Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Bengals owner kind of hates instant replay

Mike Brown, the owner of the Cincinnati Bengals, and reason that the Bengals are the way they are, spoke to Bengals.com about a number of issues, including instant replay. Brown has never been known as a friend to progressive thinking, so his views, while probably unpopular, probably won't shock you.

You know how I feel about instant replay. It's marvelous how complicated we can make it. I don't have any objection to the guy upstairs saying this play needs to be reviewed. That takes the makeup challenge away from the coaches. That's supposed to balance out the frequency of challenges. In my book, fewer challenges is better than more because I like the game to be uninterrupted. I like it to proceed. And I know the arguments for instant replay and yet I think it misses one key thing: It slows (the game) down and sometimes it produces justice that is most fine.

In other words, you can call these plays either way. They're that close. In super slow motion? Yeah, it might be this instead of that, and in my book, why bother? Let the official on the field call it. It's that close and let the game proceed. It all balances out over time. But that isn't where we are. That was a fight for long ago, but I've never changed my basic view of it.

I hate to agree with Mike Brown, but on this particular issue, I'm going to have to be an enemy of progressive thinking, too. I think there's a place for instant replay, but as it's currently used? Mike Brown is right. I think we've structured instant replay in a way that the slowdown it imposes on the game isn't worth what it gives us in terms of the proper calls. Especially since replay doesn't always give us the right decision anyway.

Not that I'm completely on the same page as Brown. I don't believe that things "balance out over time" -- that's some nonsense that sounds nice, but has zero basis in reality -- but I don't think what we're getting is worth the epic slowdown it often produces.

Maybe I wouldn't mind so much if there weren't already so many interruptions built into the game. If the NFL would promise to never allow networks to do the "commercial, kickoff, commercial" progression anymore, then I'd promise to stop whining about how replay kills the flow of a game.

None of this really matters, either. It's not like instant replay is something that's up for referendum anytime soon. I just thought that if Mike Brown said something that approached being sensible, he deserved to be recognized.

Gracias, PFT.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Bengals-owner-kind-of-hates-instant-replay?urn=nfl-wp465

Kelly Ripa Kelly Rowland Kerry Suseck Kim Kardashian Kim Smith

Ladies and gentlemen, Brett Favre is back! (sort of)

Between the draft, the lockout, and various athlete tweets and legal repercussions, there's been so much going on in professional football, we've barely had time to miss one Brett Lorenzo Favre.

And for one Brett Lorenzo Favre, there's nothing worse than not being missed. That's why he gave an interview to Mississippi television station WDAM-TV on Thursday from a football camp, saying that he may be looking to get into coaching or find some work as a TV analyst, though he has no plans to enter any field anytime soon ? according to the interview, Favre has spent the last few months traveling and following Southern Miss baseball.

Of course, with Favre, the meaning behind the meaning is what everyone's looking for. He's famously wavered on the issue of retirement more often than The Who, and with the filing of his retirement papers after an injury-plagued 2010 season, Favre might be the one "free agent" quarterback who played last year that NFL teams could contact under the current lockout rules.

Favre's last team, the Minnesota Vikings, took Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder with the 12th overall pick, but you'd have to think that other NFL teams still looking to solve their quarterback situations with a freeze on free agency (especially those teams looking to boost their box office) might find a flare from Favre at this point in the offseason to prompt some very interesting thoughts.

And for Favre, we're right about on schedule. The football camp (or throwing the ball around with high school players in general) is generally the first sign that Punxsutawney Brett is thinking of mounting another comeback. Next, Favre will have to hold a press conference insisting that nothing's going on in an NFL sense for him. Then, he'll have to announce another press conference announcing that … well, maybe there is something to all this comeback stuff. At that point, Rich Eisen will throw up the Favre Watch signal, we'll be at DEFCON 5, and the NFL Network will become the Favre Channel once again.

In truth, I think that if Favre leaves the door open at all, he could get a huge run of offers, especially if the lockout goes into the late summer. With teams rushing to sign their new quarterbacks and teach the playbooks, the advantage Favre brings is that a.) He's seen just about every kind of offense at this point; and b.) Half the time, he ignores what the coach tells him what to do and succeeds anyway. If you're an NFL team looking for that kind of advantage in a time of uncertainty, wouldn't you take a flyer on Kiln, Mississippi's oldest quarterback?

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Horse named after Tim Tebow flops at Churchill Downs
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? Company drops Mendenhall over bin Laden tweets

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Ladies-and-gentlemen-Brett-Favre-is-back-sort?urn=nfl-wp1894

Robin Tunney Rosario Dawson Rose Byrne Rose McGowan Roselyn Sanchez

Even Congressmen enjoy making fun of Jay Cutler

Paul Ryan, a Republican congressman from Wisconsin, spoke Tuesday to The Economic Club of Chicago about his debt-reduction plan. If you'd like to know more about that, you can read the full transcript here. But if you're just here for the Jay Cutler jokes, you're my kind of person, so here those are for you:

"I want to thank you all for inviting me to speak. It was especially gracious of you to host me, even though I'm a Packers fan and I assume most of you are Bears fans," Ryan began.

"But that doesn't mean we can't work together. As chairman of the House Budget Committee, I stand ready to do whatever it takes to help you re-sign Jay Cutler. I'm here to talk about the economy today -- about the need to get four quarters of strong, consistent performance. That wasn't another Jay Cutler joke, I swear. It could be, but it's not," he continued.

Point, Paul Ryan. For a politician, that's high quality smack talk.

This all stems from Cutler's (non)performance in the NFC Championship game against the Packers last season. The Bears quarterback�spent about half of that game on the sidelines with a knee injury, one that a lot of people doubted really existed.

[Related: Jay Cutler engaged to reality TV star]

For about a week afterwards, Cutler was beaten mercilessly in the media. He was labeled everything from a quitter to a malcontent diva, and it seemed like the only people standing up for him were his teammates and a random blogger or two.

Anyway, this is what we should all be doing during the lockout -- not fretting over legal details, but reminiscing about the times when we did have football, and everyone could have a grand time arguing about Jay Cutler. I don't know what else you said, Congressman Ryan, but I thank you for your leadership on this Cutler issue.

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Raiders staffers must sell tickets to avoid pay cuts, layoffs
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? Y! Sports editor tries out for pro football team

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Even-Congressmen-enjoy-making-fun-of-Jay-Cutler?urn=nfl-wp2071

Heidi Klum Heidi Montag Hilarie Burton Hilary Duff Hilary Swank

NBA Finals 2011: Shawn Marion Needs to Also Score on LeBron James

Shawn Marion is a sneaky offensive player. The trick here is LeBron will have to know where he is at all times. If Marion slips away, Kidd will find him for either the layup or a baseline jumper that he fires up with his nasty chest shot form, but yet it usually goes in.

Off the bench, Peja may be a defensive liability when guarding LeBron, but on offense, once again LeBron will not be able to leave him open. Peja?s only role on this team is to fire up threes that are usually left open because defenses are paying so much attention to Dirk.

Defensively, this will probably be a little harder than guarding Luol Deng or Andre Iguodala but not as challenging as Paul Pierce. LeBron will have it under control.

The Matrix can not be a one dimensional player in this series, he needs to give the same effort he did on Kevin Durant, but also chip in as the third or fourth leading scorer for the Mavericks

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/718856-nba-finals-2011-heat-vs-mavericks-series-preview-predictions-updates-more/entry/89420-nba-finals-2011-shawn-marion-needs-to-also-score-on-lebron-james

Melissa Howard Melissa Joan Hart Melissa Rycroft Melissa Sagemiller Mena Suvari

Derrick Rose: 5 Things He Can Learn from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade

After the bitter end, it's hard to remember at times how great of a season the Bulls really had. Not only that, but we need to remember the best player on the floor is a mere 22 years old. Being 22, there are many things that Derrick can do to mold his game to become one of the all-time greats in the long term.

Two players who Derrick could learn from are two of the players he just went out against: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Both are comparable players who have learned savvy tricks to make the game that much easier for themselves, and both have aspects of their game that Rose could learn from.

Here are five. 

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/716117-derrick-rose-5-things-he-can-learn-from-lebron-james-and-dwyane-wade

Grace Park Gretha Cavazzoni Gwen Stefani Halle Berry Hayden Panettiere

On Gary Williams

Source: http://www.danshanoff.com/2011/05/on-gary-williams.html

Eva Longoria Eva Mendes Evangeline Lilly Eve Fergie

2011 Tourney: Day 3 Live Chat

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/VegasWatch/~3/cwm0OyGzK14/2011-tourney-day-3-live-chat.html

Hilary Duff Hilary Swank Isla Fisher Ivana Bozilovic Ivanka Trump

Judge orders Chad Ochocinco to pay for clothes

Most of you have experienced something like this before: You go into a retail establishment and identify items that you'd like to own. You then give the proprietors of that store an agreed-upon amount of money, and you then leave the establishment with possession of your desired items.

Chad Ochocinco participates in this system, too. He just needed a little help from the legal system. From Kimball Perry at Cincinnati.com:

Municipal Court Judge Bernie Bouchard signed an order for Ochocinco to pay Amm One, also known as Exclusive Wear, in the 2700 block of Vine Street $11,717.39 for the clothes.

"My clients informed me they had given him ample opportunity to pay it and he didn't," Joseph Honerlaw, attorney for the clothing company, said Tuesday.

The clothing, including two pairs of Mauri Alligator footwear, was bought between Sept. 19, 2008, and March 31, 2009, court documents note.

For a response from Chad, we take to Twitter:

#random I've been informed I've a 2 year outstanding balance of 11k at an urban clothing store in Cincy.I'll pay it when I return from Mars

@ItsFrankiebaby Bruh take 11 grand up on VINE for me, im on MARS with the Geico lizard and Caveman hitting golf balls over to Pluto

Yeah, Chad's been on Twitter pretending that he's been hanging out on the moon and Mars. I don't know what that's all about, but someone's going to have to go shag golf balls on Pluto. Maybe they have a completely different economic system for the exchange of goods, and he prefers that to our archaic system.

I'm sure there's some kind of reasonable explanation for why Chad didn't pay for the clothes he bought two years ago. It's not like the man is averse to spending money.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Judge-orders-Chad-Ochocinco-to-pay-for-clothes?urn=nfl-wp252

Teri Polo Tessie Santiago Thalía Thandie Newton The Avatars of Second Life

UFC 132 Fight Card: Hooters Octagon Girl Grand Prix (Round 1, Match-Up 4)

Ashleigh Dunn (left)

Hometown: Fayetteville, Georgia

Dunn is 24 years old and has worked at Hooters for five years. While working there, Dunn has been in the Hooters Calendar, magazine, playing cards, billboards, was "Nurse Ashleigh" in the Hooters March Madness Commercial, went overseas to Kuwait and Iraq to visit troops and placed second runner up in the 2010 Miss Hooters International Pageant.

Dunn also currently in school, studying to be a Special Education Teacher.

Jackie Cobb (right)

Hometown: Lakeland, Florida

Cobb is a  21-years-old student, who is in school to become a paramedic.

Cobb has been with Hooters since 2007. She enjoys shopping, tanning, fishing, training for competitions and watching the UFC.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/706076-ufc-132-fight-card-hooters-octagon-girl-grand-prix/entry/89137-ufc-132-fight-card-hooters-octagon-girl-grand-prix-round-1-match-up-4

Shana Hiatt Shania Twain Shanna Moakler Shannon Elizabeth Shannyn Sossamon

05/11 (Fin De Celtics) Quickie

Source: http://www.danshanoff.com/2011/05/0511-fin-de-celtics-quickie.html

Vanessa Simmons Veronica Kay Veronika Vaeková Victoria Beckham Victoria Pratt

Chester Pitts and Raheem Brock go all Jerky Boys with ‘The Commish’

It's clear that the players have too much time on their hands right now, and here's Chester Pitts and Raheem Brock of the Seattle Seahawks proving what happens to those idle hands…

If this is where the players are left, I'd say that "irreparable harm" argument is looking better and better. In all seriousness, I've talked to both of these guys ? and Pitts in particular can give you chapter and verse on player-owner battles. He's been a player rep for the Seahawks and the Houston Texans, and he's also one of the funnier guys in the league. As is Mr. Brock, as you can see.

But it's time to end the lockout and let these fine young men get back to work. This is just an opening indicator of just how out of hand things will get if they're given all that free time!

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Chester-Pitts-and-Raheem-Brock-go-all-Jerky-Boys?urn=nfl-wp1943

Michelle Malkin Michelle Obama Michelle Rodriguez Michelle Trachtenberg Mila Kunis

Tom Zbikowski puts boxing on the back burner

Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski, one of the guys smart enough to actually get paid to fight people during the lockout (not everyone is, you know), is putting his boxing career on the shelf for now. He's switching himself back into football mode.

"It was time to start the transition back to football," Zbikowski told the Los Angeles Times in a text message. "My teammates are starting to organize some workouts, so it's just time to head back (to Baltimore). Wish I had more time to do both."

It's funny he should say that, because the owners and the players have seemingly been crafting the perfect scenario to allow players the time to do something outside of football. I guess Tom Zbikowski has more faith than I do that the 2011 NFL season will start on time. My confidence in common sense winning out wanes a bit every day.

Skeptics might raise the possibility that Zbikowski is leaving boxing for drug-related reasons. After his last fight, he tested positive for THC, even though the suspension was lifted when he tested clean at a second test. His promoter, Bob Arum, says the drug issue has nothing to do with Zibby's decision to concentrate on football.

He's definitely not quitting because he wasn't good enough. His professional record was 4-0, with three of those wins coming since March.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Tom-Zbikowski-puts-boxing-on-the-back-burner?urn=nfl-wp2160

Monica Potter Monika Kramlik Moon Bloodgood Mýa Nadine Velazquez

Monday, May 30, 2011

Deep Posts: Let’s depress you, then uplift you

? First, the depressing. Actually, "depressing" is an understatement. This is nightmarishly sad, and could ruin your day. Details from Dave Duerson's autopsy report.

? More sadness: Buddy Ryan is dealing with cancer.

? Making our way back, check out this thought-provoking letter from linebacker Scott Fujita's wife. If you're having trouble sympathizing with players on labor issues, you might want to give this a look.

? And now, the uplifting: Vikings safety Madieu Williams talks about living up to his mother's legacy and his charity work in Sierra Leone.

? A bigger surprise than Marty Schottenheimer coaching in the UFL? Marty Schottenheimer tweeting. It is exactly what you'd expect from Marty Schottenheimer's Twitter feed.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Deep-Posts-Let-s-depress-you-then-uplift-you?urn=nfl-wp533

Minki van der Westhuizen Miranda Kerr Mischa Barton Missi Pyle Missy Peregrym

24 hours in sport pictures

The best images from the world of sport in the past 24 hours


Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/gallery/2010/oct/28/24-hours-sport-pictures

Rihanna Robin Tunney Rosario Dawson Rose Byrne Rose McGowan

Rod Smith’s new job: Helping his college town of Joplin

Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith may have been born in Texarkana, Ark., but it's pretty clear that his heart belongs to Joplin, Mo., where he went to college at Missouri Southern State. Smith was a small-school standout who had to fight for a roster spot in the NFL and finished his estimable pro career as the only undrafted receiver in NFL history to catch more than 10,000 yards. Smith has the most catches (849), receiving yards (11,389) and touchdown catches (68) of any undrafted player ever, and �he was one of John Elway's two main targets in the Broncos' Super Bowl years of 1997 and 1998 (Ed McCaffrey was the other).

However, those accomplishments are not primarily on his mind right now. Right now, Rod Smith is dealing with the fact that his college town of Joplin was basically wiped off the map when it was hit with an enormous tornado last Sunday, the deadliest twister in America in at least the last 60 years. Houses were destroyed, the city's hospital is now a mere shell, and the hospital's parking lot is empty because all the cars that were in that lot were thrown into the air like so many empty beer cans�by winds that reached 200 mph. The death toll in Joplin has reached 125, and rebuilding must seem inconceivable to those who live in the city ? one must wonder where to even begin.

Smith went on the NFL Network's "Total Access" show on Tuesday to talk about how he's coping with a city that's still very much a part of his life, and how we all can help.

"It's hard, because you don't know where everybody is," Smith said. "I think there are about 1,500 people that are still missing right now, and we're doing a lot of praying. I just got off the phone with the head basketball coach over at Missouri Southern [the campus is currently being used as a Red Cross facility], and he told me that they just found seven people in the rubble of the old Home Depot … and they were all alive. So, prayers worked."

In that case, prayers did, but there's still so much left to do. Smith said that he was preparing to load up a couple of 18-wheel trucks and get them to Joplin from Denver with the kinds of things that would help people in emergency situations, but he was told that there's no place to put anything even if you get it in there ? there just isn't the infrastructure right now. So, Smith is asking that the relief efforts in place receive the assistance.

If you would like to help, you can text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the Red Cross' relief efforts, or go to http://www.redcross.org/ for more information.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Rod-Smith-s-new-job-Helping-his-college-town-of?urn=nfl-wp2180

Taylor Swift Teri Hatcher Teri Polo Tessie Santiago Thalía

Brees is paying for Saints players to have offseason workouts


Drew Brees is footing the bill so his New Orleans Saints teammates can participate in involuntary offseason practices during the lockout.

The All-Pro quarterback helped organize three workouts this week at Tulane University which were attended by 37 players from the team's 2010 roster. According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Brees will pay as much as five figures for Tulane staff to help out with the practices, insurance and lodging for younger players. He also flew in his personal trainer to oversee the conditioning program.

"It's worth it," he told the newspaper.

Brees shared planning duties with some of his teammates, but was the clear leader of the workouts. Though a number of teams have had players organize similar unofficial practices -- London Fletcher did the same thing with the Washington Redskins last month -- the Saints' turnout is thought to be the highest thus far.

Related: Petition on Yahoo! Sports Facebook to bring back the NFL

It's a testament to Brees that he can get players who aren't under contract for 2011 to fly in from all over the country in order to attend three workouts in early May. Guys like him and Fletcher show that true leadership extends beyond the huddle.

"When you have a leader like that on your team, it makes it easy for guys to rally around and understand what's available to us," right tackle Jon Stinchcomb said to the Times-Picayune.

Saints players say the workouts are almost identical to team-run workouts, except for a no-contact policy they've instituted. Like other teams, they're using last year's playbook and sets.

Don't give the players too much credit, though. These offseason workouts are as much of a public relations move as they are a concerted effort to keep fresh for a potential season. Notice the presence of reporters and cameras at each of these team practices, the better to get the word out that the players just want to play, darn it! Ignore the fact that while they're doing so, labor negotiators are figuring out ways to cut down these same offseason workouts, which players have despised for years.

At least the players are doing something productive and showing PR savvy. Roger Goodell and the owners are doing neither of those things, unless you count writing unsympathetic op-eds and insulting players to be constructive.

Follow Yahoo! Sports on Facebook and be the first to know about the most interesting stories of the day.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Brees-is-paying-for-Saints-players-to-have-offse?urn=nfl-wp1862

Vanessa Hudgens Vanessa Marcil Vanessa Minnillo Vanessa Simmons Veronica Kay

UFC 130 Results: Dana White's Disloyalty to His Own Fighters Bad for the Sport

UFC 130 has just passed us by, and not everyone is happy with how the night went, UFC president Dana White included.

Many fans were unimpressed with both the co-main event and the main event of the evening, finding them to be boring.

White agreed with this sentiment, particularly in reference to the co-main event of the evening, Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson.

White remarked that he was unimpressed with both fighters, calling it "an ugly heavyweight fight" and "borderline embarrassing."

Criticism of Roy Nelson's performance is understandable. He looked gassed after the first round, and by the end of the fight he was completely exhausted. It was the worst he's looked so far in the UFC, and maybe the worst he has looked in his whole career.

However, the criticism of Mir's performance is unwarranted. He won the fight decisively. Mir's wrestling looked as good as it has ever looked inside the Octagon. Frank might not have been able to finish Nelson, but he landed a bunch of big shots throughout the fight, and anyone who saw Roy's fight with Junior Dos Santos knows he is a hard man to finish.

White has been a part of MMA for a long time now. Dana knows that Mir had a pretty good showing last night. The reason White is criticizing Mir is because the casual fans didn't like the fight; Dana is siding with the fans.

This is not the first time this has happened.

White is often critical of fighters who fail to please the fans.

It has been evident for quite some time that White is not a big fan of Jon Fitch, Fitch being a fighter who regularly fails to finish fights.

Here are a couple quotes from White, following Fitch's fight with B.J. Penn:

"Fitch is one of these guys that goes, 'Oh, I want my respect,'" White said. "He just fought a 155-pound guy and went to a draw with him, and in my opinion, he lost the first two rounds—and he's crying for a title shot?"

"You've got to get in there and decisively beat people. You have to have fans clamoring for you to fight for the title."

First off, White calling B.J. Penn a 155-pound guy is disrespectful because B.J. was a champ at welterweight before he was a champ at lightweight. Dana was clearly trying to make B.J. seem like a less threatening fighter than he actually is in an effort to make Fitch's performance seem less impressive.

Also, Fitch "crying" for a title shot was understandable because he was promised one if he beat Thiago Alves at UFC 117, which he did decisively.

Having fans clamoring for you to get a title shot is clearly a criteria that White is only applying to Fitch. How many fans were clamoring for people like Patrick Cote, Thales Leites, Brock Lesnar, Frankie Edgar or Dan Hardy to get title shots? I could drop more names, but I think the point is made.

White will turn on fighters at the drop of a hat, if the fans don't like them.

Mir has been with the UFC for a decade. He has fought for the company 18 times and has been in a bunch of exciting fights.

After all that Mir has done for the UFC, you'd think he could count on White to have his back, but this is not the case.

Mir's past two fights have been poorly received by the fans and, despite the fact that in both those fights the lack of excitement was more due to Mir's opponents, White is already talking down about him.

MMA is still a young sport and so casual fans have trouble appreciating it's subtleties.

Rather than obviously pandering to the fans by echoing their thoughts, White should be supporting his fighters and focusing on the positive aspects of their performances.

The casual fans are never going to be able to open their minds to all aspects of MMA if they keep seeing the President of the UFC parroting their close-mindedness.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/717296-ufc-130-results-dana-whites-disloyalty-to-his-own-fighters-bad-for-the-sport

Kate Beckinsale Kate Bosworth Kate Groombridge Kate Hudson Kate Mara

Tiki Barber puts his foot in it again with ‘Anne Frank’ comment

While brother Ronde appears to be the very soul of dignity as he continues his future Hall of Fame career down in Tampa Bay, former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber managed to offend quite a few people with a recent comment. Explaining the media scrutiny he's received since he left his pregnant wife to be with his 23-year-old girlfriend, Barber told L. Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated that he moved into the attic of his agent, Mark Lepselter, to escape prying eyes.

"Lep's Jewish," Barber allegedly said, "and it was like a reverse Anne Frank thing."

Um, yeah. A millionaire pro football player comparing himself to a teenage Jewish Holocaust victim is going to go over about as well as Adrian Peterson's recent "modern-day slavery" comment, but at least Peterson had a bit of context with which to defend himself. Barber's comment was thoughtless at best and asinine at worst. It's certainly the wrong step to take as Barber tries to rehab his image in the wake of professional and personal failures, and as he tried to convince people that he's got a legitimate future in the NFL as a comeback story.

Barber was never known as the most tactful sort; it's well-known that his way of doing things put off some of his old teammates, especially when he questioned the leadership of the Giants quarterback as a member of the media as opposed to a guy in the locker room who would have to answer for his words. And his concept of himself as a future media magnate hasn't gone as expected. But this is a larger bump in the road. Judging from initial reactions, Barber, who is an NFL analyst for Yahoo! Sports, will have quite a time living this down.

"Holocaust trivialization continues to spread and finds new ways and expressions that shock the conscience," Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League said.� "Tiki Barber's personal behavior is his business.� But our history and experiences are ours and deserve greater respect than being abused or perverted by Tiki Barber.

"The analogy to Anne Frank is not funny, it is outrageous and perverse.� Anne Frank was not hiding voluntarily.� Before she perished at age 15 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, she hid from the Nazis for more than two years, fearing every day for her life.� The Frank family's experiences, as recorded in Anne's dairy, are a unique testimonial to the horrors of the Holocaust, and her life should never be debased or degraded by insensitive and offensive analogies."

Lepselter defended his client, according to Pro Football Talk, by claiming that Barber was trapped in the attic for a week, and mentioned that Barber was the guest of Israel's president five years ago.

Most people will ring up a "No Sale" to that, though. I don't believe it's anyone's contention that Barber was actually trying to compare his situation to Anne Frank's. But if there's one thing people need to learn when they're in the public eye, it's that the life of a celebrity doesn't have an "off" switch. If you want your words in the public record, you have to watch what you say at all times. Especially when, like Barber, your history makes you a less than sympathetic character.

Follow Yahoo! Sports on Facebook and be the first to know about the most interesting stories of the day.

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? What ex-NBA big man Shawn Bradley is doing now
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? 13-year-old's soccer goal an Internet sensation

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Tiki-Barber-puts-his-foot-in-it-again-with-Anne?urn=nfl-wp2225

Julie Berry K. D. Aubert Karen Carreno Karolína Kurková Kasey Chambers

05/23 (Bosh!) Quickie

Source: http://www.danshanoff.com/2011/05/0523-bosh-quickie.html

Chandra West Charisma Carpenter Charli Baltimore Charlies Angels Charlize Theron

Browns mistakenly called wrong player during NFL draft

With the 102nd pick in last weekend's NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns selected USC tight end Jordan Cameron (at right). When the team attempted to call their newest draftee, they instead rang the number of Cal defensive end Cameron Jordan (at left) who had already been drafted in the first round by the New Orleans Saints.

Cameron Jordan was touring the Saints practice facility when he got the call on Saturday. Later, he explained the mix-up to SI.com's Peter King:

"Hi,'' said the voice on the other end. "Jordan? This is the Cleveland Browns ...''� The call was for some biographical information.

"Uh, yeah, this is Cameron Jordan,'' he said. "But the Saints already picked me.''

There was an awkward pause, and Cameron Jordan said: "I think you mean Jordan Cameron, you're looking for Jordan Cameron. That's not me.''

And somewhere, an old writer on "Three's Company" gets a new idea for a sitcom. They could call it "The Jordans."

Related: Petition on Facebook to bring back the NFL

I'd like to imagine the Browns' caller trying to cover up the mistake by stumbling over his or her words and trying to act like they were calling Cameron Jordan for another reason altogether. "Uhhh, yeah, uh, I know who this is. [Long pause] We here at the Browns just, uh, wanted to say, well, congratulations for getting drafted by the Saints. [Click.]"

Cleveland eventually got in touch with Jordan Cameron.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Browns-mistakenly-called-wrong-player-during-NFL?urn=nfl-wp1782

Adrianne Palicki Aisha Tyler Aki Ross Alecia Elliott Alessandra Ambrosio

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Dr. Oz Talks About Moving Into 'Oprah's' Time Slot on 'The View' (VIDEO)

Filed under:

Dr. Mehmet Oz and 'The Dr. Oz Show' is moving into 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' time slot and the good doctor was on 'The View' (weekdays, syndicated on ABC) to talk about what that means to him and his show.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck kicked things off by asking him, "Do you feel pressure moving into that time zone? ... What's your mindset?"

Despite the fact that it's a mighty time slot to fill, Dr. Oz feels no pressure. Instead, he said he has a responsibility.

"At the end of the day what I'm really doing is carrying on the tradition she's crafted," he said. "Historically, there was always a healer or a teacher, someone in the village who connected everybody. They made them feel that they were worthy. That's what Oprah taught me how to do. I spent eight years at Oprah University," which is more years than he spent at college and med school.

He's made the commitment to make her proud. "That's my intention, my promise."

Lofty ideals indeed ...

 

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Source: http://www.aoltv.com/2011/05/26/dr-oz-talks-about-moving-into-oprahs-time-slot-on-the-view/

Megan Ewing Megan Fox Melania Trump Melissa George Melissa Howard

Rashard Mendenhall isn’t convinced bin Laden was involved in 9/11

Fresh on the heels of his support of Adrian Peterson's "NFL as slavery" analogy, Rashard Mendenhall has taken what's certain to be another popular position: defending Osama bin Laden.

Let's go to the tweets:

Is it really amazing that people can hate someone they've never heard talk? Was there no hatred before radio? Were people in the U.S. in 1865 ambivalent about John Wilkes Booth because they'd never been to one of his plays and/or didn't have DVD players? There's an intellectual conversation at the root of Mendenhall's initial point -- how much should we celebrate the death of a terrorist? -- but judging by his other comments, let's chalk that up to accident. (Plus, who hasn't heard bin Laden's voice? His videos have been played countless times in the past decade.)

No, no, Rashard, I think you're confusing the destruction of the Twin Towers with the end of "The Sopranos." We all know how the World Trade Center building came down. Two huge planes were flown directly into them and started fires that compromised the structural integrity of the building's steel thus leading to each to collapse on itself.

Mendenhall wrote another tweet that cast doubt on whether bin Laden was even involved in 9/11. "I'm not convinced he was even behind the attacks we have really seen no evidence to prove it other than the gov telling us," he wrote.

The tweet has since been removed.

If you're keeping tabs at home, Mendenhall asserts that he's never heard bin Laden's voice and hasn't see any evidence of his guilt. This video would probably blow his mind then.

[Update: Mendenhall offers 'clarification' of bin Laden comments ]

Look, you won't hear something you don't listen to and you can't see something you haven't looked at. We'd all be wise to do both in regards to Rashard Mendenhall and his ignorant, faux-intellectual ramblings.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Rashard-Mendenhall-isn-t-convinced-bin-Laden-was?urn=nfl-wp1769

Natalie Zea Natasha Bedingfield Natassia Malthe Nelly Furtado Nichole Robinson

Reggie Bush doesn’t seem to get the concept of ‘irreparable harm’

With the Brady v. NFL case droning on and on through the Court of Appeals (apparently, the judges will proceed when their dockets are cleared, or when they get over that case of bad swordfish, or whatever), there's some fun coming next week when Judge David Doty decides on damages in the lockout insurance case, but things seem to be moving ever more slowly when it comes to actual football this fall, especially actual football starting on time.

And that seems to be just fine with Reggie Bush.

Related:

Petition on Yahoo! Sports Facebook to bring back the NFL

The New Orleans Saints running back (at least he is now; what the first-round selection of Alabama's Mark Ingram says about his future is something we don't yet know) recently went on Twitter and said that as far as he's concerned, the lockout is just dandy with him.

Most people aren't going to buy the "it's just a joke" angle, and that's a problem. Most veteran players with more skin in the game and guaranteed roster spots somewhere generally view minicamps with a jaundiced eye, but OTAs are crucial for the one group that is absolutely suffering irreparable harm right now ? the group of undrafted free agents that can't even sign with a team because the 2011 draft was the last event covered by the old collective bargaining agreement.

Players are responding in different ways to the ongoing loss of their livelihoods and passions ? at this point, it's a near-certainty that there won't be a meaningful court-mandated lifting of the lockout until the case is actually heard in early June. The owners continue to contend that the current business model is unsustainable, while the players claim that the lockout is a violation of antitrust law, and they're suffering irreparable harm as a result of the fact that they're not allowed to prepare for a season during careers that are already frighteningly short as is.

It's all well and good for Bush to say what he wants regarding the offseason. But it is obviously very foolish and ill-advised to play up the Club Med aspects of the lockout at a time when the players are claiming irreparable harm ? and many players have a legitimate case for it.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Reggie-Bush-doesn-t-seem-to-get-the-concept-of-?urn=nfl-wp1919

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Tiki Barber puts his foot in it again with ‘Anne Frank’ comment

While brother Ronde appears to be the very soul of dignity as he continues his future Hall of Fame career down in Tampa Bay, former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber managed to offend quite a few people with a recent comment. Explaining the media scrutiny he's received since he left his pregnant wife to be with his 23-year-old girlfriend, Barber told L. Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated that he moved into the attic of his agent, Mark Lepselter, to escape prying eyes.

"Lep's Jewish," Barber allegedly said, "and it was like a reverse Anne Frank thing."

Um, yeah. A millionaire pro football player comparing himself to a teenage Jewish Holocaust victim is going to go over about as well as Adrian Peterson's recent "modern-day slavery" comment, but at least Peterson had a bit of context with which to defend himself. Barber's comment was thoughtless at best and asinine at worst. It's certainly the wrong step to take as Barber tries to rehab his image in the wake of professional and personal failures, and as he tried to convince people that he's got a legitimate future in the NFL as a comeback story.

Barber was never known as the most tactful sort; it's well-known that his way of doing things put off some of his old teammates, especially when he questioned the leadership of the Giants quarterback as a member of the media as opposed to a guy in the locker room who would have to answer for his words. And his concept of himself as a future media magnate hasn't gone as expected. But this is a larger bump in the road. Judging from initial reactions, Barber, who is an NFL analyst for Yahoo! Sports, will have quite a time living this down.

"Holocaust trivialization continues to spread and finds new ways and expressions that shock the conscience," Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League said.� "Tiki Barber's personal behavior is his business.� But our history and experiences are ours and deserve greater respect than being abused or perverted by Tiki Barber.

"The analogy to Anne Frank is not funny, it is outrageous and perverse.� Anne Frank was not hiding voluntarily.� Before she perished at age 15 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, she hid from the Nazis for more than two years, fearing every day for her life.� The Frank family's experiences, as recorded in Anne's dairy, are a unique testimonial to the horrors of the Holocaust, and her life should never be debased or degraded by insensitive and offensive analogies."

Lepselter defended his client, according to Pro Football Talk, by claiming that Barber was trapped in the attic for a week, and mentioned that Barber was the guest of Israel's president five years ago.

Most people will ring up a "No Sale" to that, though. I don't believe it's anyone's contention that Barber was actually trying to compare his situation to Anne Frank's. But if there's one thing people need to learn when they're in the public eye, it's that the life of a celebrity doesn't have an "off" switch. If you want your words in the public record, you have to watch what you say at all times. Especially when, like Barber, your history makes you a less than sympathetic character.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Tiki-Barber-puts-his-foot-in-it-again-with-Anne?urn=nfl-wp2225

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Friday, May 27, 2011

NFL players react to the killing of Osama bin Laden

As the rest of America wallows in vengeful glee over the death of Osama bin Laden, with celebrations going on throughout the country, I didn't want to ignore the occasion, even though we're just a football blog.

I thought it might be interesting to check in with NFL players via Twitter, and see how they're feeling about bin Laden taking a slug to the dome. Here are some of the more interesting reactions.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/NFL-players-react-to-the-killing-of-Osama-bin-La?urn=nfl-wp1731

Liz Phair Lokelani McMichael Lori Heuring Lorri Bagley Lucy Liu

Joakim Noah: Bulls Center Comes Up with Perfect Description of Miami Heat

Joakim Noah Says the Heat are "Hollywood as Hell"

No matter which way you prefer to look at it, Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah did not have a good series against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Statistically speaking, Noah averaged just 6.0 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in the five games; both figures fell short of his season averages of 11.7 and 10.4.

While Noah's numbers were subpar, his worst memory of this series will probably be of shouting a gay slur at a fan behind the Chicago bench in Game 3. That resulted in a $50,000 fine and it got him in trouble with, well, everyone.

In my opinion, however, Noah did find some redemption after the Bulls were eliminated in Game 5. Speaking with reporters in the locker room, Noah offered up the perfect description of the Heat.

"They're Hollywood as hell," said Noah, "but they're still very good."

 

MUST READ: The Top 55 Moneymakers in NBA History

 

TNT commentators Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley approved. And so do I. For as good as the Heat are, they definitely are pretty flashy.

To clarify, it's not like this is a bad thing. Nobody ever said that flashy teams can't be championship teams. Just go ahead and take a look at the "Showtime" Lakers of the 1980s.

The best part of the Heat being known as the "Hollywood" Heat is that it is a decidedly versatile moniker. If the Heat go on to beat the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, the "Hollywood" label is one that will stand for things like flash, hype, and above all, success.

If the Heat lose the Finals, their "Hollywood" label will stand for phoniness.

Like I said, perfect. Thank you, Mr. Noah.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/714984-tony-romo-miami-heat-danica-patrick-and-fridays-late-sports-buzz/entry/88180-joakim-noah-bulls-center-comes-up-with-perfect-description-of-miami-heat

Julianne Hough Julie Benz Julie Berry K. D. Aubert Karen Carreno

Ravens will get nothing, but do the Bears owe them something?

I believe strongly in the power of rivalry and disdain to add to the intrigue of sports. No sporting event has ever been hurt by a good storyline behind it. No game has ever been less exciting because the competitors loathed one another.

With that in mind, a Bears vs. Ravens 2012 Super Bowl doesn't sound like the worst thing in the world.

You know what happened by now. Thursday night during the first round of the draft, the Bears agreed to give the Ravens a fourth-round draft pick in exchange for moving up from 29th overall to 26th overall.

But the Bears failed to notify the league -- they take full responsibility for the failure and call it an honest mistake -- and the trade never happened. The Ravens, thinking it would happen, didn't make a pick. The clock ran out on them, which allowed Kansas City to jump ahead of them in the draft order.

The trade never happened. The Ravens lost a spot and didn't get the fourth-rounder from Chicago. Chicago stayed where they were at 29th and ended up getting the man they wanted anyway.

Roger Goodell reviewed the case, and said he wasn't going to force the Bears to give the Ravens the draft pick. He did say, though, that he'd recommend to the Bears that they do give up the draft pick.

They won't be doing that. They do offer, however, a very heartfelt apology.

Here's how Ravens head coach John Harbaugh feels about it:

"I can't imagine why they would be so opposed to doing this ... You're talking about your reputation. You're talking about how you do business. The McCaskeys are the McCaskeys. They are the NFL. I really think if they were making the decision, I'm pretty sure their fourth-round pick wouldn't be worth the history of their reputation.

[...]

"It's pretty hard to understand. .. We do stand on our integrity."

Here's how Bears GM Jerry Angelo feels about it.

"The only thing I am going to say is they have rules when you do something wrong. Not when people make mistakes. A mistake was made. No rule was broken, OK, so let's just make that clear here. As I said last night, we made the proper amends from our part and certainly there was no intent other than to do the best we could and it just didn't work out.

[...]

"Believe me, I am going into my 31st year in this league," he said. "There has been a hell of a lot worse that has been done, believe me, on the clock and there have been things out there documented so let's not get into judging souls here. If there is something that needs to be done, I trust the league will do their due diligence and so be it."

Put yourself in Mr. Angelo's shoes. A trade was agreed upon, but did not go down. Let's assume that you know in your heart that the trade fell through via an honest mistake, and not through any nefarious intentions.

A mini-John Harbaugh is sitting on one of your shoulders saying, "Stand on your integrity. Give the Ravens the fourth-round draft pick." Mini-Jerry Angelo is sitting on your other shoulder saying, "Accidents will happen. You don't owe anyone anything. Keep your draft pick."

I believe I'd side with mini-Angelo. It is, in fact, an imperfect world in which accidents do happen. They didn't get to move up in the first round, and the Ravens did not get an additional draft pick. That's the way the ball bounced here. If the Bears agree to give up a draft pick out of the goodness of their own heart, do the Ravens also have to agree to trade first-round spots with the Bears the next time the draft order lines up that way?

At the end of the day, everyone got what they wanted. The Ravens got their man in Jimmy Smith and the Bears got their man in Gabe Carimi. The Chiefs even got Jonathan Baldwin, whom they wanted for some reason.

Let's just call it even right there. Everyone got their guy. I'm really sorry that the Ravens have hurt feelings, but I'm not going to give them a draft pick for which I received nothing in return. Their hurt feelings are not enough to compel me.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Ravens-will-get-nothing-but-do-the-Bears-owe-th?urn=nfl-wp1727

Ana Hickmann Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis Angela Marcello

2011 NHL Playoffs: Can Zdeno Chara Solve the Boston Bruins' Powerplay Issues?

The struggles of the Boston Bruins on the powerplay have been analyzed ad nauseum over the past month. Some thought the answer was Tyler Seguin, others were waiting for the blossoming of Tomas Kaberle.

Well, the latest effort to capitalize on the man advantage involves putting 6'9'' Zdeno Chara in front of the net.

Claude Julien and the Boston Bruins went to this strategy in Game 6 to no avail. Despite the lack of success in Game 6, Claude Julien plans to stick with Chara in front of the net going into Game 7.

Julien had this to say about the powerplay after Friday morning's skate per ESPN,

"Well, you can't let it mentally get to you," Julien said after Friday's morning skate. "I think you've got to have some resilience; you have to have some determination. That's what we're pushing our guys to be. ... I don't think it's one of those situations where you got panicked and you've got to stay positive and you've got to find solutions. That's what we're doing."

The amazing thing about Boston's lack of success on the powerplay, is how far the team has gotten in spite of it all. The Bruins have converted less than 7% of their chances on the man advantage and yet still find themselves within a game of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Sticking Chara in front of the net is an interesting strategy, but the more effective tactical play would be to remove Mark Recchi from the team's powerplay unit. The 43 year old winger hasn't collected a single powerplay point thus far in the postseason and simply looks beat out there on the ice.

Getting a guy like Tyler Seguin on the ice for the powerplay makes more sense. His speed and vision are both tops on the team, and there is little to lose by getting him more involved in the game.

Most of all the Bruins need a lucky bounce to get things going for the PP. It's a mental hurdle that needs to be overcome at this point.

 

 

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/715174-2011-nhl-playoffs-boston-bruins-tampa-bay-lightning-game-7-news-and-analysis/entry/88123-2011-nhl-playoffs-can-zdeno-chara-solve-the-boston-bruins-powerplay-issues

Vanessa Hudgens Vanessa Marcil Vanessa Minnillo Vanessa Simmons Veronica Kay

Planet Sport: Kobe Bryant has wrist slapped over homophobic comment

? Punishment doesn't fit crime for NBA player's outburst
? Lakers star fined just $100,000 for verbally abusing referee

Wayne Rooney learned the hard way and now it seems LA Lakers' star Kobe Bryant is going to have to think twice before expressing himself too. Bryant was fined $100,000 (�61,000) for calling the referee a "fucking faggot" during the Lakers' win over the San Antonio Spurs last week.

There was an understandable furore but the gay ex-NBA player John Amaechi told the New York Times: "I'm surprised that people are surprised. This is common language when I played." He also pointed out that where sport has made moves on racism, homophobia remains an issue. "I can tell you that I've been called a faggot fairly routinely, and yet people seem to hold off on calling me the N-word. We've got to mirror that progress."

Bryant apologised but perhaps progress would be better served were the punishment slightly more severe. The fine was one fifth that given to the Lakers' Vladimir Radmanovic for violating his contract by going snowboarding, half that given to the New York Knicks for trying out college players before they were eligible to do so and the same as was meted out to Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis for just talking about the collective bargaining agreement ? a crime offensive to a group considerably smaller than the gay community: NBA officials.

DAGESTAN Carlos takes home a super car

There was a surprise for Roberto Carlos at his 38th birthday, reports website My Dagestan, when a model car turned into the real thing. Suleyman Kerimov the billionaire owner of his club, Anzhi, was to give Carlos a commemorative miniature but at the event told the player there was a full size-version for him. And outside was a Bugatti Veyron, the world's fastest and most expensive (base model just over �1m) road car. But it was not just special treatment for Carlos, Kerimov promised the same shiny motor to every one of his side if they win Russia's Premier League within four years.

CANADA
Canadians warn medics to stop passing the puck

Everyone knows the Canadians love their ice hockey, but just how much was demonstrated twice last week, first when a federal election debate was rescheduled so it didn't clash with a Montreal Canadiens play-off game. As the Montreal Mirror put it: "Watching play-off hockey is about six million times more fun than our debates."

Next, the Calgary Herald reported that British Columbia medical officials have told surgeons to stop discussing hockey during operations. The issue came to light when a patient complained of the hockey talk during a procedure for which he had been given a local anaesthetic. "He could hear everything," said the Herald, and was worried "it would disrupt his surgeon's concentration".

A hockey obsession that also perhaps explains the antipathy towards David Beckham who, playing with the LA Galaxy in Toronto, was met with this in the Toronto Star: "How the David Beckham experiment ends ? feebly and with few on hand to watch it pass."

USA
Mickelson miffed at doughnut display

Phil Mickelson famously celebrated his 2010 Masters win by turning up at a Krispy Kreme doughnut emporium in his winner's green jacket, an employee took a picture and it went viral. A year later and Phil is in a less sugary mood. Discovering the store had erected a billboard featuring the picture, his lawyers stepped in. NBC quoted website TMZ as saying "Phil's camp was PISSED ?" The display was removed.


guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/17/kobe-bryant-homophobic-comment

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05/16 (Heat Thumped) Quickie

Source: http://www.danshanoff.com/2011/05/0516-heat-thumped-quickie.html

Alice Dodd Alicia Keys Alicia Witt Amanda Bynes Amanda Detmer

Planet Sport: Kobe Bryant has wrist slapped over homophobic comment

? Punishment doesn't fit crime for NBA player's outburst
? Lakers star fined just $100,000 for verbally abusing referee

Wayne Rooney learned the hard way and now it seems LA Lakers' star Kobe Bryant is going to have to think twice before expressing himself too. Bryant was fined $100,000 (�61,000) for calling the referee a "fucking faggot" during the Lakers' win over the San Antonio Spurs last week.

There was an understandable furore but the gay ex-NBA player John Amaechi told the New York Times: "I'm surprised that people are surprised. This is common language when I played." He also pointed out that where sport has made moves on racism, homophobia remains an issue. "I can tell you that I've been called a faggot fairly routinely, and yet people seem to hold off on calling me the N-word. We've got to mirror that progress."

Bryant apologised but perhaps progress would be better served were the punishment slightly more severe. The fine was one fifth that given to the Lakers' Vladimir Radmanovic for violating his contract by going snowboarding, half that given to the New York Knicks for trying out college players before they were eligible to do so and the same as was meted out to Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis for just talking about the collective bargaining agreement ? a crime offensive to a group considerably smaller than the gay community: NBA officials.

DAGESTAN Carlos takes home a super car

There was a surprise for Roberto Carlos at his 38th birthday, reports website My Dagestan, when a model car turned into the real thing. Suleyman Kerimov the billionaire owner of his club, Anzhi, was to give Carlos a commemorative miniature but at the event told the player there was a full size-version for him. And outside was a Bugatti Veyron, the world's fastest and most expensive (base model just over �1m) road car. But it was not just special treatment for Carlos, Kerimov promised the same shiny motor to every one of his side if they win Russia's Premier League within four years.

CANADA
Canadians warn medics to stop passing the puck

Everyone knows the Canadians love their ice hockey, but just how much was demonstrated twice last week, first when a federal election debate was rescheduled so it didn't clash with a Montreal Canadiens play-off game. As the Montreal Mirror put it: "Watching play-off hockey is about six million times more fun than our debates."

Next, the Calgary Herald reported that British Columbia medical officials have told surgeons to stop discussing hockey during operations. The issue came to light when a patient complained of the hockey talk during a procedure for which he had been given a local anaesthetic. "He could hear everything," said the Herald, and was worried "it would disrupt his surgeon's concentration".

A hockey obsession that also perhaps explains the antipathy towards David Beckham who, playing with the LA Galaxy in Toronto, was met with this in the Toronto Star: "How the David Beckham experiment ends ? feebly and with few on hand to watch it pass."

USA
Mickelson miffed at doughnut display

Phil Mickelson famously celebrated his 2010 Masters win by turning up at a Krispy Kreme doughnut emporium in his winner's green jacket, an employee took a picture and it went viral. A year later and Phil is in a less sugary mood. Discovering the store had erected a billboard featuring the picture, his lawyers stepped in. NBC quoted website TMZ as saying "Phil's camp was PISSED ?" The display was removed.


guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/17/kobe-bryant-homophobic-comment

Leighton Meester Leila Arcieri Lena Headey Leonor Varela Leslie Bega