis Islands,”  said listing agent Allan Mezrah. “People like the old Spanish fort look, and it looks like Don Quixote is going to walk out of the building."

The 7,636 square feet home sits on a 0.3-acre lot and has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The house has its share of amenities, too, such as a climate-controlled wine room, home theater, and workout room. 

Best of all might be the cool man cave you can se in this video below:



The taxes alone will run you about $13,000 a year. But hey. You can cut costs by going over and borrowing a cup of sugar from The Captain all year round now.
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Swedish soccer team avoided fatal Alps crash with last minute flight change: Report

A Swedish soccer team escaped the deadly Germanwings crash in the French Alps after the club made last minute plans to change flights at a Barcelona airport.


Dalkurd FF, a third league team from Borlange was returning to Sweden after a training stage in Catalonia, Spain. The squad had their seats booked on the doomed Germanwings Airbus A320 plane that crashed Tuesday in southeastern France with 150 people on board, but the organization decided to shift travel plans only minutes before boarding.


After arriving at the airport in Barcelona, the players and coaching staff changed flights because the stopover in Dusseldorf was apparently too long on their way back to Sweden. So the team re-booked the last tickets available on three different flights that took them for better connections to Zurich and Munich respectively.

“To all who have tried to contact us in the last few hours, we inform them that we are safe at home. It was another plane. May they rest in peace,” wrote goalkeeper Frank Pettersson on Twitter.



“We were supposed to take the Germanwings jet. There were four planes departing at nearly same time and flying up north over the Alps. Four airplanes and we had players on three of them. You can say that we were very, very, very lucky,” said Dalkurd sports director Adil Kizil.


All on board the Germanwings flight were presumed dead after it lost radio contact with air traffic control at 38,000-feet and crashed. The victims included two infants, two opera singers and 16 German high school students and their teachers returning from an exchange trip to Spain. It was the deadliest crash in France in decades.
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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Bartolo Colon gets Mets' Opening Day nod ahead of Harvey, deGrom: Report

The New York Mets have spent most of the offseason hyping up fans with all of their talk about their young pitching. But, despite being blessed with that abundance of young arms, the team’s Opening Day starter will be a man north of age 40.

On Monday, Terry Collins made the announcement that Bartolo Colon will start on Opening Day in Washington against the Nationals’ Max Scherzer. And the young studs, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey will follow.



Beyond Scherzer, Washington has not announced its rotation, but deGrom will likely face Jordan Zimmermann, and Harvey will likely oppose Stephen Strasburg in games two and three.

Colon, at 41 years, 317 days, will be the oldest Opening Day starter in franchise history, topping Tom Glavine (41 years, 7 days) for the dubious honor. This will be the 281-pound Round Mound on the Mound's seventh career Opening Day start.

If it all sounds a little strange — even in the bizarro world of Mets baseball — for the fourth best starter in a rotation to open the season — logic says that the Mets will increase attendance for the second game at Citi Field by starting Harvey, the team's ace, because the Flushing home opener will be a big draw regardless of the starter.

Harvey, the 2013 National League All-Star starting pitcher did not appear last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and the Opening Day start is usually awarded for a pitcher's recent body of work.

Last year, Colon was 15-13 with a 4.09 earned run average. He contributed 202 innings, his first 200-inning season since 2005, when he won the American League Cy Young Award.

“(Harvey) didn’t pitch last year,” Collins said. “It’s not a big deal. You’ve still got to pitch. If we get Matt Harvey his 30-some starts, I like our chances. ... That’s no disrespect to Matt at all. He is our ace, we know it, he knows it, I told him that he’s going to pitch a lot of big games this summer.

“You go back, and you look at what Bart did all season long, and you know what? He’s earned it,” Collins said.

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Ronda Rousey: ‘I’ll beat Laila Ali In boxing’ ... with some training

Ronda Rousey sounded very confident when she was asked if could beat Laila Ali in a boxing match while strolling Monday night in New York City.

The toughest lady in MMA told TMZ she could take the one-time baddest female fighter in a boxing match ... if she had a little training in the ring.



Ali told TMZ a while back that no woman alive could take her inside the ropes. But Rousy didn't agree and said she'd beat Muhammad Ali's daughter even if the fight wasn't in a cage — where Ronda would clearly have the advantage with her trademark arm bar.

"I went from judo to MMA," said Rousey, "So why not MMA to boxing?"

Rousey also had a response to that Houston Texans cheerleader — and former boxer — Antonieta Osuna — who boasted she wants a piece of the UFC champ too. 




Here's Ali's call out:



Do I hear Super Fight 2?
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Maryland women celebrate win over Princeton with Obama cutout (VIDEO)

After Maryland beat Princeton in the second round of the NCAA women's tournament, the Terrapins celebrated with a cutout of President Obama in the locker room.


The 85-70 victory not only ended the Tigers undefeated season but, as Maryland coach Brenda Frese exclaims to the smiling, cardboard Obama, "Sorry man, but we had to bust your bracket."



On Saturday, Obama attended Princeton's 80-70 victory over Wisconsin-Green Bay. His niece, Lisa Robinson, is a member of the Tigers team. The Prez wasn't in attendance at Monday's game.

At least not in person.

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Monday, March 23, 2015

Giants content letting Eli Manning play out final year of contract: Report

The New York Giants do not seem any closer to working out a contract extension with Eli Manning than they were at the end of last season and appear quite content to let him play out the final year of his deal, according to an ESPN report.



ESPN New York's Dan Graziano reported from the league meetings in Phoenix on Sunday night that the Giants had another conversation with Manning's representatives but that, for now, there is no urgency to sign him to an extension.

Another 2004 NFL draftee, Ben Roethlisberger, recently signed a five year, $99 million extension with the Steelers but the Giants don't seem anxious to match that price.

Via ESPN New York:

According to the sources, the Giants had been keeping a close eye on the contract extension talks between the Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who had only one year left on his contract before he agreed to a five-year, $99 million deal last week. The Giants believe Manning will ask for more than Roethlisberger got, and at this point they don't appear ready to make that kind of commitment.

Manning will earn $17 million in salary in 2015, and count $19.75 million against the cap, so signing him to an extension would have the immediate benefit of freeing up additional cap space. But as free agency winds down, with few big names remaining on the market, there is less urgency for the Giants to get something done with Manning.


By letting the 34-year-old Manning play out the season and by reviving contract talks next offseason, the Giants get a chance to see if the two-time Super Bowl winner is still in his prime or on a downward slide. Chances are good he will have respectable numbers like last season (63.1 completion percentage and 30 touchdowns against 14 interceptions), especially if young receivers like Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz stay healthy.

The laid-back Manning doesn't seem to have any beef about hanging in contract Limbo (at least publicly) and has strongly hinted that he wants to retire in Giants uniform.

The Giants also have the option of using the franchise tag on Manning to keep him in the mix for 2016 while they work out an extension.
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Gonzaga coach Mark Few does handstand after team makes Sweet 16 (VIDEO)

After five straight early departures on the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, Gonzaga (34-2) was more than overjoyed to be back in the Sweet Sixteen.

So much so that guard Eric McClellan did a backflip and coach Mark Few did a handstand in the locker room.


A video posted on Twitter by Bulldogs forward Kyle Wiltjer shows the crazy post-game acrobatics after their win over No. 7 Iowa Sunday.
At least coach has a week to perfect that shaky handstand if the Zags beat No. 11 UCLA in the regional semifinals next weekend.

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Sunday, March 22, 2015

Tim Tebow visits Manny Pacquiao at training camp (PHOTOS)

Manny Pacquiao got a little lift in the spiritual department when he welcomed Tim Tebow to his training camp Saturday.

While Pacquiao prepares for his much-anticipated May 2 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas, the Heisman Trophy-winner posted photos on Instagram of the two together in Pacquiao's gym in Los Angeles.


Besides their strong Christian beliefs, both men have ties to the Philippines. Tebow was born on one of the islands to missionary parents and Manny, well ...  he is the unofficial face of the country.



"Awesome being with my Filipino and Christian brother," Tebow posted on his Instagram account.



Pacquiao spokesman Fred Sternburg said Tebow and Pacquiao are friends and they embraced when Tebow came to the gym.

Promoter Bob Arum was also there and they watched Pacquiao spar seven rounds, he said.


"Bob said when he left Tebow was still there," Sternburg said. "They seemed to be getting along."
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Teary-eyed Villanova fan ignites flute vs. piccolo debate on Twitter (VIDEO)

After No. 1 seed Villanova’s 71-68 loss to North Carolina State in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, a camera caught a Wildcats band member crying into her instrument.


And that image not only captured the television viewing audience’s hearts at home, the Vine took off and started a flute vs. piccolo battle on Twitter.


And to others, Piccolo Girl symbolized everything that college sports is about.

Play on through the tears sad piccolo/flute girl. The Ellen show most likely awaits.
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Friday, March 20, 2015

NYPD hunting three men in Jets jerseys for wild St. Patty's Day brawl (VIDEO)

Three men wearing New York Jets jerseys are wanted for attacking two teens during a St. Patty’s Day brawl outside of a Midtown Manhattan pub before taking it on the lam.


The three men, wearing green and white Gang Green jerseys with the numbers 12, 87, and 23, got into a verbal argument inside of O’Brien’s Irish Bar and Restaurant on W. 46th St., according to officials from the NYPD. The arguments quickly turned violent in the street outside of the bar, as the two teenagers were punched and kickedby the attackers and beaten with bottles.

Pix11 reported reported that the two teens were transported to Bellevue Hospital with facial fractures after the pummeling.

NYPD released photos of the three attackers on Thursday.





One of the teens is left lying in the middle of the street after the attack, according to a video of the brawl, which was posted on Facebook by Anthony Rooar Decarlis.



B-E-E-R! Beer! Beer! Beer!
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Thursday, March 19, 2015

Noted neurosurgeon says football is safer than riding a bike: Report

A renowned Pittsburgh Steelers neurosurgeon who advises the NFL on head, neck and spine injuries told the NFL Network on Wednesday that football "has never been safer" and that youth football is safer than riding a bike or a scooter or using playground equipment. He also downplayed the risk of CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, based on current data.

"I think the problem of CTE, although real, is it's being over-exaggerated and being extrapolated to youth football and to high school football," Dr. Joseph Maroon said. He added that CTE is a "rare phenomena."

"We came up with 63 total cases of CTE (in former NFL players) and in the last two years a few more," he said of research on the disease, a progressive degenerative brain disease related to head trauma. "But there have been 30-40 million kids who have played football during that period of time . . . Can we improve? Yes. We have to do better all the time to make it safer."

The interview was, in part, a reaction to news earlier in the week that 49ers linebacker Chris Borland is retiring. Borland told ESPN that he was leaving the game after one season and at age 24 to protect himself from the risk of future brain injuries.

"When an athlete is fearful of any injury, it's time to get out," Maroon said. "You can't play with apprehension in any sport and be as good as you can be. He obviously came to that conclusion himself . . . However, I really believe it's never been safer in terms of the sport."

Later in the day, while appearing on PFT Live, Jeff Miller, the league's senior vice president of health and safety policy, said Maroon's opinions "deserve respect" but are not NFL policy.
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Dude gets elaborate Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao images shaved onto head (PHOTO)

A boxing fan had his own cut man get him ready for the superfight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio by shaving the images of both boxers onto his head — complete with full color national flags!


The dude is now a walking advertisement for the Las Vegas extravaganza after getting the elaborate 'do by the haircut artist aptly known as Anthony Barber.


Just wondering what his head will look like by the May 2 fight.
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Dayton's Dyshawn Pierre got pantsed by teammate on court (VIDEO)

During the play-in game against Boise State, Dayton center Dyshawn Pierre got a big rebound but lost a little something in the process. Namely, his dignity, after his teammate accidentally pantsed him on a rebound attempt.


When Pierre came down with the rebound, teammate Kyle Davis' foot appeared to get caught in his shorts, bringing them down. 

And the cheerleaders' reactions are priceless.




It's a good thing Pierre was wearing his compression shorts or he might have been called for a loose-balls foul.
The Flyers won, 56-55, and will play against No. 5 seed Providence on Friday night, in Columbus.
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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

La Liga soccer player pees in cup during game (VIDEO)

Maybe someone forgot to tell this La Liga soccer player that the drug tests are usually taken after the games.

Or maybe he just really had to go.


Sevilla defender Fernando Navarro didn't seem to realize that matches tend to be captured by the TV cameras at every angle so, when Mother Nature called, he relieved himself in a nearby cup with the nonchalant assistance of a modest teammate.

And it was all on camera.



Other unsuspecting teammates didn't even know what was in the cup when he put it down.

Hey waterboy! This Gatorade tastes kinda funny.


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Greg Popovich takes selfie with fan, asks for $10 (PHOTO)

Gregg Popovich is usually pretty tightly wound leading up to a game, but the San Antonio Spurs coach is known to have a little fun too.

This was evident when a reddit user named skillzdan ran into Pop in New York City. The Spurs were playing the Knicks, but the team came into the city a day early. According to skillzdan, he ran into the coach and wine connoisseur outside of a bar and then asked for a selfie.

Surprisingly, Popovich agreed.



From skillzdan on reddit:

Ran into Pop on 45th street in Midtown Manhattan last night. He was headed into a bar with who I presume was his wife. I was subject to the shortest most Pop interview ever. "Hey Pop can I get a selfie?!" "Yes."

We followed him into the bar but he was in a semi-private area with a bunch of very decorated military men. On his way out a few of my friends snapped another pic with him and that was all she wrote. Tried coming up with some small talk to bullshit with him about but... It's Pop. No small talk with that guy. He jokingly asked for $10 after the selfie and then laughed his way out of my life.

Now if you mentioned that the 1999 Domaine de la Romance Conti La Tache is a full-bodied gem of a wine that goes well with chicken topped with Parmesan and prosciutto ... then your talking.

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'Jesus' hangs up on Hampton coach when asked about odds of beating Kentucky (VIDEO)

Everyone knows that the little Hampton College doesn't have a prayer against top-seeded Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday … or do they?

After the Pirates advanced to meet the Wildcats with a 74-64 First Four win over Manhattan Tuesday night, Hampton head coach Edward Joyner was asked about the odds of his team beating the No. 1 team in the country — if any.


Joyner then picked up his cell phone, said he had Jesus on speed dial and pretended to get His opinion of the task at hand.

And even The Big J hung up on the coach. 



Too bad. A little divine intervention would have been quite the sixth man.
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Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Michael Sam looks impressive in 'Dancing With the Stars' debut (VIDEO)

Michael Sam's first routine on Dancing With the Stars was a far cry from smashing blocking dummies at the combines, but probably just as tough.



During Monday's premiere, Sam and his partner Peta Murgatroyd danced the Cha Cha to Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk,” and his footwork was pretty impressive.


This season's DWTS lineup doesn't have the star power of the past and, while he waits for another chance at playing for a Lombardi Trophy, Sam already looks like a front-runner for a golden Mirror Ball this spring.

Just before NFL training camps open.

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Man who became Internet joke for missing $1 million shot has rare health disorder

The man who became an Internet laughing stock after he awkwardly missed a $1million half-court shot in a contest has revealed he came up short because his strength is gone due to a rare disorder that caused five of his organs to fail.

Scott Park took, and missed, the half-court shot on Friday during halftime of the ACC Tournament semifinal between Notre Dame and Duke. The shot barely reached the foul-line.



A Vine capturing his failed attempt quickly began spreading on the Internet. It has been viewed more than seven million times, and the comments ranged from "the worst shot ever" to many way more hurtful.




Unknown to the public though, was the fact that the 56-year-old Park knew the ball wasn't going in when he shot it because serious medical problems diagnosed as CAPS have sapped his strength. But he still wanted to give it a try, according to the Sporting News. 

In 2007, Park had open heart surgery and was forced to go back to the hospital two days later because something was seriously wrong. Doctors couldn't figure out why, but Park's kidney, liver, spleen, gallbladder and pancreas were shutting down. Things got so bad that one of Park's doctors began preparing his wife Ellen for his death.

But those who laughed shouldn't feel too badly, though. The Navy environmental engineer doesn't have a problem with all the attention the shot has gotten.

"I'm happy to be alive. I'm happy to even have a chance to shoot for a million dollars," he said. 

"I had no illusions that ball was going in."

Who's laughing now?
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