Enough with all this madness about Bartolo Colon's home run

Not since Hank Aaron's historic No. 715 has baseball seen a home run as widely celebrated as the one Bartolo Colon dumped into the left field seats at Petco Park Saturday night.

Even Padres pitcher James Shields — the pitcher who gave up the shot — has self-appointed himself "President of the Bartolo Colon Fan Club."

The 19-year MLB vet is a likable enough guy, but it's time for the madness about a single long ball to stop.

We get it. A 42-year-old fat guy lofts a ball into the stands for his first career dinger, wobbles around the bases and all hell breaks loose. And now we get to hear Mets announcer Gary Cohen's now immortal "the impossible has happened" ad nauseum until blood runs out of your ears.



And we've have heard Mets Spanish station WEPN's broadcast clip so much it makes hearing GOOOOOOAAALLLLL sound like sweet music:

Bartolo Colon home run called by the Mets Spanish station WEPN: pic.twitter.com/eRdyvgI13U

— In Mets We Trust (@InMetsWeTrust) May 8, 2016

Now Topps has even turned the image of Colon's dinger into a baseball card:

Bartolo Colon hitting his 1st HR is newest #TOPPSNOW card. Get it here: https://t.co/tpN4j99mUZ pic.twitter.com/KjexVVdPA9

— Topps Company (@toppscards) May 8, 2016

So all you chubby-chasing baseball fans compose yourselves. It was so fortuitous a swing that even the 19-year MLB veteran almost carried the bat all the way to first base with his helmet over his eyes. So get over it.

And if you didn't figure it out by now... I'm a Yankees fan who fondly remembers when El Barto squeezed himself into slimming pinstripes.

Tony Mangia on photo assignment in Peru

A message to readers of The Other Paper:

I will be out of the United States for the next month photographing the beautiful countries of Peru and Bolivia.

Packing the photojournalist's essentials

And I'm sure there's the possibility of a few coca leaves being chewed (to alleviate altitude sickness) while on a seven day ascent up the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu followed by a fly-over of the mysterious Nazca Lines land formations.

Then, after getting acquainted in Iquitos of the Amazon Basin, I am considering a shaman to purge the negative energy (namely, the Yankees and Giants) from my body with that old spiritual-cleansing hallucinogen, ayahuasca.

Depending on the availability of wi-fi or Internet in the Andes, it’s doubtful I will be posting anything online but will run photos or stories if I can. So goodbye — and good riddance — social media and sports TV.

But, at least under the spell of the mind-blowing ayahuasca, I can hopefully envision the Islanders hoisting the Stanley Cup and a World Series in the Bronx.

Thanks for reading— Chau — Tony Mangia

Canelo Alvarez shows concern for Amir Khan after devastating 6th round KO (VIDEO)

Amir Khan had been screaming for a big fight the last two years and on Saturday night, after getting his shot, the valiant Brit only got to see a big right.

That's because all Canelo Alvarez needed was his powerful right hand to end a close fight with as destructive a knockout you will ever see.

After struggling with Khan’s speed for the first five rounds, Alvarez (47-1-1, 33KOs) finally unleashed a long right hand that sent Khan (31-4, 19KOs) flying backwards to the canvas, where referee Kenny Bayless didn’t even bother to count him out at 2:37 of the sixth round.

Alvarez retained his piece of the middleweight title after the devastating right, but went and kneeled before an unconscious Khan after the ref's call.

Canelo Alvarez knocked out Amir Khan in the 6th round & then checks out on him 👍 Sportsmanship at finest. Fair Play pic.twitter.com/GCGdicqqO3

— Sheikh Ebad (@eSHEIKH_) May 8, 2016

"You want to win by knockout, you never want to hurt anybody," said Alvarez after the fight. "It was my human reaction [to hover]. I don’t want to hurt someone"

After checking on Khan, the Mexican fighter then went over and motioned to Gennady Golovkin, who was ringside, to join him in the ring for a fight.

Alvarez says he has "no issue" fighting GGG at a 160-pound limit. Meaning a big obstacle has been removed towards setting up what could be the bout of the year — any year.

Let's see that brutal KO again.

KO of the year? #CaneloKhan #Canelo https://t.co/hK4LbN2k8b @Pablo_celiz recibiendo en el patio

— David Celiz (@CelizDavid) May 8, 2016

So who said boxing was dead?

David Ortiz goes berserk after strike three call against Yankees (VIDEO)

If there is any spark left in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, it basically all comes down to one player still linking the bitter hatred between the two teams to the past.

And on Friday night, David Ortiz brought that blaze back to the Bronx.

Ortiz began chirping after Andrew Miller got a called strike two from home-plate umpire Ron Kulpa on a 3-1 count with one out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning — a slider that prompted Sox manager John Farrell to run out, hold Ortiz off and get ejected.

Then Ortiz took another slider for a called strike three before walking toward the dugout, then returning, and unleashing his full fury at the ump.

DAVID ORTIZ IS PISSED https://t.co/OStZOsWqeF

— Tyler Sullivan (@TylerSully) May 7, 2016

Big Papi needed to be restrained before Miller struck out Hanley Ramirez swinging for the final out of a 3-2 win Friday night at Yankee Stadium.

“One I can understand, one time. But not two,” Ortiz said after his explosion. “Both of them pitches were bad, though. (Kulpa’s) looking at me like I screwed up. I didn’t screw up. Know what I’m saying?

“Everything was a ball,” added Ortiz, who said Miller doesn’t need any help. “Even the one I swung at was a ball.”

It wasn't exactly the Core Four years, but something tells me Miller would have fit in pretty good back on those old Yankees teams — at least as Mariano Rivera's set-up guy.

FSU fans are told to stop wearing Native American headdresses to games

Florida State University's student government has passed a resolution discouraging Seminoles fans from wearing Native American headdresses at games.

The reason? They are not factual representation of the Seminole tribe.

The Student Government Association approved the non-binding, formal opinion by a 27-4 vote on April 20 asking the university's administration to consider adding the wearing of headdresses as a violation of the student code of conduct.

The SGA said it passed the resolution because many of the headdresses worn at athletic events are representative of other tribes — in particular Plains tribes like the Sioux, and not the Seminoles. 

Part of the resolution reads that the Senate "does not condone the wearing of headdresses because it inaccurately depicts the culture of the Seminole Tribe."

FSU student reps: No headdresses at Seminoles games (The Associated Press): Florida State University's studen... https://t.co/zIr1RedwQI

— FSU Seminoles (@fsusports) May 4, 2016

Even if the administration decided to add the headdress issue to the code of conduct, enforcing it could be difficult because of concerns that it might violate students' First Amendment right to free speech.

Florida State is one of four schools where the NCAA has approved the use of a Native American name and imagery because of its support of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

The others are Central Michigan University (Chippewas), University of Utah (Utes) and Mississippi College (Choctaws). Four Division I schools — Alcorn State, Bradley, Illinois and William & Mary — have Native American nicknames but do not use mascots or imagery.

Cyclists injured after crashing into pace motorcycle during nighttime Brooklyn bike race (VIDEO)

More than just hipsters' artisanal beers were spilled on the sidelines Saturday night when at least seven bike racers were injured in a giant pile-up during a nighttime race in Brooklyn.

The epic crash occurred during the Red Hook Criterium after a pace motorbike stalled just behind a corner on one of the tightest sections of the course at the beginning of the men's final race, giving the speeding cyclists little time to swerve out of the way.

Two of the riders hit the motorbike, flipping end over end, with dozens more behind them getting caught in the huge tangle of spokes and bodies.

Video below:

The motorbike was supposed to be riding ahead of the cyclists to mark first place when it broke down and left its driver stranded, according to The Gothamist.

Video appears to show the racers going on either side of the stopped motor scooter, which is unable to move, until one biker hits it head-on.

Fixed gears, no brakes, at night, on winding Brooklyn streets.. and then throw in a stalled motorcycle. #carnage https://t.co/G00yKo8fAL

— Michele Gellé (@MicheleGelle) May 2, 2016

The race was restarted, but there was an hour's delay since the four ambulances on duty got filled up and had to come back before the race started. There was a second crash that involved 10 people when the race was restarted.

The Red Hook Crit, as the race is also known, is an annual three-quarter mile fixed-gear track-bike race that started in 2008 as an underground event.

The event is now sponsored by Rockstar Games, creators of the Grand Theft Auto series of video games.