Boxer disqualified for leaving ring one second after opening bell

A lot of fighters have lost a bout after being knocked through the ropes, but on Friday night boxing fans may have witnessed the first time a fighter was called out because he slipped through the ropes on his own accord ... and kept on walking.

That's exactly what happened when up-and-coming heavyweights Curtis Harper (13-6) and Efe Ajagba (6-0) lined up to fight at the Armory in Minneapolis as part of a Premier Boxing Champions card on Fox Sports 1. In front of a stunned arena and live television audience, Harper casually ducked out of the ring like he was going for a beer right after the opening bell sounded.

.@AjagbaEfe came ready for war, but #CurtisHarper said otherwise! ✌🏿 #ImOut #AjagbeHarper #PBConFS1 pic.twitter.com/YaJkKPhXK2

— PBC (@premierboxing) August 25, 2018

It started just like any normal fight, when both Harper and his Nigerian opponent went through introductions, entered the ring, bumped gloves and returned to their corners in anticipation of the six-round match-up. But as soon as the bell clanged, Harper got up and ducked through the ropes, out of the ring and all the way out of the arena as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Referee Celestino Ruiz named Ajagba the winner by way of disqualification one second into the first round of what would have been a prominent and widely viewed fight.

Premier Boxing Champions reporter Jordan Hardy suggested Harper left because he wasn't "paid enough" and "wants respect." Harper later explained that he wanted to "make a statement." 

Seems kind of silly to go this far to make a statement without clarifying it. Harper not only lost his share of the purse because of the DQ, but he also lost a lot of respect. If his statement gained anything, it's the probability of a suspension and loss of more money.

Tim Tebow looks ready for Mets after taking triple to the head

Tim Tebow might want to give serious thought to donning the old football helmet again, but not so much for playing on the gridiron as much as prowling the outfield.

On Monday, the Mets Binghamton RumblePonies' minor league star looked almost Cansecian — and not in a powerhouse Jose Canseco good way. 

Tebow, a newly named Eastern League Double-A All-Star, misplayed a ball bouncing off the Portland Sea Dogs' imitation Green Monster (Adorably called The Maine Monster) in left field and took a few seams to the face in the process. The ball ricocheted about 40 feet off his forehead and gave the batter an RBI triple.




At least the ball didn't bounce over the wall for a home run like Canseco's infamous play. And Tebow had the last laugh by going 3-for-4 with a couple of RBIs anyway.

It wouldn't be the first time a player had trouble with one of these left-field monsters so considering how lousy the Mets are this season — and decent Tebow has been (.265/.335/.394, 5 HRs, 32 RBIs) — it wouldn't be a shock to see him move up to Triple-A before being called up to Citi Field in the fall. 

If Tebow's MLB shot isn't for any reason other than the publicity and drawing power he brings, at least he's entertaining — unlike the Mets.

'Seinfeld's' David Puddy shows up at Devils game in full face paint mode

If you are a Seinfeld fan, and most of us are, you remember Patrick Warburton, aka David Puddy, as the Neanderthal-like, on-again off-again boyfriend of Elaine Benes who took being a New Jersey Devils fan to another level — and actually dragged a reluctant Jerry into his over-the-top fanaticism.

On Wednesday night, Puddy showed up in face paint during Game 4 at the Devils-Lightning game at the Prudential Center in Newark, and even took off his jersey to show off a painted on "D" on his chest. He could have used his fellow cast mates to finish spelling out E-V-I-L-S, but maybe Warburton was just showing off. He still looked to be in pretty good shape considering the show has been of the air for 20 years. 

Hey, this is the #StanleyCup Playoffs. You gotta let them know you're out there. LET'S GET IT ON! #TBLvsNJD | #NowWeRise pic.twitter.com/Ky8QpQeqhd

— x - New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) April 19, 2018

In the original episode, Puddy razzed Kramer over the Devils victory.

New Jersey lost last night and trails 3-1 in the series against Tampa Bay. Now it's the Devils turn to hope for some divine intervention — maybe from above. Something like three straight.

Yankees-Red Sox rivalry comes back in big way...big like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton

American League baseball fans saw something Wednesday night that they haven't seen in a while, and speaking as a New York Yankees fan, it felt good. I'm talking the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry; which came back in not one, but two bench-clearing incidents.

Things got testy in the third inning after Tyler Austin's Yankees spikes clipped Brock Holt's Red Sox leg on a controversial slide into second base. Holt took issue with the minimal contact and they exchanged words before being separated and both benches emptying onto the field. 

But it was four innings later, with the Yankees leading 10-6, when Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly shooed Austin from the plate with a retaliatory 97 mph fastball aimed at his knees that things got interesting. Two pitches later Kelly plunked Austin on the elbow. A pissed off Austin slammed his bat on the plate after the intentional throw and took a step towards Kelly.

"Come on," screamed Kelly ... and it was like old rivalry days again.

WATCH: The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees got into a crazy bench-clearing brawl pic.twitter.com/Il4CMtc1DL

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 12, 2018

Austin, after getting in a few wild punches, found himself being protected by Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton while Kelly slinked out of the pileup with ripped buttons and scratches on his neck. The two Yankees giants stood above the fray, literally and figuratively, as they sorted out and guided both teams into their respective dugouts ... Judge with a little smile on his face.

“I felt that was a good slide,” Austin said to a disagreeing Holt after they tangled at second base. While they were staring and jawing, out came both teams, including the bullpens with Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle leading the pack. 

Here's Tyler Austin's slide from earlier. Spikes come up a bit, but he hardly made contact with Holt. He slides through the base. His job is to break up the play. He did his job and he didn't hurt anyone. No malintent there.#Yankees #RedSoxpic.twitter.com/E5c6FwqpBe

— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) April 12, 2018

Neither brouhaha was up to the drama of Pedro Martinez shoving Don Zimmer to the ground back in the 2003 ALCS, but it's a reminder of how much these two teams really despise each other.

The funniest part? The look on the Red Sox players faces as they watched Judge and Stanton — all 13' 2" of them — wading through the scrum of the tussling players. Like giants among men.

It seems like decades since such fervor filled Fenway Park. Even the "YANKEES SUCK" chant from the Sox faithful sounded heartfelt last night. And that's a good thing.

36-year-old accountant who never played pro hockey closes out Blackhawks win as goalie

If you thought the Loyola-Chicago NCAA Tournament run was the best underdog story in the country…guess again. It’s not even the best rags-to-riches story in the Windy City.

On Thursday night during the third period of a National Hockey League game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Winnipeg Jets, an unfamiliar face in a No. 90 Blackhawks jersey stepped in front of the net at the United Center.

“Hey who’s this guy?” an announcer even had to ask.

Wearing No. 90 for the Chicago #Blackhawks: Scott Foster pic.twitter.com/2u3uCFXGhO

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 30, 2018

That guy was Scott Foster, the team’s emergency goalie, a 36-year-old accountant who hadn’t played in a competitive hockey game in more than 10 years. He had once played hockey for Western Michigan University from 2002 to 2005 and donned the pads in recreational “beer leagues” since. But Foster had never played in the NHL.

So it was no surprise when the father-of-two ended up trending on Twitter and stealing the spotlight from fellow Blackhawk Brent Seabrook, who played his 1,000th-regular-season game that same night.

EMERGENCY GOALTENDER SCOTT FOSTER FILLS IN AND MAKES HIS FIRST CAREER SAVE! pic.twitter.com/D6CZ7HPfof

— NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) March 30, 2018

Foster is one of a small group of “emergency backup” goaltenders who are kept on hand, usually in the press box or the stands, in the highly unlikely event both regular goalies on the roster are hurt or otherwise unavailable.

Earlier in the day, starting goaltender Anton Forsberg injured himself during a morning practice. Down to one goalie, rookie Collin Delia, the Blackhawks signed Foster as an emergency back-up.

And in an amazing twist of fate Delia – in the midst of his own NHL debut – had suffered an injury in the third period, sending Foster into action.

“The initial shock happened when I had to dress and then I think you just kind of black out after that,” Foster said.

Foster finished the night with seven saves on seven shots—including one on sharpshooter Patrik Laine—in 14:01 of ice time — that helped lead the Blackhawks' to 6-3 victory. And if you crunch the numbers, it means the beancounter Foster has a better NHL career save percentage (1.000) than even Martin Brodeur or Dominick Hasek.

Sorry Sister Jean. Back to obscurity — at least for a day.

"Fascination" is a rowdy trip back to 1970s New York City

By Julia Nash

"Fascination" is a novella that takes a series of unblinking written pictures of the less than stellar days of New York City in 1971 as seen through the eyes and rowdy adventures of a teenage boy exploring the frontiers of Fun City the summer before he entered, and then escaped his own high school demons in New Jersey. Tony Mangia's "fictional-memoir" pays attention to many details of the turbulent times—in a both pop culture and social issue sense—and is right on target. It isn't all politically correct, but neither were those times. And through all of the wonder and notoriety of that city, he somehow finds some goodness and redemption. It might even be called a love letter to the Ugly Duckling New York City of the '70s.

The story follows the 14 year-old's journey through the "White Flight" suburbs and his coming of age visits to that gritty New York City during an important mind-shaping, and altering, era of his life. The lessons learned come mostly from darkly humorous experiences and raucous escapades in the decaying yet colorful city, and are centered around a seedy Times Square arcade called Fascination—a hangout that "could take more than just a kid's money." At Fascination, where he meets city kids his own age, but of different colors and socio-economic backgrounds, the teen observes things close up—much of it not safe, good or even legal, but all of it fondly remembered. In one instance, he recalls Fascination as a melting pot of gangs, runaways and those who had nowhere else to go:

"Most chickens seemed to embrace the lifestyle, mainly because Fascination provided them with a safe haven. Some of them got busted up pretty bad just for being queer out on the street. Black eyes and even broken arms on some of the frailer ones—the results of hate-fueled muggings or beatdowns—weren’t uncommon. At least at Fascination, they had something of a sanctuary among their own kind." 

Fascination is available on Amazon Kindle and as a paperback.

Tony Mangia on assignment in Southeast Asia

Message to readers of The Other Paper:

This is just a notice that I will be out of the United States for the next four weeks visiting the beautiful and magical lands of Southeast Asia.

First stop will be volunteering in Malaysia, where I'll be working with new acquaintances  — and not of the human kind ... but possibly smarter — within a conservation group that helps orangutans. For two weeks, I will be part of an organization that rescues, rehabilitates and relocates abused, ill and displaced orangutans in the rainforest of Malaysia. I hope it will be as special and rewarding as it sounds. A barrel of apes so to speak. Who knows? They might even teach me some table manners.

After that experience I will be going to Thailand for some scuba diving before heading to the, until recently, isolated and still mysterious Myanmar (Burma) on a photo assignment.

Hoping to do some hiking and catch some muay thai while I am over there too. 

I will most likely be without Internet, phone or TV for most of the duration (happily, I might add) and won’t be posting or even in contact with any sort of social media (even more happily). The absence of news overload and trending hashtag words like anthem, abuse, shooting or collusion will be a welcome relief. So hold off burning the place down until I get back y’all … just so I can be the first to post about it on Facebook.

In the meanwhile, happy holidays and sùk-sǎn wan krít-mâat.