Author: clay

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All Other Sports

Jon Bon Jovi wants refs to Have a Nice Day

Jon Bon Jovi finally let his perfectly coiffed hair down and showed that he actually does have a rock-n-roll bone left in his body.

As usual, the ESPN2 camera crew spent more time panning the crowd and box seats than they panning up and down the field at Monday’s game between the Philadelphia Soul and the Georgia Force. Well, the move actually paid off when they turned the lens on JBJ after the Force scored a questionable touchdown with under 10 minutes remaining as he threw a double barreled salute to the officials who made the call.

I didn’t understand the ruling,” he said. Bergeron “did have possession on the play. He fumbled in the end zone. He recovered the ball. I reacted to something I didn’t know the rule on.”

Bon Jovi said he obviously didn’t realize that the camera was pointed at him.

“I apologize for the middle-finger thing,” he said. “I didn’t understand the rule. It’s simple as that. We will be back next week.

Oh, don’t apologize. Sports needs more of this from it’s owners and representatives. Hopefully Bon Jovi’s business partner and recent addition to the Monday Night Football booth Ron Jaworski will show the same type of enthusiasm when the NFL officials blow an obvious call.

Links:

[Philly.com]: Bon Jovi flips as squelched rally leads to Soul’s first loss
[ZWire.com]: Force isn’t with Soul, Bon Jovi in first loss

Categories
NFL General

Jesus tells Irvin to assault contractor


Former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin has allegedly made a fool of himself again, but this time it’s not for wearing a ridiculous suit on national television. The latest incident involves Irvin’s current version of the “White House.”

Apparently, Irvin was not pleased with the final cost of a fountain that contractor Shawn Vandergrift was hired to install. So, Irvin resorted to his playmaking days and gave the guy some lip service and even grabbed his arm. Sure, if it’s true, then Irvin was out of line, but something about this lawsuit stinks worse than Mary Swanson’s bathroom after Lloyd gave Harry the ol laxative cocktail.

Vandergrift is claiming that he is now permanently disabled with a hip condition as a result of being grabbed by Irvin. Now, we’re no doctors but the last time we checked the arm bone wasn’t connected to the hip bone. Hell, even Stuart Scott’s lazy eye can see that this doesn’t add up.

And in typical loudmouth fashion, Irvin couldn’t resist hopping on the airwaves to state his side of the case as he joined KTCK-AM 1310 on Tuesday morning.

The only injury he has is an old injury he already had,” Mr. Irvin said of Mr. Vandergrift.

Mr. Irvin accused the hosts of going with a story they had not verified.

“Don’t you think you guys should have called and asked me about something before you went on the air (with it)? … I still believe you should have made the effort of calling me,”
he said.

Maybe they should have, but c’mon Mike; it’s not like you’re an angel here. Oh, wait; you were probably just shoving the contractor for a friend of yours. Like that time you got busted throwing away your friend’s crack pipe.

Links:

[KVUE.com]: Michael Irvin accused of assaulting contractor

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Suns block? SA’s building steam

1. Spurred On
Tim Duncan was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week yesterday after he led the Spurs to a 3-0 record last week by scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds while dishing out five assists and blocking three shots per contest. But it was the French phenom Tony Parker who guided SA to their fourth consecutive victory by racking up 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting in a dismantling of the Trailblazers. The Spurs are getting hot at the right time but they are still sitting two games behind Phoenix for the second seed in the playoffs. However, you shouldn’t be surprised if San Antonio catches the Suns before the end of the season because they have a much easier schedule as the year draws to a close.

2. Warriors, come out and plaaay

Golden State made a serious statement last night as they destroyed the Utah Jazz by 24 points, 126-102. And thanks to a Clippers loss to Denver, the Warriors have slid into the eighth and final playoff spot in the West; for now. Home-court advantage for the entire playoffs was also determined by in the Clippers loss as Dallas won their 64th game of the season and guaranteed that they would be spending the majority of every playoff series in their gym. And at the moment, their first round opponent would be the same giant killing Warriors that ripped apart Utah last night. So, is Golden State ready for the Mavericks? Probably not, but it would more entertaining than throwing the sacrificial Clippers to Mark Cuban’s hungry lions.

3. Kobe goes cold
Like most of the great scorers in league history, most nights Kobe Bryant has got it but some nights he doesn’t. And last night was definitely one night that the league’s top scorer wouldn’t mind forgetting. Bryant was 9-of-30 from the floor in a 115-111 loss to the Nuggets that put the Lakers perilously close to sliding completely off the playoff map. Only two little games separate LA from missing the post season and regardless of what happens over the remainder of the regular season, this will be the most losses for any Phil Jackson coached team with the Lakers currently sitting at 40-38. The Mamba just couldn’t get it going as Denver’s dynamic duo torched LA for 57 points and the team’s sixth straight victory. Nobody wants to get caught playing against that level of firepower in the first round of the post season, and then you throw in a Defensive Player of the Year candidate patrolling the middle in Marcus Camby and you have a serious dark-horse just waiting to grab an early playoff upset.

Monday’s Player of the Day: Ricky Davis vs. Toronto 39 min, 28 pts (FG: 9-17, 3FG: 4-8, FT: 6-6), 3 reb, 8 ast

Tuesday’s Game to Watch: Los Angeles Clippers (37-39) @ New Orleans (36-41) With the playoffs just about two weeks away, the final three spots are still technically up for grabs but it’s really the final two that are in the most unstable condition. That’s where the Clippers and the Hornets come in. Both teams are on the outside looking in right now as they try to scratch and claw their way into the post season picture and knock the Lakers and/or Warriors out. It’s great to see this kind of late season head-to-head contests where the winner can take control of their own destiny and watch the battle of wills square off. Without getting too Bill Walton about the matter, let’s just say that it should be a good game.

Buzzer Beater: In a story that goes to show you that NBA ballers are still regular folk too, Michael Doleac’s brother ‘s Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Baghdad as he piloted the aircraft. Everyone ended up being all right but that has got to put game of basketball into perspective for Army 2nd Lt. Kenneth Doleac’s older brother.

“From what I’ve heard from him, it was he and another helicopter flying,” Doleac said. “They got hit, it was just small arms fire, and they ended up going down. He was able to put it down. A couple of his guys got hit, but no one was injured seriously. He was able to put the helicopter down. The other Black Hawk that was with him wound up coming back in a couple of minutes and picking them all up.”

“It wakes you up. You take for granted every day he’s over there flying. To hear that he got shot down was just nuts. Every time you hear a helicopter go down, it’s something bad.”

Categories
Denver Nuggets

Melo continues the trend of disrespect between athletes and fans



Don’t let the nice smile
fool ya.

When did being a professional athlete become so stressful and difficult that a common response to their fans has become one of bitterness and violence? We’re not too sure when the exact point in time was, but it has become obvious that a disrespect of fans is now quite common.

The most recent example of this involves Carmelo Anthony’s hoodlum buddy who punched one of Melo’s fans after he asked for an autograph in front of a Denver 7-11 last month. Sure, the guy was totally out of line to get pissed because of the denial but when you’re the face of a franchise there are some things that players just have to let roll of their backs. First off, Anthony has to expect that people are going to walk up to him and ask for a picture or autograph if he’s just walking down the street. Is it really too hard to just take five seconds out of your freaking day to oblige the fan. He’ll probably rush out and buy your jersey and poster if you do.

But it’s not just Melo. Other basketball players like Zach Randolph have been flipping the bird to the crowd at rival stadiums and even an NBA referee was busted giving the one finger salute to an arena full of fans. Michael Vick showed Atlanta fans his personal interpretation of the “dirty bird” last season after being booed for a piss poor performance. Pitchers Randy Johnson and Kenny Rogers both attacked members of the media when they didn’t want to bothered. And soccer fans and players seem to have a mutual disrespect issue of their own.

Part of the job description when it comes to making a living as a professional athlete involves the ability to take criticism. Whether from the fans or the media, the majority of today’s athletes are simply not equipped with the people skills necessary to handle the pressures that come along with being permanently forced into the spotlight. Either that or there are just a lot of jerks who happen to be gifted in sports.

Links:

[RockyMountainNews.com]: Friend of Nugget Anthony ticketed in fight with fan
[TheDenverChannel.com]: Carmelo: Witness to crime?

Categories
Florida Panthers

Ed Belfour picks a fight with a cop


There must be something in the Miami water system that makes athletes go nuts because James Posey wasn’t the only athlete to get wasted and do something stupid last night.

Ed Belfour was arrested early this morning after he refused to leave a South Beach bar and decided that he would settle the dispute in a good ol’ slugfest, just like on the ice. Belfour took a “fighting stance” and shoved the police officer who was to assist him from the club. Then the Florida Panthers goalie really started resisting.

Belfour pulled away from the officer trying to arrest him and grabbed his shirt. The hockey player then fell forward on the ground, kicking and refusing to place his hands behind his back, the report said.

The skirmish ended when the cop zapped the blitzed Belfour with a Taser gun. Very becoming, you stay classy Eddie.

Police reported that Belfour had slurred speech, blood shot eyes and smelled of alcohol and charged him with disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer without violence. Too bad there’s no “resisting an officer with a tantrum” charge on the books.

Belfour’s partner in crime was teammate Ville Peltonen who got picked up on charges of criminal mischief after snapping a pole off a fire truck. But who cares, after all he didn’t even get electrocuted.

Links:

[MSNBC]: Belfour arrested after trying to fight cop
[Local10.com]: Panther players arrested in alleged police scuffle

Categories
Miami Heat

James Posey gets popped for DUI



Now I’ve got a pair of bracelets
to go with my ring.

So, how do you like to spend your Easter? Most people get dressed up and head to church; maybe have the family over for lunch, play some cards and so on. Well, Miami Heat forward James Posey might enjoy those same types of holiday activities, but it looks like he also likes to get plastered and talk to random people in the middle of the road.

Posey was arrested early this morning on charges of drunken driving when a Miami Beach police officer noticed Posey was stopped in the left lane and chatting it up with some passerby’s in another car. As if that wasn’t bad enough, when asked to produce his driver’s license, Posey made the drunken blunder of dropping the license as he handed it to the officer. Anyone who has ever done this knows exactly what comes after that; “Please step out of the car, sir.”

Once out of the car, Posey displayed “bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath,” the officer wrote in his report. The player also was unsteady on his feet and swayed while standing, the report said.

Turns out that Mr. Butter Finger’s ID wasn’t even valid, so he got charged with driving with a suspended license as well. Posey was booked into the Miami-Dade County clink but we figure that he’ll probably get bailed out pretty soon. After all, the guy is making $6.4 million this season.

Links:

[NBC6.net]: Heat forward James Posey charged with DUI

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Heeee’s Baaaack

1. Waiting on Wade no more
Dwyane Wade is back on the Miami Heat’s active roster and the playoff bound Eastern Conference teams have got to be sweating bullets. Flash took the court yesterday for the first time in a month and a half and scored 12 points in 27 minutes, but the Heat were unable to welcome their superstar back in proper fashion as they fell to the Bobcats by eight points, 111-103. Wade struggled from the field (3-9 FG) but still managed to dish out eight assists in the loss. But the Heat are still in good shape as they prepare for the post season. They are currently sitting in the fourth spot in the East and appear to have the Southeast Division wrapped up after Washington’s injury problems have basically taken them out of contention. However, the loss pretty much took away any chance Miami had to gain home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

2. Suns burn LA

Kobe Bryant scored 34 points and handed out seven assists but it wasn’t enough to knock of the Suns. In what could be a first round playoff preview, Phoenix beat the Lakers 115-107 in the star studded Staples Center in Los Angeles. Steve Nash continued his trek for a third consecutive MVP award as he led the Suns in scoring (25) and assists (11). Phoenix has now beaten LA in nine of the last 11 regular season contests between the two clubs and what’s worse for the Lakers is that the loss moves them into the seventh seed in the West, just three games ahead of the teams who are on the outside of the playoff picture. The Lakers must now win all of their five remaining games if they are going to prevent Phil Jackson from setting a new personal low for wins in a season.

3. Double triple-doubles
On Saturday, Vince Carter racked up big, fat triple-double with 46 points, 16 rebounds and ten assists. But he wasn’t the only Net to scoop up a triple dip. Mr. Triple-Double, Jason Kidd, amassed the 86 triple-double of his career and his 11th of the season as he went off for 10 points, 16 rebounds and 18 assists. The Nets superstars became the first teammates to accomplish the lofty feat since another well known duo pulled it off in 1989. That was when Michael Jordan (41 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) and Scottie Pippen (15 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists) blasted the Clippers for a pair of TD’s. Now Kidd and Carter just need to win six championships and they’ll really be like Mike and Pip.

Sunday’s Player of the Day: Tracy McGrady @ Sacramento 40 min, 40 pts (FG: 14-28, 3FG: 3-6, FT: 9-12), 8 reb, 10 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk

Monday’s Game to Watch: Utah (48-28) @ Golden State (37-40) The Warriors are coming off a tough loss to the Spurs on Saturday but they have still won four of their last five games as they continue to keep their playoff hopes alive. But if Golden State wants to close the one game gap between them and the Clippers, Baron Davis is going to have to lead his team past a playoff quality team in the Jazz. Utah has already wrapped up their division crown but they are still in a must win situation because they are currently in a battle with Houston for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Even though the Jazz have locked up the fourth seed in the West, the Rockets can steal the right to hold the majority of the series in Clutch City if they finish the season with a better record.

Buzzer Beater: Normally a rally from 17 points down to grab a five point victory would be considered a pretty sweet comeback. But Philly fans have got to be cringing as they watched their Sixers fight all the way back to beat the Hawks by five, 109-104, in overtime. The win gets them one step closer to nowhere and one step away from the possibility of grabbing Kevin Durant or Greg Oden in the draft this summer. Thanks to a late hot streak in which the 76ers have won 13 of 20, Philadelphia now joins four other teams in a tie for the fifth fewest wins in the league. Can you say Joakim Noah?

Categories
LA Clippers

Top 10 Most Gruesome sports injuries: #6 Shaun Livingston

[Sportscolumn is running down the ten most gruesome sports injuries. Here’s #6]

Our No. 7 injury showed you just how painful a dislocated elbow can be. Now just imagine the same thing happening to your knee. Actually you don’t have to imagine, because Shaun Livingston took all the guess work out of the equation and provided photographic evidence of the pain. But if you want to experience the full effect of the injury, you’ll have to throw in some torn ligaments for good measure.

That’s exactly what happened to the Clippers’ Livingston when he picked up a loose ball and took it the length of the court for a routine lay-up. However, the landing was anything but routine as his leg twisted up like a pretzel beneath him, ending the point guard’s season. Livingston’s knee was ripped to shreds as he tore the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and lateral meniscus. Wow, now that’s an injury!

Back to #7 | Forward to #5

Categories
NBA General

Barkley is offically a bonehead

We can’t get enough of the Round Mound here at SportsColumn, but our view isn’t shared by everybody. For instance, 620 KTAR out of Phoenix doesn’t seem to appreciate the Chuckster’s criticism of their home team, so they made this spoof for their station. Apparently they think Barkley needs to have “a nice, hot cup of shut the f*** up.” We don’t necessarily agree, but it’s funny as hell anyway.

Categories
Soccer

Riots and soccer go together like PB&J

Well, another day and another soccer riot. Man those Europeans love to fight. Last night’s brouhaha began around the 30th minute of a UEFA Cup quarterfinal game at Seville. Seven fans from the rival Tottenham team were hospitalized, mostly with cuts the head, and a police officer was also injured in the uproar.

The creative fans decided to use more than just their fists as they ripped up the stadium’s plastic seats and began hurling them at the coppers, who returned fire by swinging their night sticks at the rowdy bunch. As usual, these blood thirsty morons didn’t wait to get inside the stadium to start brawling because there are reports that about 50 Tottenham fans got their fight on with police outside the stadium before the match even got underway. Now that’s passion.

What’s worse than the actions of the fans is the reported response from one asshole cop who was seen striking a disabled fan, striking the man so hard with his baton that he was knocked from his wheelchair. Here’s a clip from the melee.

And yes, we agree; “that’s why you’re wankers!”

Of course, Italy is trying to take all the fun out soccer by passing an Anti-Soccer Violence Law.

Links:

[ITV.com]: Spurs: Police hit disabled fan
[Scotsman.com]: Spurs fans to face Seville court