Carmelo Anthony to critics: I'm not 'a loser': Report

Despite leading the New York Knicks to the worst start start in the history of the franchise, Carmelo Anthony fired back at his critics who called him "a loser." 

The Knicks forward tried to take the pressure of his new $124 million contract and superstar status off himself by claiming the team's 5-23 start — on pace to post its worst record ever after going 37-45 last season and missing the playoffs — doesn't boil down to a loser's mentality.

“I didn’t think it would be like this,’’ Anthony told the Washington Post via the N.Y. Post. “I’m like, why? Time goes by so fast and one thing you realize, you can’t control winning. It’s out of your control. You can control what you do. You can control your work ethic and your mindset when it comes down to winning. Everything has to be synchronized from ownership all the way down to the staff. Everything has to be in sync.’’

Anthony is in his 12th NBA season, but has advanced past the first round of the playoffs twice. And since joining the Knicks in 2010, only once. 

Anthony, who missed Thursday’s game in Chicago and is debating whether to sit for a couple of weeks to rest his chronic left knee injury .

“At the end of the day, we all know what the goal is and that’s to win a championship,’’ Anthony said. “I know that I’m a winner. Even though you might lose some games here and there, I know I’m a winner. I’ve won already. I’ve won off the court and on the court. I’m living the American dream. That’s winning to me. Nobody can say anything about [me] being a loser.”

Anthony, who missed Thursday’s game in Chicago and is debating whether to sit for a couple of weeks to rest his chronic left knee injury, admitted he hears the negative talk.

“Everybody has an opinion,’’ Anthony said in the interview. “ Everybody knows it all. They think they know you. You kind of become what the back page says you are. That’s messed up. I think just going through it, and you’ve seen the worst of the worst. Being here at the bottom and you can easily see how people will dismiss you, step on you and forget about you. This is the belly of the beast. New York will eat you alive if you let it.”

The history of losing has bothered Anthony to the point of frustration. A near brawl with teammate Tim Hardaway Jr. and reports that Anthony would consider waiving his no-trade clause rather than nixing a trade if the Knicks struck a deal to an attractive destination have fueled reports of a departure.

Anthony responded by saying he would have a "weak mind" to want out amid "a wall of adversity."

Still, you have to wonder how much of it he can take.

Derek Jeter can't find baseball team to buy: Report

Pity poor Derek Jeter. And I don't mean poor in a financial sense. Or any sense, come to think of it.

The retired former Yankees shortstop has a sizable amount of cash at his disposal (net worth $185 million) with plenty of investors more than willing to throw money at the thought of partnering with the MLB legend. But sadly for The Captain, he reportedly still isn’t having any luck when it comes to buying his own Major League Baseball team.

“There are no teams available,” says Fox Business Network’s Charlie Gasparino. “Jeter is telling people he is modeling his post-baseball career after Michael Jordan’s,” a reference to his NBA counterpart's purchase of the Charlotte Hornets.

In the meantime, Jeter has been meeting with Goldman Sachs bankers hoping to follow in the steps of his former boss and mentor, the late George Steinbrenner.

“As he’s waiting for a potential team to open up, he’s putting a lot of time into this Web site, theplayerstribune.com . . . He’s looking for financing for this as well as to expand,” Gasparino said.

With the average MLB team price hovering around $811 million (High end: Yankees worth $2.5 billion, bargain basement: Tampa Bay Rays at $485 million), Jeets might have to spend more time cuddling with his girl, Hannah Davis, than huddling with lawyers.

Earlier this month, the ex-Yankee was spotted getting a tour of Marlins Park, fueling speculation he was interested in the team, but has denied it.

Contrary to what Jeter says publicly, rumors still swirl that the one-time Face of Baseball does want to become the head of a MLB team.

Washington Redskins name ruled not obscene by FCC: Report

The name of the Washington Redskins NFL team will not be considered a profane term when used on radio airwaves, according to the Federal Communications Commission's response to a petition Thursday.

The petition called for a Virginia radio station owned by football team owner Dan Snyder to not have its license renewed due to its repeated use of the word "Redskins." John Banzhaf III, a professor at George Washington University, and others said use of the name during NFL games was objectionable because it’s a “derogatory racial and ethnic slur” against American Indians.

The FCC dismissed the petition, saying that the law defines terms of a sexual or excretory nature as profane and not those that mean a football team and granted a renewal of the license for WWXX(FM) in Buckland, Va.

Banzhaff called the ruling against his petition "no more than round one." 

Last month the team won the right to review a decision by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to cancel the mark as disparaging. Snyder has repeatedly said the name was intended to honor Native Americans and he won’t change it.

The rulings are the latest in a decades-long dispute over a brand estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth $145 million.

Native American groups and politicians have been calling for Washington's team name to be dropped and some media outlets have been deliberately omitting the franchise's name from coverage.

Don't expect this issue to end anytime soon.

Martin Brodeur gives up ridiculous center-ice goal to Dwight King (VIDEO)

Martin Brodeur has more saves than anyone in the history of the NHL, which means the Blues' new netminder has also given up his share of goals too. But Ol' Marty probably never saw the puck get by him as ridiculously as this shot from Dwight King Thursday night.

When the Los Angeles Kings forward sent this seemingly harmless shot from center ice towards Brodeur, nobody in the arena thought twice about him making the simple glove save. But after the puck hit the ice, it skipped up once and then bounced off the ice, over Brodeur and actually got a piece of the water bottle for the comedic goal.

Dwight King just scored on Martin Brodeur. From center ice. http://t.co/0AzeiejR7H https://t.co/WwoyD1g6Ei
— theScore (@theScore) December 19, 2014

Adding insult to injury, that was the sixth goal that Brodeur gave up in the game — one that the Blues led 3-0 — tidying up the Kings' 6-4 come-from-behind victory.

Sure the 42-year-old future Hall of Famer looked silly but, we'll blame it on the bounce.

Sen'Derrick Marks' sack earns $600K bonus on final play of game (VIDEO)

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks needed half a sack in Thursday night's game against the Tennessee Titans to earn a nice $600,000 bonus. And, with 17 seconds left in the game, it looked like time was running out.

But, not only did Marks' game-ending, take-down of Titans quarterback Charlie Whitehurst for a 9-yard loss preserve the Jaguars' 21-13 victory, it gave him 600 thousand reasons give the money sign and celebrate with teammates.

Marks' current contract with the Jaguars included a bonus clause paying him $600,000 if he recorded eight sacks in 2014. His career high was four in 2013. His 7.5 sacks entering Week 16 of the season put him put him one-half shy of getting the money sack.

Kuwaiti soccer player gets finger probed by opponent during match (VIDEO)

There's two ways to look at this finger-in-the-butt incident that happened during a Kuwaiti soccer match the other day. You could either call it taking one for the team or just plainly taking it up the ass.

It was nice of this guy to try and give his opponent a free prostate exam but, at least at the doctor's office, you hear that butt-tightening warning snap of a rubber glove first.

Shouldn't he get a brown card for this?

High schooler slams face into backboard blocking shot (VIDEO)

A high school basketball player from powerhouse DeMatha Catholic (MD) High School had just a little too much hops blocking a shot — and has the bump on his head to prove it.

Sophomore D.J. Harvey soared above his opponent to get up and block his shot, but the 6'4" guard got so much air he went face-first into the backboard.

D.J. was okay but, ouch.

Capitol Hoops Play of the Day DJ Harvey Hits Head…: http://t.co/U4UpwGlTuY
— Darren S. Harvey (@dsharvey64) December 4, 2014