John Wooden is Rolling Over In His Grave

One thing that I do know about Jeopardy contestants is that they are some pretty smart people.

However, the below video might be indicator that they might need to read a college basketball book once in awhile.

In a recent Jeopardy show, there was a category called, "College Basketball Coaches", where three female contestants couldn't figure out where the legendary John Wooden coached.



*Face Palm*

(Courtesy of Ballin' is a Habit)

By Ben Chew with 1 comment

Landon Donovan Does the Talk Show Circuit

For the past 24 hours, USA soccer star Landon Donovan has been doing his best to keep the USA loss to Ghana behind him by appearing on numerous talk shows.

The first was "The Late Show with David Letterman" last night:



Today, he made an appearance on Regis & Kelly:

By Ben Chew with No comments

Devin Thomas, Washington Redskins Wide Receiver and Music Video Boy-Toy

Washington Redskins wide receiver Devin Thomas is a man of many talents on the field but he also has some notable talents off the field as well.

Recently, he appeared in former American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino's new video called, "Bittersweet" as her love interest.

Essentially, they nuzzle and get into a little heavy-petting during the video, so I guess you can say Devin Thomas got to use his hands in the backfield.



(Courtesy of the D.C. Sports Bog)

By Ben Chew with 1 comment

LeBron James & Chris Bosh Are A Waste of Time for the New York Knicks

In the aftermath of the 2010 NBA Draft, it should be painfully clear to fans of the New York Knicks that the organization’s chances of landing LeBron James in this summer’s free agent market are virtually non-existent.

Not only were the Knick contingent forced to watch the Utah Jazz select Butler’s Gordon Hayward with the ninth overall pick in the Draft, a pick Utah acquired when New York traded for Stephon Marbury in 2004, they could only stand by helplessly as the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat finalized trades to clear enough salary cap space to potentially sign two elite free agents within the next several weeks; particularly James and Chris Bosh.

To add insult to injury, these multiple death knells for New York, as far as their plans to persuade James to ply his trade in the Big Apple, all took place in Madison Square Garden.

If that weren't enough to prompt New York to put their contingency plans into motion, the rumors that have been running rampant over the past several days should be a collective slap in the face to the Knick front office.

According to the New York Times, an unidentified NBA executive of one of the five teams (Bulls, Heat, Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, New Jersey Nets) who plan on meeting with LeBron James in his hometown of Akron, Ohio on July 1 said he gathered from fellow executives that James was strongly leaning toward signing with Chicago in tandem with Chris Bosh.

“I think it’s a done deal,” the executive said.

The executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity, further added that he thought James was going ahead with the meetings in Ohio “to be respectful to all these teams who jumped through these hoops,” an obvious reference to clubs, like the Knicks, who traded reasonably talented players like Jamal Crawford the last two seasons in an effort to open up as much salary cap space as possible.

However, according to “reliable” sources in Cleveland and New York for FOX Sports Radio’s Stephen A. Smith, LeBron James and Chris Bosh are planning to head to South Beach to play with Dwyane Wade on the Miami Heat.

So, depending on who you want to believe these days, it certainly appears that either Chicago or Miami will be the likely landing spots for James and Bosh when the dust finally settles.

If this is indeed the case and both James and Bosh have already made up their minds about where they’re going to sign or, at the very least, narrowed down their options to two specific teams, they should really spare organizations like New York the insult of a ‘pity meeting’.

And for their part, the Knicks should find more constructive ways to spend their time than by making impassioned pitches to players who have absolutely no intention on coming to the Big Apple; because, at this stage of the game, New York has invested enough energy, money and time on wooing LeBron James.

There are plenty of other quality fish in this year’s free agent market, including Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Amar’e Stoudemire and Dirk Nowitzki; and it’s time for New York to place more of its focus on the attainable reality as opposed to the unattainable dream.

The acceptance of this ‘pity meeting’ from James is simply an opportunity for Knick brass to do more begging and groveling at the feet of a man who has been placed on much too high of a pedestal.

If New York refuses to accept this hard truth then LeBron James, and Chris Bosh, should open up their respective mouths and tell Donnie Walsh not to bother with making any recruiting excursions.

That would be the honorable thing to do; wouldn’t it?

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and video updates on 2010 NBA free agency.

By RMM with No comments

Oh Man, Evan Longoria/BJ Upton Screaming Match!

During the period of time that is the 162-game Major League Baseball regular season, it's not surprising to see some players take plays off.

Well, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder BJ Upton in a recent game against the Arizona Diamondbacks didn't fully hustle after a batted ball hit by Arizona's Rusty Ryal.

Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria didn't appreciate the non-hustle from Upton which lead to a confrontation between the two in the Tampa Bay Ray dugout after the play had transpired.



(Courtesy of Rayhawk Review)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Fantasy Drafthelp: Hot Dog Eating Fantasy Draft???

We at FDH believe strongly that the concept of fantasy sports applies well to competitions at almost every level of life. No niche competition is too marginal to fit into our worldview of competitive fantasy sports.

As such, we make it a point to cover the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest and to draft these weapons of mass digestion for our competitive purposes.

Such a draft works best with four or five owners drafting for three rounds. We recommend a modified serpentine draft, with the third round following the same order as the second round to compensate somewhat for the dominance of the top tier on the draft board.

Here are some recent past results from the great Independence Day tradition.

Here is the home page for the sanctioning body, Major League Eating.

Here are the profiles of these “champion athletes” – and we have linked to these profiles for each competitor on our draft board.

Here is our draft board, delivered in standard FDH style:

TOP TIER
1 Joey Chestnut
2 Takeru Kobayashi
SECOND TIER
3 Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti
4 Tim “Eater X” Janus
5 Sonya “Black Widow” Thomas
6 Ben Monson
7 Bob Shoudt
8 Hall Hunt
THIRD TIER
9 Erik “The Red” Denmark
10 Eric Booker
11 Juliet Lee
12 Tim Brown
13 Pat Philbin
14 Micah Collins
15 Crazy Legs Conti

By Rick Morris with No comments

Q & A with NY Knicks Prime Free Agent Target Chris Bosh – Part 2

As reported here, Toronto Raptors prospective free agent power forward Chris Bosh co-hosted ‘Mike and Mike in the Morning’ on 1050 ESPN Radio on the day of the 2010 NBA Draft.

Bosh’s one-day co-hosting assignment was essentially a four-hour Question & Answer session, with the five-time All-Star fielding questions regarding his pending free agency from daily show host Mike Greenberg, ESPN NBA Insider Chris Broussard, callers and even actor/comedian Adam Sandler.

From this particular point, what follows are continuing highlights from Bosh’s special appearance on ‘Mike and Mike in the Morning’. Click here to read Part 1 of this series.

‘Mike and Mike in the Morning’ – Thursday, June 24

Greenberg: Ever since the season ended and everything, we have all been talking about ‘The Summit’. Dwyane Wade really was the one who brought it up, who said you guys would all talk to each other.

Now the way I interpreted that from the outside is, you guys are friendly, you run in the same social circles, you all have a really big decision that you’re each making at the same time. It would only make sense that you would sort of feel each other out; “What are you thinking? What are you thinking?”, that kind of thing.

What has the communication been like between you pending free agents so far?

Bosh: Well, for me, it’s been non-existent. I just talk about it with my friends and family. Everybody’s just keeping their secrets close; and I think everybody’s doing that as well as the teams and the individuals.

To read about the ‘The Summit’ and stuff like that, I remember when somebody first told me they were like “Yeah, you know it’s the meeting and they’re calling it ‘The Summit’ now.” It’s ‘The Summit’? They gave it a name? It’s crazy. But it’s fun to watch that stuff because, you know, when things come out about you, it’s like alright I didn’t say that, but that’s funny.

Greenberg: So there is no ‘Summit’?

Bosh: No, there is no ‘Summit’.

Greenberg: You have not talked to LeBron at all?

Bosh: No.

Greenberg: Really?

Bosh: Nah.

Greenberg: Now see, I would find that strange. I would think if I were a guy in your situation I would be talking to LeBron and if I were in his situation I’d be talking to you; the way you each play the game it would seem you were such a nice fit together. Why wouldn’t you have some conversation?

Bosh: Well, I think it’s just all at a point in time it’s gonna come together. If we’re gonna have a conversation it’s not gonna be now, might not be before July 1st. But whenever it happens that’s when it’s supposed to happen. That’s the kind of mentality I’ve been taking into this, and I’ve just been rollin’ with it.

Broussard: Chris, the feeling around the league among a lot of people is that you and LeBron would like to play together. I talked to LeBron a few years ago when this free agency stuff just started coming up. It was after the Olympics in 2008; and I asked him of all the guys that realistically would be free agents in 2010, which one would he most want to play with, he said you. And so a lot of people feel like, not necessarily that it’s a package deal, but that you two would like to play together in one of these cities, even it could be Cleveland.

How true is that you guys would like to look at the possibility of playing together?

Bosh: I think that’s something you should look at. He’s going to be a Hall of Famer. Everybody knows he’s an incredible player; back-to-back MVP. And you’d be kind of crazy not to want to play with a guy like that, but I think that makes each situation attractive; to be able to play with another superstar is great.

Broussard: Now will you go visit teams, visit cities and go through the whole recruitment tour?

Bosh: I think so. I don’t know what’s goin’ on, man. I’m still waitin’ to see how it’s gonna happen.

Broussard: Is there any chance a couple of you guys would go together, like maybe you and LeBron would go visit together or anything?

Bosh: I doubt if we’ll schedule something like that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if teams really start pulling some tricks out of their sleeve. There’s no telling what’s gonna happen. People have been planning on these meetings for years now so there’s no telling what, we’ll see.

Greenberg: Why wouldn’t you go on the recruiting trips? There’s no rush in any of this. Why wouldn’t you go, let them wine and dine you like crazy, it’s sort of like college recruiting on steroids. Go to New York, go to Chicago, go to all these places where you know they’re gonna sell you like crazy.

Is there any reason you wouldn’t do that?

Bosh: Well, that’s one thing you have to consider, especially me, because this is something that is very important; this is the next biggest decision of my life. So to be able to take my time and actually feel out the process and see how things go, look at the guys in their face and really talk to the organizations and take my time; I think anybody in this position should do that.

Subsequent to the return from a commercial break, Bosh was posed the following set of questions:

Greenberg: If you’re looking for a max contract, that limits your options? If a max contract isn’t that high a priority, your options are basically unlimited.

Is a max contract a deal breaker for you come July 1st?

Bosh: That’s a good question. This is a business and there’s always a saying you don’t want to leave money on the table; but I never burn my bridges and I always keep my options open. Now is that an option I would really lean towards; that would have to be something discussed between (Sort of jokingly) me and myself, I guess.

There’s just so many different scenarios. Do you take max, do you not take max? Do you go here, do you go there? It’s kind of confusing at times. That would be something that guys would really have to look at but, at the same time, guys have to be on the same page. Everybody has to be on the same page.

Bosh was also referring to taking less than maximum money to play with two other free agent superstars in his response.

Broussard: Conceivably, you, LeBron, Dwyane Wade, you guys could team up in Miami if you agree to take about $13.7 million a year to start versus $16.5 million, which is the max you guys can get.

Is that something that would intrigue you guys, the possibility of you three coming together and taking a slight pay cut but not anything drastic like the mid-level exception?

Bosh: It’s funny, that’s the first time I’ve heard that one; so like I said there’s a bunch of different scenarios. I don’t know if that can happen. I highly doubt something like that…. That’s kind of like PlayStation.

Greenberg: But for the first time ever you could actually do it. This isn’t the Wii.

Broussard: I don’t know who would be around you.

Later on in the segment, Greenberg posed this question to Bosh, which resulted in an intriguing response from the highly sought after prospective free agent power forward.

Greenberg: How much is it your sense that LeBron is a key figure in what everyone else, including yourself, will wind up doing?

Bosh: He is THE figure, to be frank about it. You have to wait on what he does. He’s the biggest free agent in, probably, the history of sports. Quite frankly, you’re gonna have to wait on him and after he makes a decision, no pressure, LeBron, the rest of the league is gonna fall in order.

And Bosh’s response only further confirms that, like Brett Favre in the National Football League, LeBron James has been built up to be bigger than any player, any one individual team and the game of basketball itself.

That is just too much influence and power for any one man to have, even if he is, arguably, the best player in the NBA.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation featuring Chris Bosh.

By RMM with No comments

Outside the Boxscore Reaches The 2,000 Post Milestone

It's been three years of classic posts here on Outside the Boxscore and we have finally reached the 2,000 post plateau.

We would like to thanks all you loyal fans and random visitors to the site who came from a link or accidentally trying to search for something else. We would also like to thank all of our staff writers and people who have kept this site moving, it couldn't have be done without you.

So, how would we celebrate this milestone? The only way I know how, Endless David Caruso One-Liners:



(Image Courtesy of The Werewolf Cafe)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Q & A with NY Knicks Prime Free Agent Target Chris Bosh – Part 1

In what can only be described as a ‘calculated coincidence’, on the day of the 2010 NBA Draft, Toronto Raptors prospective free agent power forward Chris Bosh co-hosted the ‘Mike and Mike in the Morning’ show on 1050 ESPN Radio with regular host Mike Greenberg and NBA Insider extraordinaire Chris Broussard.

However, to say that Bosh, a 5-time NBA All-Star, co-hosted the four-hour program would be a gross overstatement. Simply put, Bosh’s presence on the show was an opportunity to pick the brain of a prominent member of the most highly anticipated free agent class in professional sports history.

The 26-year-old Bosh, a 2002 McDonald’s All-American and the fourth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, fielded questions from Greenberg and Broussard and calls from fans of teams that would be drastically improved by his addition to their respective rosters. Even actor/comedian Adam Sandler joined the fray to make a pitch on behalf of the New York Knicks.

The Dallas native, who averaged 24.0 points and 10.8 rebounds per game with the Raptors this past season, provided some poignant perspective on his thought processes as he prepares to be heavily recruited by a score of franchises, including New York, that are counting on him to be a significant piece of the foundation in the construction of a championship team.

From this particular point, what follows are highlights from Bosh’s special appearance on ‘Mike and Mike in the Morning’.

‘Mike and Mike in the Morning’ – Thursday, June 24

Greenberg: Let’s get right to it. After all this talk and all of this anticipation, the clock is going to strike midnight and it’s going to be July 1st. At that moment, where physically are you going to be?

Bosh: I’m a be home.

Greenberg: Is home Toronto or home is Dallas?

Bosh: Dallas; I’m a just be hangin’ out.

Greenberg: In your house?

Bosh: I’m a keep the situation as normal as possible, and just hang out at home and sit by the phone and wait for it to ring.

Greenberg: Are you anticipating a phone call or are you anticipating (Simulates knocking on a door) “Hi ya, Chris; it’s Donnie Walsh, I’m standing outside can I come in?”

(Laughter follows)

Bosh: Well, if that happen I don’t know whether I should let him in or call the police. (Additional laughter follows) It’s not easy to get to my front door.

Greenberg: So should we take it as a sign that if you call the police you’re not signing with that team?

(More laughter ensues)

Bosh: Probably after that, I don’t think they want me to talk to them anymore.

Greenberg: Are you kidding? Donnie Walsh would do 10 years in jail if it meant you signing with the Knicks. (Laughter) OK, so seriously, so you’ll be there in the house. What are you anticipating? What do you expect? Are you expecting in the first minute, stuff to happen?

Bosh: Yeah.

Greenberg: What?

Bosh: I don’t know. Just a lot of conversations with my agent, and I don’t know when I’m gonna go to sleep. I know we’ve been talking about this for a while and he was like yeah, you know, the offers are gonna come in right at 12:01; and he has to do his job and let me know the information that he’s received and relay it to me, and we’ll go from there. I mean pretty much he was like yo, you need to keep your whole first week open. So I cancelled a lot of things. I was trying to do some fun stuff but, you know, it’s business first.

Greenberg: Well, this could be fun.

Bosh: Well yeah, I make everything fun; my life is fun.

Greenberg: Chris Broussard, what you do expect? Do you expect people lined up at his door? Will there be people standing outside? Will they have to take a number like people waiting for the ‘Twilight’ premiere?

Broussard: It’s going to be interesting. I mean, typically, teams just make calls. And I wanted to ask Chris, how much does it matter to you who’s that first to make the call? Does that play a role in it? Or if a team did come to visit you at 12:01 versus a team that just made a phone call?

Bosh: Well, I don’t think the order of the calls are that important or the home visits or whatever. I think it’s just pretty much catered to what I want to do. I’m in a situation where I can control the situation, so I just want to be comfortable and make sure that we do things the way I want to do 'em.

Greenberg: What will be some of the deciding factors? In an NBA where essentially everyone knows how much money they can offer you and everyone, besides Toronto, can essentially offer you the same amount of money; what’s next, what is the next consideration for Chris Bosh?

Bosh: Well, I mean it’s winning first off; I just want to be in a situation where I can win basketball games. I want to win a championship. I think that’s the dream of every NBA player, and I know I’m gonna do it; it’s just picking out the right situation for me. That’s what it’s all about for me. I’ve struggled in the past and, you know, it’s been a growing process since I got to the league but I feel that I’ve worked hard enough to put myself in this position right now; and make sure I can win games next year. That’s all I want to do. I’m a winner, I believe heavily in competing hard every night and just giving it your all; so I can’t wait to see what happens.

Greenberg: Now in an interview that you did with SNY, SportsNet New York, one of the questions that was asked of you is how good are the Knicks’ chances of signing you and you said, “We’ll see after Draft Night.” Now that’s tonight. Why did you say that? What is the significance of Draft Night?

Bosh: Well, I think the significance is very important. Just like you said earlier, a lot of teams are gonna be putting themselves in better position to make some moves for next week and that makes for a lot of movement in the draft. And that kind of makes the draft exciting; you know people love trades in the draft. I think there’s gonna be a lot of movement tonight. There’s a lot of teams trying to move up, some teams trying to move down, trying to get more picks, trying to clear cap space, trying to build on their core that they have with their team in their city. So everybody’s trying to get better and be put in better positions.

Greenberg: Some people took that quote and interpreted it to mean the possibility of a sign-and-trade; that before the Draft tonight that you would potentially sign a contract with Toronto and then be traded somewhere. Is that a possibility? Is there a possibility of a sign-and-trade that could be worked out sooner than people are expecting?

Bosh: No, there’s not much talking at all. It’s not anything you can do right now. That’s the toughest thing about being in this situation, everybody has their cards and they’re not showing them. So there’s always gonna be speculation and everything, you know, I just laugh at it. We just try to stick with what’s working right now and what we need to work on for preparation for July 1st.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation featuring Chris Bosh.

By RMM with No comments

Send in the Links (6/25/2010)

-> YouTube Decided to Add a Vuvuzela Button (No Guts, No Glory)
-> The Los Angeles Clippers Draft...Steve Urkel?!? (That NBA Lottery Pick)
-> Drinking Brews With Bill Clinton After Beating Algeria, Priceless (Dirty Tackle)
-> An Octopus Takes Germany over England...Inky Ain't It(Sportress of Blogitude)
-> You're Using That Vuvuzela Wrong (With Leather)

Today's Moment of Zen: Jimmy Kimmel and Drake Twitter Song: "Tweet Tweet"

By Ben Chew with No comments

PUMA City NY: Brazilian Women's Soccer Sensation Marta Works Magic; USA vs. Ghana on tap

As spring transitioned into summer and rising temperatures proceeded to bake the Big Apple on a daily basis, PUMA City NY continued, and continues, to remain the place to be for the total World Cup experience.

PUMA’s invasion of New York began on the morning of June 11 and from that moment, South Street Seaport was destined to never be the same.

From the PUMA Football Pitch, a custom-built field open daily for pick-up games, victory dances, and more, to PUMA’s ‘Pop-Up’ Stores, which are shipping containers that have been transformed into shops to sell PUMA gear, fanwear, and footwear with not-to-be missed New York exclusives, to the PUMA Social Club, where post-sunset party hoppers can stop by for a variety of nightly events, PUMA City NY has quickly become the central locus to catch the fever of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

This is further evidenced by the additional attraction of being able to watch every live game of the international 32-team tournament on the big screens at the outdoor PUMA RED Beer Garden; including Saturday’s Round of 16 contest between the United States and Ghana.

The scheduled 2:30PM match between the United States and Ghana will be preceded by the first game in the Knockout Round between South Korea and Uruguay.

And after the Americans’ thrilling victory over Algeria to qualify for the Round of 16 and win their group (Group C) in the process, the anticipation for Saturday’s game against a tough Ghanaian team couldn’t be any higher.

A little over week ago, Brazilian Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) sensation Marta Vieira da Silva, a 4-time FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Award winner (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), graced the PUMA City NY grounds with an appearance at the PUMA Football Pitch for the "Can You Trick Your Inner Marta Out?" Contest.

Young soccer players watched Marta perform her favorite soccer tricks and then showed Marta some moves of their own. The player with the best tricks won the Marta's Best Trick Trophy.

Also worth noting is that PUMA will be continuing their Boot Demo program at PUMA City through the end of their time in New York on July 11.

Anyone who stops by the Football Pitch for a pick-up game or one of PUMA’s various programs, like ‘Suits in Boots’, is able to try on and try out a pair of PUMA soccer cleats, including the black/pink colorway of the women's PowerCat 2.10, which are the boots that Marta wore during her special appearance, as well as the PowerCat 1.10 and v1.10 for men.

For giving them a test run, visitors will receive a coupon good for 15% off all footwear, including the cleats, at the PUMA Footwear Store housed in one of the big, red shipping containers on site.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and amazing video of Brazilian women's soccer sensation, Marta.

By RMM with 1 comment

Send in the Links (6/24/2010)

Programming Note: We will be doing a 2010 NBA Draft Live-blog over at our partner site, That NBA Lottery Pick starting at 7:00pm est, if you want to join us for the event, click on this link.

-> The Never-Ending Tennis Match...Finally Ends (The News-Observer)
-> Italy Eliminated From the 2010 World Cup, IMMA SO SAD! (Goal.com)
-> Deacon Jones Dressed In A Tutu (NESW Sports)
-> That's How the Phillie Phanatic Courts (Sportress of Blogitude)
-> Invictus with Vuvuzelas (Out of Bounds)

Today's Moment of Awesome: The Fellowship of the Vuvuzela

By Ben Chew with No comments

Wrap It Up, Alexander Ovechkin!

For some stange reason, I have a sinking feeling that most of you did not tune in to see the 2010 NHL Awards from Las Vegas.

Well, *spoiler alert*

Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin won the Ted Lindsay award and got to his victory speech and started congraulating his friends, teammates and family. Then, the typical award show music started to play him off.

However, you never play off Alexander Ovechkin, NEVER!



(Courtesy of The Big Lead)

By Ben Chew with No comments

USA Soccer Fans Celebrate Win vs. Algeria

In case you missed it, the United States won this soccer game at the 2010 World Cup and moved onto the next round for the first time since 1930.

Well, let's just say many USA fans were deliriously happy and we got the video to prove it.

The first one is a live shot of a bar in Washington state and the other is of a USA super-fan who decides to high-five his mom in celebration.





(Courtesy of The Original Winger and Deadspin)

By Ben Chew with No comments

The Most Important Lesson NY Knicks Should Have Learned from NBA Finals

As Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals drew to a close and the Los Angeles Lakers celebrated a second consecutive NBA Championship, if the coaching staff and front office of the New York Knicks were paying close attention they would have been smacked in the face by the stark reality of the necessary components required to build a championship team.

In spite of dramatic changes to the way the game is played in this era, one of the oldest clichés in the National Basketball Association is as true today as it was fifty years ago; defense and rebounding do win championships.

So with the full court press being drawn up in the huddle to be put on LeBron James come July 1, the Knicks brain trust should be equally focused on ensuring the squad they plan on putting together is fully committed to playing hard-nosed, team-oriented defense as well as capable and willing to do battle underneath the boards.

And for any team this championship philosophy all begins and ends with the head coach; in this case, Mike D’Antoni.

After six years with the Phoenix Suns, in which he averaged 51 victories per season, D’Antoni was brought to the Big Apple, at the insistence of Knicks President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh, as the first step in the initiative to resurrect one of the marquee franchises in the league.

However, although this was widely viewed as a step in the right direction, D’Antoni’s success in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ belied his shortcomings when it came to emphasizing the merits of rebounding combined with solid team defense. And this glaring oversight not only showed up statistically, it reared its ugly head in the playoffs as well.

For D’Antoni’s entire tenure with the team, although they were an offensive juggernaut, Phoenix consistently ranked in the bottom third of the NBA in opponent points per game and opponent rebounds per game; which ultimately resulted in repeated failures to make a single appearance in the Finals.

It has only gotten worse in his two seasons with New York, where the D’Antoni-led Knicks have finished in the bottom third of the NBA in opponent points per game, opponent field goal percentage per game and opponent rebounds per game.

So it goes without saying that D’Antoni absolutely must place more of an emphasis on defense and rebounding because the last time the Knicks were the toast of the town, particularly in the Pat Riley era, they happened to be one of the best defensive teams in the league.

But for this re-construction to come to fruition, Donnie Walsh must also put on his hard hat and get D’Antoni the pieces he needs to build a winning tradition in New York again.

Acquiring a wing player of LeBron James’ caliber is a terrific start, but without a front line to do the dirty work signing James won’t mean a thing in the long run.

With 6’9” All-Star David Lee, the Knicks’ starting center last season, probably headed to seemingly greener pastures, Walsh must also be prepared to make strong offers to the likes of Miami Heat free agent power forward Udonis Haslem and Dallas Mavericks free agent center Brendan Haywood, who are the type of players who don’t need to score but will bring toughness and the other necessary intangibles on the defensive end of the floor to the table.

In Game 7 of the this year’s Finals, the Lakers held the Boston Celtics to 79 points, 40.8% shooting and outrebounded Gang Green 53-40; and that’s because Los Angeles was longer, stronger and tougher up front and fully committed to playing great team defense.

This is how the Knicks made it to the Finals in 1994 and this is how they will make it to the Finals again nearly twenty years later.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special 'Defense Wins Championships' video presentation.

By RMM with No comments

The New York Giants Take on MTV's Silent Library

Just when you thought that you have seen everything, you get completely surprised an MTV version of a Japanese Game Show.

New York Giants football players: Kevin Boss, Chris Snee, Rich Seubert, Dave Tollefson, Shaun O'Hara and Dave Diehl appeared on the MTV show, Silent Library.

To explain the show in a nutshell, players deal out six face-down cards and the player who receives the skull and crossbones card has to go through a punishment to earn money for the team. However, if they are too loud, they do not receive the money.

Here are the clips of Shaun O'Hara getting hit in the face with tennis balls and Kevin Boss getting bit on the ear by an old man.

MTV Shows

MTV Shows

(Courtesy of SI.com Hot Clicks)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Send in the Links (6/23/2010)

-> The Peeps at MediaTakeout.com have no clue who Andy Roddick is (Sportress of Blogitude)
-> Czech Republic Rugby Commercial Makes Fun of Soccer Players (Out of Bounds)
-> Albert Haynesworth is Getting Sued by Tennessee Bank(No Guts, No Glory)
-> Of Course, Snoop Dogg is an NHL Fan (NESW Sports)
-> Here's that video of James Blake yelling at ESPN's Pam Shriver (The Big Lead)

Today's Moment of Awesome: Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz Kick the Soccer Ball Around

By Ben Chew with No comments

Roy Halladay Toronto Blue Jay Tribute Song, "So Sad, We'll Miss Him"

It's been about six months since the Toronto Blue Jays traded star pitcher Roy Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Halladay was supposed to make his return to Toronto in the upcoming Blue Jays/Phillies affair but the series was move to Philadelphia for the upcoming G20 summit in Toronto.

Toronto Blue Jay super-fan Kathy Anderson decided to vent her frustration and adoration in a pretty-awesome song.



(Courtesy of The Blue Jay Hunter)

By Ben Chew with No comments

2010 France's World Cup Manager, "I Will Not Shake Your Hand!"

One of the most dissapointing teams in the 2010 World Cup was France who was picked as one of the early favorites to get out of Group A.

France failed to win any of their opening round games and tallied only one goal in the 2010 World Cup.

France's manager Raymond Domenech for some reason decided not to shake the hand of South Africa's manager Carlos Alberto Parreira after France's 2-1 loss to South Africa.



This might lead back to France's Thierry Henry infamous hand-ball against Ireland in a 2010 World-Cup playoff. Who was the manager of that French team?

One, Raymond Domenech.

(Courtesy of Dirty Tackle)

By Ben Chew with No comments

The 10 Most Disliked People in Professional Sports Today

Despite leading the most storied franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB) to its 27th World Series Championship last year, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez remains among the most despised figures in professional sports.

According to a Forbes Magazine poll, A-Rod ranked eighth on the list of the most disliked people in sports; which included such notorious transgressors as Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and golfer Tiger Woods.

On the bright side, this is an improvement for the 3-time American League MVP who was a third place finisher last year after his admission to the use of performance-enhancing drugs between 2001 and 2003.

The poll, conducted by California-based E-Poll Market Research, ranked sports figures on the public’s likability scorecard; utilizing a nationwide pool of 1,100 people, aged 13 or older. Candidacy was limited to active athletes, coaches, managers, agents and broadcasters. A 10% minimum awareness level with the American public was also a prerequisite.

Although nearly three years removed from pleading guilty to his involvement in an interstate dog-fighting ring, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick topped the poll for the second consecutive year.

Vick, who turns 30 later this month, was one of five NFL figures to crack the top 10 of this undistinguished list. The former Atlanta Falcons signal caller was joined by Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens and the previously mentioned Ben Roethlisberger.

Rounding out the top ten were St. Louis Cardinals batting coach Mark McGwire, free agent NBA point guard Allen Iverson and Washington Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas.

The complete list, which includes the percentage of respondents who disliked them, is as follows:

1. Michael Vick – 69%
2. Al Davis – 66%
3. Ben Roethlisberger – 57%
4. Tiger Woods – 53%
4. Jerry Jones – 53%
6. Mark McGwire – 48%
7. Terrell Owens – 47%
8. Alex Rodriguez – 45%
8. Allen Iverson – 45%
10. Gilbert Arenas – 44%

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and video perspective on the men who are despised more than any of their contemporaries.

By RMM with No comments

Phillies Fan Trips Over Sign, Face Plants On Stairs

Hopefully, all of you fathers out there in blogosphere land had a great Father's Day but there was one fan in Philadelphia who didn't enjoy it.

During the Twins/Phillies affair on Sunday, he accidentally trips over a sign and then lands face first on the stairs near the backstop.

The video is below and watch the upper-left portion of the screen to see the fall:



(Courtesy of Deadspin and The Fightins)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Miley Cyrus and Johnathan Toews Award Banter, "Can't Be Tamed"

We have finally hit the doldrums in the world of sports but thankfully, Miley Cyrus and Chicago Blackhawaks Johnathan Toews gave me something to write about.

Cyrus and Toews were at the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto, Canada doing an intro before a performance by Canadian rapper and Degrassi Alum, Drake.

Sadly, Cyrus had issues reading the cue cards and bantered with Johnathan Toews who decided to add enough words to pass the conversation by.

All 18 of them.



Geez, Miley can talk! I think it's time for an intervention.



(Courtesy of Well, Alot: Puck Daddy, The Sporting Blog, And Sportress of Blogitude)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Jimmy Kimmel's Guillermo Teaches Us A Bicycle Kick

Previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jimmy Kimmel was talking about the 2010 World Cup and he figured it was a good idea to teach the non-soccer fan about the spectacle that is the bicycle kick.

Kimmel figured that an example was in order and he got everyone's favorite security guard, Guillermo, to perform it.

By Ben Chew with No comments

Yankees GM sets record straight on Lady Gaga; Mets to host 'Go Gaga for Wright' Night

As reported here, New York Yankees co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner permanently banned top-selling recording artist Lady Gaga from the team clubhouse Friday evening for unauthorized access and unladylike behavior following a 4-0 loss to the New York Mets.

However, according to ESPNNewYork.com, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman refuted the NYPost.com report and clarified the team policy on celebrity access to the clubhouse.

"She's not banned," Cashman said on Sunday afternoon. "Celebrities aren't banned. If Michael Jordan showed up here he would have access, but not after a loss."

Following the aforementioned loss to the Mets, Lady Gaga reportedly smooth-talked her way past Stadium security for a 30-minute visit in the Yankees clubhouse, where she met six players including second baseman Robinson Cano and third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

"That was the wrong time and the wrong place," Cashman further added. "It's been taken care of."

As reported by NYPost.com, during the unauthorized visit, a scantily clad Gaga, wearing a half-buttoned Yankees jersey exposing her black bra, fishnet stockings and bikini bottom, proceeded to fondle her chest over the jersey while drinking whiskey.

Upon hearing about the incident, Hal Steinbrenner, described as “fuming”, permanently banned Lady Gaga, a self-professed Yankees fan, from the team’s clubhouse.

But according to ESPNNewYork.com, Cashman downplayed this description of the incident and added that the Yankees have other locations in the Stadium where the players can interact with celebrities.

"There is just a time and place," said Cashman. "It is not her fault."

In addition, Lady Gaga was reported to have met with six players, which included Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez, but the Yankees All-Star second baseman says he was the only player to see her.

"She can sing, I'll tell you that," Cano said.

Across town, the Mets are turning Lady Gaga’s now infamous double-middle finger salute to the crowd on June 10 into a marketing opportunity by designating this Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Tigers as ‘Go Gaga for Wright’ Night.

The first 20,000 fans through the gates will receive a blue foam hand with the index finger extended, "the best finger" according to a television advertisement for the promotion, and the words "Make Wright #1" printed on it as part of the campaign for third baseman David Wright’s election to the National League All-Star team.

Currently, Wright is second in National League All-Star voting for third baseman behind Philadelphia Phillies left corner infielder Placido Polanco.

Click here to read the rest of this article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a psychoanalysis of 'The Fame Monster' also known as Lady Gaga.

By RMM with No comments

Fantasy Drafthelp: Hockey Ultimate Stat

This is the FantasyDrafthelp.com statistic, the Ultimate Quantitative Baseline, based on the statistical principle of standard deviation from the mean.

For defensemen and forwards, the relevant statistics are points, goals, assists, penalty minutes and plus-minus.

For goalies, the relevant statistics are wins, shutouts, goals against average and save percentage (with the categories being weighted extra since there is one less).

In each category, a spectrum is calculated from the best performance to the worst (on a per-game basis for forwards and defensemen). The numbers in each category are added together to create our statistic. An additional equalizer is injected to apply more points to each player at the positions of scarcer depth.

What this stat truly does is to quantify beyond doubt how the stronger and weaker performances in each category add up to the absolute fantasy value for each player. As such, it establishes a baseline for performance that is more comprehensive than anything ever developed. A number over 300 is considered elite and 375 constitutes a perfect score. We have listed below the top 15 rankings at each position for last season as well as the top 30 overall.


Left Wings
UQB
1
Alex Ovechkin
375
2
Daniel Sedin
353
3
Alexander Semin
340
4
Ilya Kovalchuk
295
5
Alexandre Burrows
294
6
Zach Parise
282
7
Patrick Marleau
278
8T
Henrik Zetterberg
245
8T
Patrik Elias
245
10
Rene Bourque
244
11
Patrick Sharp
236
12
Wojtek Wolski
232
13
Ryan Smyth
224
14
Ryane Clowe
223
15
Thomas Vanek
221


Centers
UQB
1
Henrik Sedin
337
2
Sidney Crosby
333
3
Nicklas Backstrom
321
4
Evgeni Malkin
282
5
Joe Thornton
272
6
Steven Stamkos
268
7
Ryan Getzlaf
260
8
Eric Staal
253
9
Jonathan Toews
243
10
Ryan Kesler
238
11
Anze Kopitar
229
12
Nik Antropov
227
13
Paul Stastny
226
14
Brad Richards
224
15
Pavel Datsyuk
221


Right Wings
UQB
1
Marian Gaborik
307
2
Dany Heatley
286
3
Patrick Kane
281
4
Corey Perry
269
5
Steve Downie
268
6
Marian Hossa
267
7
Mike Knuble
262
8
Martin St Louis
259
9
Daniel Alfredsson
258
10
Bobby Ryan
253
11
Chris Stewart
248
12
Rick Nash
247
13
Teemu Selanne
243
14T
Mikael Samuelsson
236
14T
Jarome Iginla
236


Defensemen
UQB
1
Mike Green
354
2
Duncan Keith
287
3T
Drew Doughty
263
3T
Dan Boyle
263
5
Chris Pronger
260
6
Sergei Gonchar
254
7
Christian Ehrhoff
243
8
Zdeno Chara
233
9
Nicklas Lidstrom
223
10
Tyler Myers
214
11
Brian Rafalski
213
12
Joni Pitkanen
212
13
Brian Campbell
208
14T
Mark Streit
206
14T
Keith Yandle
206



Goalies
UQB
1T
Martin Brodeur
375
1T
Ilya Bryzgalov
375
1T
Ryan Miller
375
1T
Tuukka Rask
375
5
Craig Anderson
359
6
Evgeni Nabokov
358
7
Jimmy Howard
357
8
Tomas Vokoun
351
9
Miikka Kiprusoff
350
10T
Antti Niemi
348
10T
Henrik Lundqvist
348
12
Jaroslav Halak
343
13
Pekka Rinne
340
14
Roberto Luongo
326
15
Jonathan Quick
309


1T
Alex Ovechkin
375
1T
Martin Brodeur
375
1T
Ilya Bryzgalov
375
1T
Ryan Miller
375
1T
Tuukka Rask
375
6
Craig Anderson
359
7
Evgeni Nabokov
358
8
Jimmy Howard
357
9
Mike Green
354
10
Daniel Sedin
353
11
Tomas Vokoun
351
12
Miikka Kiprusoff
350
13T
Antti Niemi
348
13T
Henrik Lundqvist
348
15
Jaroslav Halak
343

16T
Pekka Rinne
340
16T
Alexander Semin
340
18
Henrik Sedin
337
19
Sidney Crosby
333
20
Roberto Luongo
326
21
Nicklas Backstrom
321
22
Jonathan Quick
309
23
Marian Gaborik
307
24
Brian Elliott
298
25
Ilya Kovalchuk
295
26
Alexandre Burrows
294
27
Duncan Keith
287
28
Dany Heatley
286
29
Tim Thomas
283
30
Evgeni Malkin
282

By Rick Morris with No comments

Lady Gaga Banned from New York Yankees Clubhouse

In less than two weeks, pop sensation Lady Gaga has become an unwelcome presence at the baseball stadiums in the city where she was born and raised.

On June 10, after arriving at Citi Field in the fifth inning of the game between the New York Mets and the San Diego Padres, Lady Gaga made a spectacle of herself by launching a profanity-laced tirade at photographers in the vicinity, which forced the team to relocate her to Jerry Seinfeld’s luxury box.

Once situated in the suite, for the coup de grace, an inebriated Lady Gaga stripped down to her bejeweled bra and panties and gave the Citi Field crowd a double-middle finger salute.

Eight days later, on the evening of the commencement of the season’s second Subway Series between the Mets and the New York Yankees, unLadylike Gaga was at it again, this time at Yankee Stadium.

According to NYPost.com, following the Mets’ 4-0 victory over the Bronx Bombers, Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, and two girlfriends smooth-talked their way past Stadium security for a 30-minute visit in the Yankees clubhouse, where she met six players including second baseman Robinson Cano and third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

During the unauthorized visit, a scantily clad Gaga, wearing a half-buttoned Yankees jersey exposing her black bra, fishnet stockings and a bikini bottom, proceeded to fondle her breasts over the jersey while reportedly drinking Jameson Irish Whiskey.

Upon hearing about this incident, Yankees co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner, described as “fuming”, permanently banned the songstress, who claims to be a lifelong Yankees fan, from the team’s clubhouse.

NYPost.com sources said Steinbrenner, who is co-chairman with brother Hank, club president Randy Levine, general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi all had no idea Lady Gaga was planning a visit to the team clubhouse.

In light of Lady Gaga’s clubhouse antics, one has to wonder if she captivated the attention of Yankees lothario Alex Rodriguez, who has been linked to similarly eccentric pop star Madonna.

Either way, it’s become crystal clear that the 24-year-old ‘Fame Monster’, alcohol and baseball are a combustible mix that New York baseball fans don’t need nor want any part of.

Click here to read the rest of this article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and Lady Gaga's '20/20' interview with Barbara Walters.

By RMM with No comments

Ron Artest Redeems Kobe Bryant in the Most Important Game of his Career

In the milieu of professional sports, winning has been, and always will be, the best elixir for washing away the sins of an athlete.

And for the better part of six years, Los Angeles Lakers small forward Ron Artest has been thirsting for a sip from that cup since he was the center of an altercation among fans and players during a game between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers.

The infamous brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, Michigan cost Artest the remainder of the 2004-05 NBA season, which totaled 73 games and the playoffs, and became the signature moment in the career of the eccentric and enigmatic Queens native.

So when the Lakers allowed Trevor Ariza, a key contributor in the team’s 2009 championship run, to depart via free agency, many pundits questioned the decision to acquire Artest to fill the void; particularly after Los Angeles finished almost ten victories short of their win total in the 2008-09 season.

The 2010 NBA Finals raised additional questions when, in Games 4 and 5, Artest averaged 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while shooting a dismal 31.6% from the field, in losses that pushed the Lakers to the brink of falling to the Boston Celtics in the Finals for the second time in three years.

However, in performances that belied his virtual non-existence in the previous two games as well as his volatile past, Artest played the two best games of his career to lift Los Angeles to its 16th NBA Championship and help Kobe Bryant enhance his legacy in the process.

In a defensive performance for the ages, the Lakers held Boston to only 67 points in Game 6 to force a deciding Game 7 at the STAPLES Center.

Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 26 points and Pau Gasol finished one assist shy of a triple-double (17 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists), but it was Queensbridge’s own Ron Artest who was the difference maker on both ends of the floor.

Artest scored 15 points and snared 6 rebounds while holding Celtics captain Paul Pierce to only 13 points, on 6 for 14 shooting, in a game that certainly reminded his hometown why he earned the nickname ‘Tru Warier’ in his youth. But Artest would save his best for last in the final game of the season.

With Los Angeles struggling on offense in the first half, it was Artest, not Kobe Bryant, who carried the team, scoring 12 points, all in the second quarter, to keep the Lakers within striking distance of Boston, who controlled play for the first 24 minutes.

The second half saw Artest score 8 points but none bigger than a three-point shot with one minute left to give Los Angeles a six-point cushion on their way to holding on to the slimmest of margins for their second consecutive NBA Title.

More importantly, in the most committed effort to defense and rebounding that has ever been displayed by the Lakers, Artest led the charge once again by limiting Paul Pierce, Boston’s best and most versatile offensive weapon, to only 7 second half points.

‘Ron-Ron’ would finish the game with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals while exhibiting championship poise and tenacity on defense whose true value can’t be measured with words alone.

After the game, Kobe Bryant, who shot a horrific 6 for 24 from the field and was admittedly “out of gas”, sang the praises of the man he has dubbed “The Spaniard”; and deservedly so because Pau Gasol came up huge with 19 points and 18 rebounds.

But it was Ron Artest who scored 35% of Los Angeles’ points in the first half, it was Artest who held Paul Pierce to 33% shooting for the game, and it was the ‘Tru Warier’ who hit the three-point shot that gave the Lakers the separation they needed to secure the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

On a final note, it was Artest who saved Kobe Bryant from having to answer a multitude of questions about a sub-par performance, for his standards, in the most significant game of his career and from having the growth of Bryant’s legacy stunted by the team that dealt him the most embarrassing loss of his NBA tenure.

At the same time, Artest established a legacy of his own, for his stellar play on the court this time, and is now a media darling after thanking everybody in his hood and his psychiatrist in a post-game interview.

Bottom line, by being an integral factor in a championship-clinching game, Artest has finally taken a sip of the elixir that is a morality cleansing for professional athletes.

And the 2004 brawl in Detroit will merely be a footnote in Artest’s rise from selfish thug to selfless champion.

Click here to read the rest of this article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a pleothra of videos.

By RMM with 1 comment

Father’s Day Weekend at PUMA City NY: World Cup action, Free Bike Repairs, New PUMA Bikes

This weekend’s festivities at PUMA City NY present visitors with the unique opportunity to make it a fun-filled Father’s Day Weekend for dads and granddads alike at minimal cost.

On Saturday, June 19 and Sunday, June 20, from 12:00PM – 5:00PM, PUMA, in partnership with Hub Station, will be offering free basic bike repairs and tune-ups on a first come, first serve basis.

In addition, while waiting for their bikes to be serviced, visitors can test ride new PUMA bikes including the Disko, the Pico, the Nevis Man, the Nevis Lady and the Funk.

If this isn’t enough incentive to surprise dad or granddad with a relatively inexpensive excursion to PUMA City NY at South Street Seaport then the multitude of events and activities on tap throughout PUMA’s month-long activation should make it a no-brainer.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video running down the 32 teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Click here to read more about the launch of PUMA City NY.

Click here for a visual and written tour through PUMA City NY during the first weekend of the launch.

For the complete calendar of events at PUMA City go to www.pumacity.com.

For more information about the South Street Seaport go to www.thenewseaport.com.

Become a fan on www.facebook.com/puma and www.facebook.com/pumafootball or follow the happenings via twitter at @thepumastore and use #pumacity for any tweets about PUMA City NY.

By RMM with No comments

Send in the Links (6/18/2010)

-> In Case You Missed It, Lakers Win 2010 NBA Finals (No Guts, No Glory)
-> The Definitive Compilation of Ron Artest Celebration/Post Game Interviews (That NBA Lottery Pick)
-> Kim-Jong-Il Forced To Wear Funny Glasses After Losing Soccer Bet (Real Fake Sports)
-> Philadelphia Phillie Chase Utley Channel Jobu (Out of Bounds)
-> Something about those fugly US Soccer Jerseys (NESW Sports)

Today's Moment of Awesome: Man vs. Baby Shark, Baby Shark Wins!



(Courtesy of Deuce of Davenport)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Lakers Win, Bring On The Riots!

With the Los Angeles Lakers victory over the Boston Celtics, the Lakers clinched their 16th NBA championship.

However, that just meant to most Lakers fans that they could riot:























(Some Videos Courtesy of You Been Blinded)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Jimmy Kimmel Compares Mexican/French World Cup Fans

Yesterday, Mexico scored a 2-0 win over the French in their pool play during the World Cup.

Well, one thing that caught late night host's Jimmy Kimmel's eye was the comparison between the fans of Mexico and the fans of France.

By Ben Chew with No comments

Kendrick Perkins Out For NBA Finals Game 7 With Knee Injury

Kendrick Perkins meets with the media after learning he will miss Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Perkins suffered a torn MCL and torn PCL early in Game 6 against the Lakers.

You can view the injury in the below video:

By RScott with No comments

Andy Murray And His Street Magic

Andy Murray brings his tennis magic to the streets of London in preparation for the 2010 Wimbledon tournament.

By RScott with No comments

Ron Artest And His Tweet Read By A Seven Year-Old Girl

Ron Artest lets everyone hear his opinion of the play of Kobe Bryant via twitter.

(Courtesy of That NBA Lottery Pick)

By RScott with No comments

Dr. Phil's Input On The LeBron Saga

Dr Phil analyzes the whole saga of the LeBron James and his free agency saga for Jimmy Kimmel Live's Game Time.

This is hilarious to say the least.

(Courtesy of That NBA Lottery Pick)

By RScott with No comments

Little Girl Cries About Being "Kyle Orton"

There are certain videos that we come across here at Outside the Boxscore that just make you think and some that are just heart-warmingly sad.

Here is a video about a little girl and her family when they decide to play a little game of catch and her unwillingness to be Kyle Orton.



(Courtesy of No Guts, No Glory)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Girl Pranks Boyfriend While He Tries to Watch Stanley Cup Finals

If you have learned anything while reading this site is that I do love a good prank or two.

One intrepid female decided to prank her boyfriend while he watched game six of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks.

She re-programmed his universal remote and decided to periodically turn the game on and off.

As you can figure, hilarity ensued!



(Courtesy of SI.com Hot Clicks)

By Ben Chew with 6 comments

The Total World Cup Experience: PUMA City NY at South Street Seaport

As reported here, to celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup, sportlifestyle brand PUMA has launched PUMA City NY, a month-long activation of the full brand experience featuring events, programs and parties for the soccer aficionado and the casual fan alike.

Situated in the heart of South Street Seaport along the Lower Manhattan waterfront, PUMA City NY opened its doors to the public on the first day of action in the 32-team tournament (June 11) and will remain buzzing with activity until the presentation of the FIFA World Cup trophy next month (July 11).

Building on the excitement and success of PUMA City Boston in 2008-09, PUMA redesigned PUMA City especially for New York and for the World Cup taking place in South Africa.

The new version of PUMA City consists of two separate shipping containers that have been specially designed and re-configured as a retail space. These “pop-up” shops are where PUMA apparel can be purchased, including replica jerseys for all PUMA-sponsored teams, New York-specific T-shirts, wrist bands and soccer balls as well as PUMA footwear such as lifestyle shoes and soccer boots.

The outdoor space of PUMA City NY consists of what has been dubbed the PUMA Beer Garden, in partnership with the Red Bar, which has essentially been converted into a World Cup viewing area where visitors can catch every game of this year’s tournament on several big screen televisions while sipping on a cold one.

Adjacent to the PUMA Beer Garden is a T-shirt customization area where jerseys or T-shirts purchased in the aforementioned “pop-up” stores can be customized at no additional cost.

PUMA City’s outdoor gaming area keeps the spirit of artistry, sport and competition alive between each World Cup contest with foosball and ping-pong tables as well as an artists’ station where visitors can customize and design soccer balls, T-shirts and create objects of all shapes and sizes out of select PUMA laces. The laces have been provided through a special charity program co-sponsored by PUMA and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).

In addition, PUMA City’s Football Pitch can be found merely a hop, skip and a jump away. The Football Pitch is where visitors of all ages can channel their inner Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo by participating in kids’ clinics, human foosball, pick-up games and tournaments while demoing PUMA’s brand new soccer boots that are being worn by the athletes in the World Cup.

After the last World Cup match has been played for the day and afternoon turns into evening, visitors can head over to the PUMA Social Club, a lounge/party bunker complete with a bar, foosball and ping-pong tables, and a resident DJ spinning today’s hottest tracks.

And with an entire calendar of events on tap for the duration of the World Cup, from Day 1 it has become readily apparent that PUMA City NY is the place to be for New Yorkers to drink in the total World Cup experience.

“We just want people to come down and have fun”, said PUMA North America Senior Director of Marketing Tara McRae. “PUMA is truly, truly excited about being able to prop up the city of New York for the World Cup, for the entire month, to celebrate.” McRae went on to add that, “I think you’re going to see a lot more of this from us.”

For the complete calendar of events at PUMA City go to www.pumacity.com.

For more information about the South Street Seaport go to www.thenewseaport.com.

Become a fan on http://www.facebook.com/puma and www.facebook.com/pumafootball or follow the happenings via twitter at @thepumastore and use #pumacity for any tweets about PUMA City NY.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a photo montage of PUMA City NY's opening weekend in pictures.

By RMM with 2 comments

Shannon Brown's Crazy Dunks in 2010 NBA Finals Game 6

This shouldn't come as a surprise that Lakers reserve Shannon Brown has some crazy dunking abilities.

He decided to show off a couple of masterful stuffs in game six of the 2010 NBA Finals and you might not believe your eyes on the last one.

By Ben Chew with No comments

To Sing Our National Anthem, General Larry Platt

It's been awhile since we heard from American's Idol General Larry Platt. You know that old guy who created the superstar hit, "Pants On The Gound".

Well, let's just say that Jimmy Kimmel Game Time decided to give General Larry Platt the honor of singing the National Anthem at an NBA Finals game.

Even if it was just super-imposed.

By Ben Chew with No comments