High school star Tony Farmer faints in court after getting three year sentence

Tony Farmer— the highly-recruited high school basketball star had his anticipated high-flying college career come crashing down to the ground on Tuesday.

Farmer, from Garfield Heights, Ohio was sentenced to three years in prison for kidnapping and assault of his ex-girlfriend Andrea Lane.

The 18-year old basketball star looked shocked when his sentence was announced by the judge before he turned to his attorney and collapsed to the floor after fainting.

Farmer, a 6-foot-6 forward, was ranked as one of the top-100 high school players in the class of 2013 and was being courted by the likes of Dayton, Xavier, Ohio State, Michigan State, Iowa, West Virginia and Illinois.

His sentence will be reviewed after 180 days and the schools will have to wait and see how the case plays out, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The incident took place last April in the lobby and parking lot of Farmer's apartment complex.  It was caught on a building security camera.  Farmer also reportedly threatened Lane via text messages.

Ky. universities flag words like 'pony' and 'gazongas' from athlete's social media

Kentucky's two largest universities will be using software to monitor what student-athletes post on their social media accounts.

According to USA Today, all student-athletes at the University of Kentucky and most at the University of Louisville will surrender their online privacy to coaches under a social media system used by both schools— as well as others around the country— as a condition of playing sports.

Most of the 406 words flagged by U of L are slang expressions that deal with sex, drugs and alcohol.  UK has a similar policy but 370 words it bans are the names of sports agents.  UK also flags the words "Muslim" and "Arab" but the school is taking steps to remove them from the list after being questioned about them.

A sampling of some of the offensive words at UK include "agent," "Benjamins," "porn," "panties" and "robbery."

At U of L the student-athletes can eliminate such naughty words as "beer bong," "BYOB," "Sam Adams" and "gazongas" from their Twitter and Facebook lexicon.

Bazoombas is okay. "Pony" (slang for cocaine) is not.

U of L senior associate athletic director Kenny Klein said athletes involved in all sports— except basketball and football players— are required to use the software UDiligence.  Klein says the decision to use the system was up to the head coach of each sport.  The Courier-Journal reports that  basketball coach Rick Pitino and football coach Charlie Strong did not return calls.

UK athletes have also been flagged for a number of postings.

One UK student posted on March 26: "I have some OxyContin.  It will make you feel good. (hash) drugs." according to records.  The offending word—  "drugs."

Another student was flagged for writing , "God is the only one who can heal me, help me & fight for me."  The word "fight" was the dirty word.

The schools claim they are helping the athletes by monitoring what they say to prevent them from sending an embarrassing Internet posting "you can't get back."

Klein said the practice of monitoring social media is not unfair to athletes.

"It's not what you can say is an invasion of privacy or anything, because you're not looking for things in an private setting, only things in a public setting."

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky doesn't agree with then school's actions and is looking into whether or not it violates the student's right to free speech.

Both schools declined to release information about any disciplinary actions against flagged posts, saying it would violate student privacy.

Students were at a loss for words.

Clemens claims comeback is not a ploy to delay Hall of Fame

Roger Clemens went to great lengths and expense to clear his name of perjury charges and now critics are saying his baseball comeback is not just for fun— but a calculated attempt to delay his  appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot this winter.

The 50-year old pitcher downplayed the idea that he was hoping to return to the majors, where even one pitch would delay his eligibility for Cooperstown another five years and maybe put memories of his association with steroids in the back of voter's minds.

Clemens is expected to begin pitching for the independent Atlantic League's Sugarland (Tex.) Skeeters this Saturday.  The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the Houston Astros have already sent a scout to see the seven-time Cy Young Award winner throw.  The 354-game winner's fastball was recently clocked at 87 mph on a radar gun.

Hall of Fame voters were expected to reject the inclusion to the Hall of Fame because of his high-profile role in the Mitchell report on doping in the major leagues.  A jury acquitted Clemens in June of six felony charges related to his congressional testimony after he denied using steroids and human growth hormone.

"Sure the Hall of Fame is great, I've told people that.  But it's not going to change my life either way," Clemens said.  "But if there's something there that somebody feels like they have a grudge or want to hold something against you, I can't control that one bit."

Clemens last pitched in the majors with the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the ALCS in 2007 claims  a big league return or turning back the Hall of Fame clock aren't on his mind.

"I've been to the major leagues and back a couple of times," he said.  "I've retired and unretired, so I wouldn't consider thinking that far ahead.  I'm just going to try to get through Saturday.  I think I can compete a little bit."

Former Astros executive and current Skeeters special advisor Tal Smith knows Clemens will help put fans in the seats but won't call the comeback a publicity stunt.

"Knowing Roger and how competitive he is and what great shape he is in, and the fact that Jamie Moyer pitched close to 50 and Nolan Ryan pitched well into his 40's. If anyone can do it, Roger Clemens can do it," Smith said.

It sounds like Smith thinks Clemens' return to the majors will help the pitcher's chances of winning over the HOF voter's hearts

"I think voter's should remember that he's been acquitted of all charges and that he never tested positive," Smith said.  "I hope this story dies down in future years."

If Clemens' comeback can make unsympathetic voters forget about the 10-week trial— with its images of steroid-covered syringes and other medical waste covered with the hurler's DNA— could a Barry Bonds return be far away?

Osi Umenyiora defends locker-room 'culture' in NFL

Osi Umenyiora said he knew the reaction to the Prince Amukamara cold-tub video would be "bad" but the New York Giants defensive end is standing up for the incident which he claims is part of NFL locker-room "culture."

In a tweet he sent to Steve Weatherford— which has apparently been deleted— Umenyiora says if Weatherford is apologizing for his video then HBO should apologize for "Hard Knocks."

Umenyiora's take on Jason Pierre-Paul's dunking of Amukamara may make head coach Tom Coughlin cringe but he is a locker room insider and has a good perspective into the way players co-exist.

"It happens.  I hate it got out there like that but when you look at it on the video, it looks a whole lot worse than it was actually was," Umenyiora told The Star Ledger.  "If you had seen the whole thing, they'd know it was just playing around and it's stuff that just happens.  But it was nothing worse then what you see on that show."

Asked if he thinks people would be shocked by a lot of the things that go on in the locker room that players consider mundane Umenyiora answered, "Absolutely.  I think so. But that's the way it is.  If you grow up in this culture or whatever, there are certain things ... I mean, you probably play around with your cousins and brothers and stuff like that in a way you wouldn't normally in a public place.  It's the same thing here."

He also knew there would be hell to pay for the hazing stunt after Umenyiora admitted he knew it looked bad to the media.

"Honestly, I was just sticking up for my teammate because when I saw it, knowing what I know about the way it actually was, I was like, 'Oh, that's bad.'  I promise you I said that," Umenyiora said when asked about the tweet to Weatherford.  "But as a team, we always have to stick together.  It was the truth, but I still have to stick up for my teammate."

Umenyiora knows the video can be decieving.

"Because of the way it looked.  Some of the language and, even though JPP and Prince were good friends, from the outside looking in, you'd think, 'Man, JPP's a bully.'  It's not like that," said Umenyiora.  "Everybody loves Prince.  I just know it didn't look the way it ever was."

Umenyiora also hinted that he might have been more than just a spectator while Weatherford was aiming his camera.

"I was right there," he joked.  "They didn't catch me on camera, but I was there egging the whole thing on."

Nets owner Prokhorov calls Knicks owner Dolan 'that little man'

The Brooklyn Nets might have lost out on the Dwight Howard sweepstakes but another big man is making noise on the team— and it ain't Brook Lopez.

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov already moved the team across the the Hudson and East Rivers into the the city that the New York Knicks once called their own.  Now the Russian billionaire has gone out of his way to take a shot at Knicks owner James Dolan by referring to his shorter counterpart as "that little man" in a New York Magazine article.

The 6-foot-8 Nets owner reportedly stands a full 14 inches over the diminutive 5-foot-6 Dolan.

"Prokhorov told me back in November that he plans on attending a quarter of the regular-season games and 'all the playoff ones,'" the article's writer, Will Leitch, wrote.  "He also made sure I heard him call Dolan 'that little man.'"

What Prokhorov doesn't lack in height, he seems to lose in tact.  He has already warned the Knicks that once the Nets are ensconced inside their new $1 billion Barclays Center, Knicks fans would be coming over to Brooklyn in droves and at his introductory press conference, he predicted the Nets would have an NBA championship in five years.  That was three years and a 58-172 record ago.

In 2010, he had a huge billboard— featuring Prokhorov and minority-owner Jay-Z— painted with a bird's-eye view of Madison Square Garden.  Over the pair were the words, "The Blueprint for Greatness."

Jay-Z has been the most visible Nets owner— doing everything from designing the team's logo and uniforms to choosing the music which will be played during games— but it is Prokhorov who is pulling the Knicks' tail.

The teams open their seasons on Nov. 1 when they will meet at the Barclays Center.  Let another New York rivalry begin.

Garcia's 'Temp' caddie could make $93K for week's work

Local caddie David Faircloth has to be pinching himself after having the good fortune to caddy for Sergio Garcia— who just won his first PGA Tour victory since 2008— at the rain-delayed Wyndham Championship Monday.  The first-place prize was $936,000.

Faircloth was picked up up by Garcia as a last minute replacement for his former caddie— who split with the golfer after missing the cut at the PGA Championship a week earlier.  Garcia was looking to hire a "local" caddy from the private country club in North Carolina called Eagle Point.

A week ago, Faircloth was lugging clubs for up to $75 a bag.  Based on the customary 10-percent PGA Tour caddies make from the winner's check, Faircloth could pocket up to $93,000.

It's a nice temp job if you can get it.

Faircloth was at the tournament to caddie in the pro-am for Bobby Long, a member of Eagle Point, and president of the foundation which organizes the Wyndham Championship.  Long recommended Faircloth to Garcia and they teamed up for the first round on Thursday.

Garcia didn't say how much he would pay Faircloth saying," I'll have to look at it.  Obviously he's not going to get what a normal caddie would get because his job was fairly easy."

Faircloth was basically just carrying Garcia's bag.  He did not give him yardages, read greens or help with club selection.

The star-struck Faircloth was so overwhelmed by Garcia's win, he almost forgot to carry out the ritual of a caddie taking the flag from the final hole as a keepsake memento.

Tony Navarro, a respected and experienced PGA caddie, saw that Faircloth was caught up in the moment and secretly got the flag and handed it to the flustered man.

"Well done this week," Navarro told Faircloth. "This is yours."

It's a week Faircloth will remember for a long time.

Michael Strahan could be headed to 'Live With Kelly' show

Kelly Ripa has announced that the "Live With Kelly' show will introduce her new co-host on Sept. 4— nearly a year after Regis Philbin left the morning show— and a lot of signs point to former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan landing the gig.

Ripa posted a video on tout.com Monday in which she announced her new co-host will join her on the "Live" set during that day's syndicated broadcast.

"Hey guys, big news," she said.  "Mark your calendars.  On Sept. 4, I'll be joined by my new co-host." Yay!

Since Philbin left the show, Ripa has sat opposite a variety of potential co-hosts including Strahan who has sat next to the perky Ripa more than anyone else.

Strahan, the ex-Giants star and "Fox NFL Sunday" host has put his beachfront California home up for sale— sparking rumors of his return to the New York area.  It would be convenient for the former NFL player to live near the ABC studios on the westside of Manhattan where the show airs from.

Other potential co-hosts who are in contention for the highly-visible job include "Saturday Night Live" host Seth Myers, singers Josh Groban and Nick Lachey along with her husband Mark Consuelos.  How cute would that be?

Ripa joined Philbin on the show in 2001 after Kathy Lee Gifford (Frank's wife) left a year before.

The gap-toothed Strahan looks to be the favorite but my money is on dark horse Pat Kiernan of NY1 News.

It looks like Ripa could talking about Giants football instead of Notre Dame on Mondays this fall.