Tony Mangia on assignment in China

A message to the readers of The Other Paper:

I will be in China  for the next month working with the kids for a couple of weeks before heading north to photograph the eagle hunters of Mongolia.

And, depending on the availability of the Internet, Facebook and blog postings will probably be difficult — specially while on a Li river raft or on horseback with the native Kazakh people. 

Keep checking to see if any photos or stories appear on The Other Paper site. Regular postings should return around May 20.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight in some Shanghai saloon. And, as for those dramas with A-Rod and Don Draper, I’ll just have to wait and see how they play out.

Thanks for the support — Zaijian — Tony Mangia

Carlos Carrasco carted off field after taking line-drive to face (VIDEO)

Even with a swollen face Carlo Carrasco considered himself one lucky dude Tuesday night.

The Indians pitcher was struck on the right side of the face with a line drive hit by Chicago's Melky Cabrera in the first inning of Cleveland's 4-1 loss to the White Sox and is grateful it wasn't worse.

Carrasco was carted off the field after he was knocked down by the liner that glanced off his glove and right hand before smacking him on the right side of the face. The right-hander crumpled to the ground in front of the mound as manager Terry Francona and a trainer quickly raced out to check on him.

After lying on the ground for a few minutes, Carrasco was helped to his feet by two Indians trainers before walking slowly to the cart holding the left side of his face. As he was driven off, he was given a warm ovation by Cleveland fans.

NBC pays tribute to Nassau Coliseum in final season (VIDEO)

The Islanders might have stumbled a bit down the stretch leading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but NBC does recognize a good story when it sees one.

And the Isles' curtain call at the Nassau Coliseum — before heading 30 miles west to Brooklyn next season — is certainly one of those.

Although it's been 22 years since the Isles last won a playoff series, NBC's promotional advertisement for its playoff coverage should bring back cherished memories of the glory days at the self-proclaimed barn to nostalgic Islanders fans.

The Islanders begin the first-round playoff series at Washington on Wednesday night, with Games 3 and 4 at Nassau Coliseum on Sunday and Tuesday.

Cardinals fan has Busch Stadium painted on his beer belly (PHOTOS)

It's not unusual for fans to have a favorite team logo or player shaved or tattooed onto their bodies but what does a person do to show his devotion to a whole stadium?

Well, one Cardinals fan showed his love by having a mural of Busch Stadium painted on his gut. 

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Jeff Rearden got it painted on at a bar before the game and proudly displayed it for the world to see.

"I just let the artist do whatever she wanted. And she painted this," he said.

Rearden was more than happy to oblige other fans with photographs. But here's hoping nobody asked to see the flagpole.

Why you’d want that picture on your phone is beyond me. pic.twitter.com/Pzh2Xq1B4C
— Daniel Doelling (@Daniel_Doelling) April 13, 2015

Judge orders V. Stiviano to return $2.6 million back to Donald Sterling’s wife: Report

A Los Angeles judge ruled that the wife of the former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is owed $2.6 million by V. Stiviano — the woman who was at the center of Sterling's NBA scandal which forced the ex-owner out of the league.

On Tuesday, Judge Richard Fruin Jr. awarded Shelly Sterling most of the nearly $3 million she had sought in a lawsuit against the young beauty her husband had showered with gifts.

Sterling had claimed that money used to buy V. Stiviano a house, luxury cars and stocks was her community property.

"Shelly is thrilled with the decision," attorney Pierce O'Donnell said. "This is certainly a victory for the Sterling family whose funds were dissipated by Donald to lavish millions of dollars of gifts on a conniving mistress."

Stiviano’s lawyer had argued the gifts were made when Donald and Shelly Sterling were separated and that Shelly Sterling couldn’t seek them from a third party.

The ruling comes nearly a year after Stiviano’s recording of Donald Sterling making racially offensive remarks forced him to sell the NBA team.

Shelly Sterling’s lawyers used other recordings to show he bought Stiviano a house, a $240,000 Ferrari and treated her to extravagant shopping sprees.

In the recordings on Stiviano’s iPhone, she and the 80-year-old billionaire are heard discussing how to shield the gifts from his wife.

“The truth is that everything that I have, you’ve given me from your heart without me begging or asking or throwing myself all over you,” Stiviano said in a clip played in court.

During the course of their 2 1/2 years together, Sterling gave her the Ferrari, a Bentley and a Range Rover, and paid the bulk of a $1.8 million duplex.

Sterling testified that he paid for the entire house, though Stiviano said she had contributed an unknown amount of money given to her in small bills by family members that she saved in a bedroom drawer.

Donald Sterling said Stiviano hadn’t contributed “50 cents” to the house and, noting that Stiviano is part black and Hispanic, said she illegally got her name inserted into escrow documents by befriending Hispanic bank and escrow employees.

Shelly Sterling filed the suit against Stiviano about a month before the recording of Donald Sterling telling Stiviano not to associate with black people created an uproar and led the NBA to ban him for life and fine him $2.5 million.

Jason Pierre-Paul selling his Florida mansion after one-year franchise tag: Report

New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is pulling up his southern stakes after he didn’t get the financial security he was looking for from the team up north this offseason.

So if you are in the market for a high-end Florida mansion, JPP has one for you.

Although it's about a 1,200 mile drive down I-95 from MetLife Stadium, Pierre-Paul has put his 5,433-square foot home in Boca Raton, Fla., on the market for $2.1 million probably because there's a good chance he will be with another team after next season.

The sixth-year veteran bought the palm-shaded house in 2012 and has added an open floor plan with high ceilings, a spa, a renovated kitchen, and a custom office area among other amenities.

And it’s not that JPP can’t afford the place — he'll make $14.8 million this year — it’s just that the one-year franchise tag the Giants gave him leaves the door open for a potential move. Pierre-Paul can leave the Giants as a free agent after the 2015 season, so he probably would not want to be tied down in Florida if he ends up with another team off the East Coast.

If that makes sense.

But there is still plenty of time for the team to work out a long-term extension with Pierre-Paul before he hits the open market. 

So Giants fans, don't take this move as some sort of long-term plan.

“Geographically, he might want to be in a different location,” explained his real estate agent.

Pacquiao gets speedbag with the face of Mayweather on it (PHOTOS)

Manny Pacquiao hardly needs any added motivation in preparation of his May 2 fight against Floyd Mayweather, but a personalized gift from celebrity lawyer Robert Shapiro has provided some nevertheless.

The Filipino fighter laughed with trainer Freddie Roach on Monday after Shapiro, most known for representing O.J. Simpson in the infamous 1995 trial, gave him a custom-made speedbag with Mayweather's face painted on it.

Sport picture of the day: Manny Pacquiao gets something to aim at http://t.co/4ti6z7KIgZ (Photo: AP) pic.twitter.com/mciXpSxg5L
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) April 14, 2015

Speed is one of the weapons Pacman is expected to utilize against Mayweather when they face each other at the MGM Grand Garden Area in Las Vegas.

But punching bags don't hit back.

J.J. Watt breaks personal record with 61-inch box jump (VIDEO)

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is already sort of a freak of nature. The 6-foot-5, 289-pounder not only sacks quarterbacks and catches touchdown passes, he has also been known to jump really high too.

In a new YouTube video published Monday by Reebok, Watt broke his own record at something called the box jump, springing himself 61 inches onto a pile of mats.

Incredibly, that's almost like landing on a standing Wes Welker's head — even with the cushioned helmet!

"Must have been the shoes, baby," he says, plugging the Reeboks.

Yeah... it's the shoes.

Runner prematurely celebrates before crossing finish line ... and loses (VIDEO)

Oregon's Tanguy Pepiot just joined that exclusive club of athletes who basked in the glory before even finishing the race — resulting in a hilarious defeat.

Pepiot started a premature celebration about 50 yards from the finish line of last weekend's men’s steeplechase at the Pepsi Team Invitational when the roar of the crowd started getting to his head.

Too bad the cheers weren't for Pepiot and were for Washington’s hard charging Meron Simon who used the opportunity to close the gap and pass a waving Pepiot at the ribbon.

Runner Space interviewed Pepiot, who said he didn't know how close Simon was behind him before his finish line fail.

"I thought I was by my self, like, far in front of the second guy," Pepiot said. "I saw [Simon] on the screen, I tried to pick up, he just got me on the line. I'm not proud of myself right now, but it's a good lesson for me, I think, not to do this in the future. Next time I'll just run the whole final stretch and celebrate in the victory lap."

After the race, the victorious Simon had the courtesy to hoist the fallen Pepiot from from the track. But he couldn't lift away the shame.

Here's a suggestion for next time: rear-view sunglasses.

Cyclists could face charges after risking lives to beat oncoming train during Paris-Roubaix race (VIDEO)

The French state railway company is demanding police action against "irresponsible" Paris-Roubaix cycle race riders who breached a safety barrier seconds before a high speed train hurtled by as millions of viewers watched the dramatic scene unfold on a live broadcast.

The SNCF company made an official complaint to French prosecutors saying the action in Sunday's prestigious race had risked a deadly tragedy after some riders raced over the tracks just seconds before the high-speed train whizzed by.

One rider from the Belgian Lotto team was counting his luck after being clipped by a barrier as it came down.

John Degenkolb, winner of the race noted for its 26 sections of bone-jarring cobbled roads, was among the group who went through the barrier as it closed. Normally riders who go through a closed safety crossing are disqualified. But race organizers said it had not been possible for the leaders to stop in time.

When the last rider had gone through the crossing, a police motorcycle was in place to stop more riders going through.

David Ortiz calls Jacoby Ellsbury a 'rich bitch' on national TV (VIDEO)

Besides scouting reports on the opposing team's starting pitchers, David Ortiz might want to meet with the television techies to discuss microphone hot spots the next time he prepares for a game.

Live ESPN mics embedded in Yankee Stadium's second base caught Big Papi calling Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury a "rich bitch" for his ex-teammate's impressive $153-million contract during Sunday night's game.

Ortiz was obviously joking around with Ellsbury, who was his teammate with the Red Sox for eight years. 

Hall and Oates would be proud.

Mike Trout sparks bench-clearing discussion between Angels and Royals (VIDEO)

Tempers flared, benches cleared and things were discussed during the Angels-Royals game Sunday after Yordan Ventura confronted Mike Trout as the Los Angeles slugger slid into home plate and shouted something the Kansas City pitcher apparently didn't like.

Even with Ventura dominating the Angels 7-1 on the mound, the lanky 180-pound pitcher got things started by staring down the muscular 235-pound Trout as the slugger stood on first base.

Albert Pujols then doubled, driving in Trout — and that's when things really got testy. The pitcher confronted Trout and had to be pulled away as both benches and bullpens emptied.

After order was restored, Pujols tried to steal third and was thrown out easily. Ventura was later removed because of a muscle cramp in his thigh.

Or more likely one in his mouth.

Jimmy Fallon frightened by foul ball, chugs beer at Yankees game (VIDEO)

Jimmy Fallon was caught taking a long chug of a beer at Thursday night's Yankees-Blue Jays game at Yankee Stadium.

It appears that a Carlos Beltran foul ball heading toward his head prompted the uninterrupted guzzle after losing his cap — and a little bit of his dignity.

Don't worry Jimmy, the net is there for your protection. And there is plenty more beer where that came from.



Next stop. Possibly famed Manhattan piano bar, Maries Crisis, for some slurred show tune renditions in a more genteel atmosphere:

Tiger Woods calls himself a 'Dumbass' after wayward tee shot (VIDEO)

No one works harder at his golf game than Tiger Woods and he proved it during Thursday's first round at the Masters.

After his tee shot on 15 didn't go the way he wanted, cameras overheard Woods calling himself a "dumbass."

Thanks for keeping it clean for the kids Tiger.

A-Rod hits first home run since 2013, 'needed Google map' to round bases (VIDEO)

It had been a long time since Alex Rodriguez hit a home run — Sept. 20, 2013 to be exact — before the Yankees DH launched Daniel Norris' 1-0 pitch into the left field seats against Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium Thursday night.

And even A-Rod admitted he felt like he was in unfamiliar territory as he rounded the bases, as per Brian Hoch of MLB.com:

A-Rod: "I felt like I needed a Google map to get around the bases. It's been a while."
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) April 10, 2015

While A-Rod's solo shot was the 655th trip around the diamond, it's probably easy to lose your bearings after 19 months in exile. Here's betting the Yankees splurge for a GPS if he can keep jacking them out like that.

One Direction singer falls down caddying for Rory McIlroy (VIDEO)

A whole new generation of tweens just discovered golf this week after Niall Horan of One Direction (just ask any 13-year-old girl) caddied for Rory McIlroy at the Par 3 Contest before the 2015 Masters on Wednesday.

And those same girls probably busted their thumbs tweeting about the pop star's tumble while getting ready for a live interview with reporter Kirsty Gallacher — which went viral.

THE WAY HE FALLS AND THE WAY THE INTERVIEWER SAYS "OH NO NIALL" MAKES ME LAUGH SO HARD https://t.co/87wnsUkvSi
— lica (@weedleeds) April 9, 2015

Make your own snarky reference to a O.D. song because I don't know any.

Oakland A’s Brett Lawrie strikes out four times on just 12 pitches (VIDEO)

The Texas Rangers pitchers made short order of Brett Lawrie's plate appearances Tuesday night. Really short.

The Oakland A's third baseman had a night he'd probably rather forget after striking out four times on just 12 pitches. That's right — 12 pitches. Meaning four times he strolled to the plate and each time he headed back to the dugout after three straight pitches.

And it seemed only fitting that he fanned for the final out on what had to be a long night.

"One of those games," Lawrie said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "I felt I went in there with a good approach, I just didn't attack early and they ened up getting ahead offspeed early. So just one of those days."

The embarrassing Oh-fer dropped his batting average to .125. Lawrie, a career .264 hitter, was traded to the A's in the offseason after four seasons with the Blue Jays.

The good thing? Still 160 games to go. The bad? Still 160 games to go.

Cyclist shows off gruesome injuries after 50-rider pile-up at Scheldeprijs Classic (VIDEO/PHOTOS)

A brutal 50-rider pile-up (video at bottom) in the final kilometer of the Scheldeprijs one day Classic in Belgium sure left a lot of scrapes and cuts on the cyclists. But one of the injured riders wanted everyone to see just how gruesome these crashes could be.

Sam Bennett was taken to hospital after the spectacular crash on Monday and, although he escaped without any long-lasting injuries, the 24-year-old suffered severe cuts on his back and shoulders.

The former NetApp-Endura racer, who was in contention to improve on his fifth-place finish in 2014, took to Instagram after the race to upload pictures from his hospital bed.

WARNING: Graphic images.

Sam Bennett reveals shocking injuries after 50-rider pile-up at the Scheldeprijs Classic http://t.co/E7fgzEJxqL pic.twitter.com/j1HhsKCyIx
— #Jubril (@ohis_) April 9, 2015

And besides his raspberry-covered body, you can see deep gashes where some gear teeth gnawed into his body.

"He is okay, but in pain," said his Bora-Argon18 team director. "He fell on his head and he has whiplash. 

"Even though we are confident that he'll be released shortly, we didn't want to risk anything. That's why we decided that Sam spends the night in the hospital."

Here's the crash from a birds-eye view:

Not exactly a ride in the park.

Giants’ Chris Heston’s pitch is just a bit down and out (VIDEO)

San Francisco Giants starter Chris Heston, who's filling in for the injured Matt Cain, had a pretty good game against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. The rookie went six solid innings with no earned runs and just three hits and two walks. 

Most of his pitches were in and around the strike zone. But this one to Paul Goldschmidt  — not so much. 

Heston was OK and laughed it off. And, as the announcer says, could always blame it on his new shoes.

Jack Nicklaus nails hole-in-one at Masters Par-3 Contest (VIDEO)

75-year-old Jack Nicklaus reminded everyone what made him a golfing great during the Masters Tournament Par-3 Contest on Wednesday.

Watch as the six-time Masters champion nails this ace.

A hole-in-one at any age is tough. Way to go Golden Bear.

Pacers’ Chris Copeland, wife stabbed outside Manhattan nightclub: Report

Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland, was stabbed—along with his wife and another woman — outside of a trendy night club in Manhattan early Wednesday, said NYPD sources.

The 31-year-old Copeland, was arguing with his wife outside the infamous Chelsea hotspot 1Oak Club on West 17th Street around 4 a.m. when the 22-year-old suspect interrupted them, according to the N.Y. Post.

Copeland reportedly told the man to get lost, which is when the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed Copeland in the stomach.

He then turned the blade on the basketball player’s wife, Katrine Saltara, and stabbed her in the breast, buttocks and arm, police sources said. Another woman, who was known to the stabber, was also attacked.

Copeland and his wife were rushed to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition, authorities said. The other woman was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital, authorities said.

The suspect, whose name has not been released, was taken into custody at the scene and charges against him are pending. A knife was recovered.

Two players from the Atlanta Hawks were also taken into police custody after they refused to get out of the crime scene, sources said.

Pero Antic was charged with obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct and menacing, sources said. Thabo Sefolosha was charged with resisting arrest as well as obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct, sources said.

It wasn’t immediately clear what set off the violent scene outside the notorious celebrity hangout.

Copeland has sort of a familiarity with the NYC club scene. He played 56 games for the New York Knicks from 2012 to 2013.

The Pacers are in town playing the Knicks. Their next game is Wednesday at 7:30 p.m at Madison Square Garden.

The Hawks are in town playing the Brooklyn Nets.

Oakland University unveils blacktop inspired basketball court (PHOTO)

Street ball is where most college basketball players get their start so it seemed only logical for the Oakland University athletic department to bring back that "blacktop" look on its home court. 

Instead of the traditional asphalt found on streets and playgrounds across the country, the Rochester, Michigan school simply painted its court black.

The NCAA reportedly put the kibosh on chain link nets but, maybe they could use park benches on the Golden Grizzlies sidelines.

The black top is getting the finishing touches. Wanted chain link nets but NCAA said no, maybe a black rim 😃 pic.twitter.com/wVKgQLjGP4
— Greg Kampe (@KampeOU) April 7, 2015

Just wondering if the "no blood, no foul" rules will apply?

12-year-old who won ESPN's March Madness Challenge can’t collect $20G prize

Twelve-year-old Sam Holtz tied for first place out of 11.57 million entries in ESPN's Tournament Challenge to become eligible for a random raffle to win the grand prize. But even if selected, Holtz is too young to collect the $20,000 Best Buy gift card and trip to Hawaii for the 2015 Maui Invitational.

Unfortunately for Holtz, the rules also say entrants must be at least 18 years old to be eligible.

The sixth-grader, from Lake Zurich, Illinois, entered 10 brackets in total and beat out all but one of the other hopeful bracketologists. The contest limits entrants to U.S. citizens over 18 years of age, so Sam used his father's email address to enter.

After Duke's 68-63 win Monday — a game he watched with his baseball team — Sam ended up on top one-percent of the leaderboard, tied with one other person.

"I didn't even think I'd get in the top 100,000 when I first made a bracket. I just make 'em for fun. I didn't think I'd make it this far, so it's incredible," Sam said.

If young Holtz does win the lottery, he hopes his father will be able to collect the prize.

And his technique for picking the winning teams: "I think it was mostly luck," he told WGNTV. "I don't even watch the season at all."

Isn't it always that guy?

So what would Sam do with the winnings? What else? He'll buy an Xbox, he said.

Derek Jeter keeps word, is no show at Yankee Stadium Opening Day

No matter how hard fans wished Derek Jeter was going to show up at Yankee Stadium on Monday, pinstripes and all, was just pure fantasy. But the logical choice to throw the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day as a civilian was no where to be seen at all.

So former manager Joe Torre was given the honor.

The retired shortstop stayed true to his word and, just like he said he would after his retirement,

was taking a break from baseball. 

That, of course, didn't mean a break Jeter hasn't been busy. He was recently in Tokyo with Hideki Matsui and hosted a charity golf tournament in Las Vegas. All the while promoting his new website, The Players' Tribune, and planning his own restaurant. 

Torre, who received one of the day's loudest ovations when he walked to the mound to deliver the first pitch to catcher Brian McCann, also was scheduled to receive the "Pride of the Yankees" award at the team's welcome home dinner Monday night.

So fans were happy.

But when can anyone expect to see the Yankee icon in the Bronx? Who knows?

Jeter hasn't been around the Yankees much at all except as a  favor to his old mentor and the Yankees' new player development head, Gary Denbo, when Jeets visited with prospects in late February in Tampa. 

And none of the current Yankees players expect to see The Captain anytime soon.

"He's a busy guy, man," said Carlos Beltran, who lockered near Jeter in 2014.

Only manager Joe Girardi seemed confident he'd see Jeter at all around the Yankees this season.

"When he said he wouldn't do it, he's not going to do it," said the manager. "Obviously, we want him around, we want him to come back. But we respect that decision and we expect to see him around this season."

Girardi didn't say when he thought Jeter might show up, but there's a good chance he meant when the club retires the numbers of friends and former teammates Bernie Williams on May 24; Jorge Posada on Aug. 22; and Andy Pettite on Aug. 23.

Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, both of whom retired after the 2013 season, caught ceremonial first pitches thrown by Jeter and Posada at the 2014 home opener.

Jeter is busy, but loyal. Buy your tickets now.

Easter Bunny wreaks havoc on Nationals' Presidents Race (VIDEO)

That Easter Bunny would be one bad dude inside a cage — an MMA cage.

In keeping with his Opening Day tradition, the long-eared basket carrier took out Teddy Roosevelt during the Washington Nationals' Presidents Race with a WWE-style slam off a table. 

Not only did the angry rabbit take out ol' Teddy, he gave him a nasty staredown afterwards.

And even George Washington wasn't adverse to getting his eggs cracked either.



Bring on Brock Lesnar.

Granada soccer player's painful block attempt on Gareth Bale goal (VIDEO)

During Real Madrid's 9-1 rout of Granada CF on Sunday, one Granada player took one for the team.

Correction. Make that two for the team.

As the Vine below painfully shows, it wasn't for a lack of effort, after the Granada defender failed to block Gareth Bale's chip shot but paid the price.

Get out the ice pack.

A-Rod gets more cheers than boos during Opening Day intro (VIDEO)

It's been a season and a half since Alex Rodriguez stepped up to the plate at Yankee Stadium and the Bronx pariah finally made his long-awaited return to baseball since being banned for doping charges.

The home crowd reaction for his Opening Day return was mixed — about 70-30 cheers to boos.



Make that about 80-20.

They still love A-Rod in the Bronx.

ARod's intro pic.twitter.com/6hS1gesAjj
— Sweeny Murti (@YankeesWFAN) April 6, 2015

Paul McCartney’s ex-wife Heather Mills sets disabled skiing speed record

Paul McCartney’s ex-wife Heather Mills was singing Yeah, Yeah, Yeah after the former Mrs. Beatle set a new world record for a disabled female skier. 

Mills, who lost the lower half of her left leg and crushed her pelvis after she was knocked down by a police motorcycle in 1993, set the new speed record last week in the Alpine resort of Vars.

The 47-year-old Mills told Hello! Magazine she was "amazingly proud" after she jetted down the French mountain slope at 103.6mph.

CNN @heatherofficial speed ski record @cnni @Channel4 http://t.co/RVyHvNU1RO
— Heather Mills (@heatherofficial) March 31, 2015

"It’s a rare man who can give you the same thrill that going down a mountain at more than 100mph can," said Mills, who married Sir Paul in 2002 and was divorced from the former Beatle in 2008.

But that was so yesterday.

Now she is looking forward to competing in the Paralympics in South Korea in 2018. 

"I’ll be 50 then," she said. "But that won’t stop me."

Hey. Paul was still going strong at sixty-four.

Fans to get nostalgic Opening Day subway ride to Yankee Stadium

Some riders using New York City's subway system to get to Yankee Stadium for Opening Day are also going to get a trip back in time — way back in time.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says a four-car "Nostalgia Special" is scheduled to leave Grand Central Terminal at 11:30 a.m. Monday and run non-stop to the stadium in the Bronx.

The cars will be 1917 Lo-V models, which were used by the subway system until the late 1960s. 

The old-time cars have rattan seats and incandescent light bulbs to remind us all of a gentler time in commuting. And when handlebar moustaches were the norm, not just an annoying hipster trend on the L line.

I'm just wondering when the Yankees will salute the teams from the '70s with those old graffiti-covered Redbirds.

Now that was a trip.

The Yankees game against the Toronto Blue Jays starts at 1:05 p.m.

BYU long snapper gets tattoo of himself hiking the football (PHOTO)

Long-snappers might rank somewhere between punters and kickers in hierarchy of football rosters (maybe lower), but BYU's Matt Foley thinks it's a glorious position and got a tattoo of himself at the set to prove it.

And it is a sight to behold.

Via Reddit user deen5526:

Foley, a freshman who will join the BYU team this season, is so proud of his bent-over, hiking stance, he showed the progress of the inking during his 10 hours of pain.

A little in-progress shot for you 🙌 pic.twitter.com/jwrKTAT9YS
— Matt Foley (@THE_LongSnapper) April 3, 2015

But it still won't garner any real respect for the position, brah.

Floyd Mayweather drops $25G on mouthpiece with $100 bills inside (PHOTO)

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is known for his jaw-dropping bets on sporting events and is once again putting his  money where his mouth is — literally.

The fighter known as Money just dropped $25,000 on a mouthpiece customized with gold, diamonds and even real $100 bills woven into the design for his upcoming fight with Manny Pacquiao.

Floyd Mayweather -- Rocking $25k Mouthpiece ... With Real $100 Bills Inside http://t.co/KHvTBOQqvk
— TMZ (@TMZ) April 6, 2015

TMZ located the man who provided Mayweather with the fancy mouthpiece, a dentist named Dr. Lee Gause.

Mayweather says Gause's guards help him breathe better than other mouthpieces. 

"My career's gone on 19 years and I've been able to preserve my smile."

Pacquiao might cause Floyd to rinse and spit more than a few times come May 2.

Cubs fans resort to urinating in beer cups due to Wrigley Field renovations (PHOTOS)

Say what you will about Chicago Cubs fans but when they gotta go, they gotta go.

During the Cubs opening night loss to the Cardinals Sunday night, unfinished renovations at Wrigley Field caused lines to the bathrooms to get so long, some fans relieved themselves by using empty beer cups instead of waiting for a urinal.

I'm rather certain this is not flat beer. pic.twitter.com/UCEjhDoi0A
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 6, 2015

Photos of the long lines and cups of urine surfaced on Twitter as fans voiced their frustrations at the stadium delays caused by the construction, with some saying they waited two innings to use the bathroom.

From a friend at wrigley. These are the lines for the bathroom. Ouch. Looks like the renovation hasn't gone so well. pic.twitter.com/heeUH2Rdab
— Craig Mac (@CraigMac) April 6, 2015

@Cubs 30 minute bathroom line and no food at concessions? #lame #unacceptable
— Brad Curtis (@bcurtis2) April 6, 2015

Good news for Cubs! 20 minute lines for bathrooms made fans forget about long lines for metal detectors. http://t.co/Wgs9diKKyH
— James Risen (@JamesRisen) April 6, 2015

The bleachers at Wrigley are currently off-limits because of the construction and are covered in a tarp honoring the late Ernie Banks as they continue work in that area of the park. The renovations are expected to be completed by June.

Conditions that would even make a goat blush.

Dirk Nowitzki takes uppercut to balls from Shaun Livingston (VIDEO)

When Shaun Livingston ran up against a slightly taller Dirk Nowitzki in the post Saturday night, the Warriors defender did something he should not have done.

Livingston was charged with a flagrant foul after turning Nowitzki's boys into a couple of speedbags with a well-placed uppercut.

And as you can see in the video below, the Mavericks star wasn't happy about getting "Dirked."

Surprisingly, Livingston wasn't ejected for the intentional groin-shot.

Kentucky's Harrison curses out Wisconsin's Kaminsky into live mic (VIDEO)

For a kid brought up in the world of social media, it seems Kentucky star Andrew Harrison still doesn't know that the whole world is always watching or, in this case, at least listening.

After his Wildcats had their perfect season derailed by Frank Kaminsky and the Wisconsin team, Harrison used a racial slur while cursing out the Badgers star into a live microphone during a postgame podium appearance.

While a teammate was being asked a question about Kaminsky's impact on the game, the dour Harrison uttered, "Fuck that nigga" into his hand — only to have it picked up by the live mic right in front of him. 

And, unfortunately for Harrison, he said it loud enough for everyone to hear.

Andrew. Harrison. Tho. http://t.co/pvJ6waYixL Vine: https://t.co/46qi2rD6Jv
— LostLettermen.com (@LostLettermen) April 5, 2015

Harrsion later apologized for the comment and said he used it in "jest."

First i want to apologize for my poor choice of words used in jest towards a player I respect and know.
— Andrew Harrison (@DrewRoc5) April 5, 2015

Kentucky officials said after the game they had no comment but they would be speaking with Harrison about his postgame etiquette.

Russian hockey team does human domino to celebrate win (VIDEO)

After the Lokomotiv junior hockey team in Russia's MHL scored a big 6-2 win over Almaz to clinch their playoff series on Wednesday, the players fell all over themselves during their post-game celebration.

And it was all intentional.

After the final buzzer, the MHC Loko players lined up at center ice and had one player run into the line to create a human domino effect.

Fast forward to 3:27 on the video to see them all go down one-by-one:

In fairness to the team, Lokomotiv did take part in the customary hand shake with the team they just toppled from the playoffs.

Boxer drops cell phone in ring ... during a fight (VIDEO)

Fighters usually enter a ring with little more than their trunks, gloves and the survival instincts gleaned from years of training in a gym.

Not so with Marvin Jones, who also came prepared with a cell phone — which promptly fell out of of his waistband during a light heavyweight fight against Ramon Luis Nicolas at the Turner Agri Center in Arcadia, Florida last weekend.

Watch the head-shaking moment below as the referee has to stop the fight during the first round to retrieve the gadget which fell out of his trunks onto the canvas.



Jones would have been better off packing horseshoes in his gloves. Nicolas won by a first-round knockout.

Now where's that selfie of Jones laid out on his back?

Mets bullpen cart and Yankee Stadium letters up for auction

On Wednesday night, Sotheby’s will auction off some Major League Baseball memorabilia, including a couple of iconic items from both the Mets and the Yankees.

The old bullpen cart from Shea Stadium and the 13 letters that once spelled out “Yankee Stadium” on the Bronx Bombers’ home will be put on the block by the world famous auction house.

The kitschy 1967 Mets bullpen cart, with its baseball-bat door frames, glove-and-ball headlights and oversized Mets cap, is still in perfect running order and could be yours for the right price.

Imagine wowing your friends on the links with that chick magnet.

And Reggie Jackson has put the 10-foot-tall illuminated blue letters that spelled out “Y-A-N-K-E-E S-T-A-D-I-U-M” on the former Bronx ballpark up for sale. Appraisers figure they should fetch between $300,000-$600,000.

But you still won't be able to spell A-R-O-D with them.

The cherished items are part of Sotheby’s The New York Sale, which begins at 8 p.m. 

Sicilian soccer match called after tunnel brawl leads to 13 ejections (VIDEO)

Italian soccer officials abandoned a game in Sicily after ejecting 13 players for brawling during the halftime tunnel walk and not leaving enough players to finish the game.

Players received lengthy bans after a lower-league game between Vittoria and Paterno descended into a wild, all-out brawl at half-time during the match — leaving two players injured.

The scene eventually calmed down and four players were tossed out for their roles but, once the second half kicked off, the bad blood returned and both teams were handed a 3-0 defeats for the game. The game was abandoned after the additional ejections left too few players to complete the match.

And the video shows what started as nothing more than a bit of shoves quickly escalates into a full-scale melee, with punches and kicks thrown.

The bans totaled 59 games for the 13 players involved.