Evander Holyfield is one of the greatest boxers of all-time, though he’s commonly associated with the “ear biting” incident from a bought with Mike Tyson. Since his last fight in 2011, Holyfield has continued to battle, but in the court room instead of the ring.

The former unidsputed World Champion has been locked up in a child support battle over his daughter, Emani Holyfield, for some time and he doesn’t seem to be interested in taking care of his monthly payments.

According to TMZ, Holyfield is now in jeopardy of losing his drivers license after failing to pay over $300,000 in child support. The dispute has been an ongoing battle, and back in September Holyfield was held in contempt of court for his failure to pay after court documents revealed his overwhelming debt in the situation.

Originally, the Georgia Department of Human Services went after Evander Holyfield to collect money he owed towards his daughter’s child support of $372,097.40. In September, court documents explained that he owed $563,900.91, which led to higher monthly payments from the former boxer.

The courts ordered Holyfield to pay $2,950 a month until he paid off the debt, and the 50-year-old got a head start by putting down $17,700 with his first payment. Also, the judge ordered that a percentage of his income be marked to continually pay off the child support, according to another report by TMZ.

Back in June of 2012, a representative of Holyfield told TMZ that “Mr. Holyfield has a wonderful relationship with his daughter,” though no comments were made about the dispute.

The man who once earned $34 million for the “bite fight” with Mike Tyson in 1997 is now struggling to pay of his debt, or at the least just isn’t paying. Now the court plans on taking away his drivers license after he failed to make several payments.

With another hearing coming up in August, do you believe Evander Holyfield will pay off his child support debt after the long disputed court battle?

[Image via Akira Kouchiyama]

Evander Holyfield May Lose Drivers License Over Child Support Battle [Report] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Cincinnati Bearcats’ baseball team has an interesting, yet hilarious way of doing post-game interviews. No matter who gets the spotlight after a game, the rest of the team collaborates in skits behind the scenes in whats become a viral hit over night.

It’s common for college baseball players to be interviewed right on the field after a game, but any reporter who dares to take on the challenge at the University of Cincinnati baseball games will get much more than a quote.

Throughout the 2013 season, Bearcats’ ball players have been putting together some of the most creative skits in the backdrop as one of their teammates talks with a school reporter. From jousting to swimming, there seems to be a lot of ways to enjoy yourself while cleaning up the field after a ball game.

The team’s post-game shenanigans may have been a way to get over their struggles on the field, as they finished the 2013 regular season with a 24-32 record. Though Bearcats’ baseball only won 4-of-18 games on the road, they played much better at home; well enough to celebrate with theatrical performances during player interviews.

The same reporter can be seen in the majority of the cut scenes where players use creative skits in the background at Marge Schott Stadium, but he rarely loses focus and remains calm throughout the interviews.

Here’s video proof of the Bearcats’ baseball team taking post-game interviews to the next level.

As you can see, some players are working on the field, but others come in and out of the screen while acting out different scenes for the camera. Rarely do they break character, and their creativity produces some of the most masterful “photobombs” you will ever see.

From an explorer to a king on his throne, the Bearcats’ players will obviously have a profession to fall back on if they don’t make it to the big leagues.

Have you ever seen “photobombs” as creative as Bearcats baseball’s post-game interviews?

Bearcats Baseball Take Post-Game Interviews To Next Level [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Paul George and Roy Hibbert combined to score 51 points Friday night as the Indiana Pacers held off the Miami Heat to even the series in Game 2. LeBron James led all scorers with 36 points, but it wasn’t enough as two late turnovers cost the Heat any chance of taking a 2-0 series lead.

Roy Hibbert was unstoppable in the paint, and the 26-year-old finished with a playoff career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds in the 97-93 win. With the series tied at one, the Pacers now have home-court advantage as the teams’ move on to Indiana for Game 3 on Sunday.

The Pacers closed out the Heat with a 13-5 run in the final minutes, handing the defending NBA champions only their fourth loss in the last 50 games. Paul George made an impact once again, finishing with 22 points, two rebounds, and six assists.

David West forced the late turnovers by James, but he also added 13 points and seven rebounds in the contest. Guard George Hill pitched in 18 points while Lance Stephenson managed 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Pacers shot 50 percent from the floor while forcing 14 turnovers in the game. The Heat rallied in the third quarter, but a late rush by the Pacers cut any chance of a comeback.

“It’s one of the best basketball games I’ve ever been a part of,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said after the win. ”It wasn’t about LeBron making mistakes down the stretch. He played one of the best basketball games I’ve ever seen anybody play. We were just able to make a couple plays late in the game.”

It was LeBron James or nothing for the Heat on Friday, as the league’s MVP shot 14-for-20 from the floor while the rest of the starters shot 14-for-35 combined. Dwyane Wade pitched in 14 points, but he never really found his stroke in just over 40 minutes on the court.

The Pacers will now look to continue rolling as they head home for Game 3 at Bankers Life Field House. They’ve yet to lose at home in the playoffs after going 6-0 combined through the first two rounds.

Can Paul George and the Indiana Pacers take control of the series on Sunday?

[Image via Mark Runyon | Basketball Schedule]

Paul George, Roy Hibbert Lift Pacers Past Heat In Game 2 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Former Lakers player Flynn Robinson died on Thursday at the age of 72. Robinson, who played on the Lakers’ championship 1971-1972 team, died after a two-year fight with cancer.

The former NBA guard’s passing was announced by his wife, Nancy Pitts-Robinson, who informed the team. Late Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn nicknamed Robinson “Mr. Instant Point.”

The six-foot-one player averaged 9.9 points and 2.2 assists in 61 games during the 1971 to 1972 season. He helped the Lakers win an NBA-record 33 consecutive games, along with the franchises first-ever title in Los Angeles. Jeanie Buss, the executive vice president of business operations for the Lakers, stated of Robinson’s death:

“We are very sad to hear of the passing of Flynn Robinson. Flynn played an important role on the 1971-72 Lakers team.”

Buss added that Flynn Robinson’s nickname was perfect, because he averaged 10 points in 16 minutes off the bench. He led the reserves in scoring their championship season. She added:

“He was a proud part of our Lakers heritage, participating in numerous reunions and special events over the years, and he will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this time.”

Before joining the Lakers, Flynn was named an All-Star in 1970 with the Milwaukee Bucks. And 1970 was arguably Robinson’s best year. The guard averaged 21.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 81 games.

In seven NBA seasons with Cincinnati, Chicago, Milwaukee, the Lakers, and Baltimore, Robinson averaged 14.5 points and 3.1 assists. He finished his basketball career in the ABA with the San Diego Conquisatadors in 1973-1974.

When asked in an interview in 2008 if the 71-10 Chicago Bulls of 1995-1996 could have defeated the 1971-1972 Lakers, Robinson replied, “I don’t think none of them could’ve beaten us … I mean, we had a monster team.”

It is not clear what he did after retiring. Flynn Robinson passed away at Keck Hospital in Los Angeles after a two year battle with multiple myeloma.

Former Laker Flynn Robinson Dies At 72 is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Tim Duncan divorce is on “pause” during the NBA playoffs.

It is widely speculated that Duncan, the San Antonio Spurs superstar, and his wife Amy are going their separate ways after 12 years of marriage. As The Inquisitr has previously reported, there is a divorce case pending in Bexar County (San Antonio) District Court with the parties identified as A.S.D. and T.T.D. rather than their full names. Among other things, the divorce papers state that the couple married in July, 2001, which is when Tim and Amy were married.The divorce papers mention two children with the initials S.I.D. and W.D.D. The Duncans have two children named Sydney and Draven.

Tim and Amy were college sweethearts at Wake Forest, and according to TMZ, Amy initiated divorce proceedings because the marriage has become “insupportable because of discord and conflict.”

In the meantime, Duncan through his lawyers wants the case postponed until after the NBA season ends: “TMZ has obtained legal docs filed in Bexar County, Texas, in which Duncan makes the case that his employment ‘is currently making extraordinary demands on him and hopefully will continue to make those demands for the next 30 or so days.’  Translation — he’s banking on a ring.”

Tim Duncan has a prenuptial agreement which — if deemed enforceable by a judge –  may allow him to avoid being taken completely to the cleaners in the divorce.

The Spurs meet the Memphis Grizzlies in game three of the Western Conference finals tomorrow night.

Duncan has enjoyed a reputation for being unusually down to earth and low key and — at least to this point — not getting into the kind of predicaments that other pro athletes find themselves mixed up with.”Duncan, who is the only player in history to be named ALL NBA and ALL-Defensive Teams in each of his first 13 seasons, could pound his chest or demand his time in the spotlight, but he chooses to go about his business in anonymity, racking up championships and inching up the record books with each game … He’s the anti-superstar, a player who just wants to play and win and go home.”

Are you surprised that Tim Duncan reportedly is getting a divorce?

Tim Duncan Divorce On Hold For The Playoffs [Report] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mark Teixeira expects to play in the minors next Wednesday after missing the start of the 2013 season. Teixeira was placed on the 60-day disabled list in spring training after hurting his right wrist in early March, just before he planned on joining Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.

The Yankees’ first baseman may be ready to rejoin his club in early June after manager Joe Girardi watched him play a simulated game at the Yankees minor-league complex with third baseman Kevin Youkilis on Friday.

Youkilis is out with a sore back and also plans on rehabbing in the minor leagues soon. Teixeira plans on suiting up for the Trenton Thunder, the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, this coming week.

“If everything goes as planned, I’ll leave here Tuesday and play in Trenton Wednesday and Thursday,” Teixeira said on Friday, according to the Associated Press. “That’s the plan right now.”

The Yankees went into the 2013 season with over $80 million of their payroll on the disabled list, but it hasn’t affected their play on the field as they currently sit atop the American League East. Their rival, the Boston Red Sox, are only a game back as they enter play on Friday.

With a tight race in the AL East brewing, the Yankees have to be excited to have a few of their stars return to the lineup. Outfielder Curtis Granderson returned from injury last week and even came within a triple of the cycle this past Tuesday.

Mark Teixeira’s set for the minors to rehab before rejoining the team in June, barring any setback. Last season, Teixeira hit 24 home runs and drove in 84 runs with a .251 batting average.

His power will be a great addition to the Yankees’ lineup, though they’re already near the top of the league in home runs with 58 through their first 46 games.

Do you think Mark Teixeira is ready for a minors rehab stint to get back in the groove before he joins his teammates at Yankee Stadium?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Mark Teixeira Set For Rehab Stint In Minors Next Week is a post from: The Inquisitr

A French cyclist pedaled his bicycle to an incredible record of 163 mph today. OK, so Francois Gissy didn’t exactly pedal. He slightly modified his bicycle (by adding a rocket to the back of it) in order to set a new land speed record.

According to the Daily Mail, Gissy’s bike is powered by a hydrogen-peroxide rocket. Gissy designed the bike while Exotic Thermo Engineering (ETE) and engineer Arnold Neracher designed the rocket.

According to Gizmodo, the rocket is considered a monopropellant rocket. It pumps concentrated liquid hydrogen peroxide into a secondary chamber that contains a catalyst. The chemical reaction breaks down the hydrogen peroxide into water, oxygen, and 650 degree steam. The steam is forced through the rocket nozzle and propels the bike forward. In this case, the rocket sent the bike flying to 163 mph.

The rocket bike made its record setting run at an old runway at the Munchhouse in North Eastern France. Gissy’s bike beat the previous world record of 150 mph which was set in 2002. Gissy almost broke the overall powered bike speed record of 166 mph set by the Slipstream in 1995.

Here’s a video of the rocket bike. It’s the blur on the screen that flies by a little blue car.

Rocket Bike Hits 163 MPH, Sets Land Speed Record [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Phil Jackson won six NBA championships with Michael Jordan, but the legendary coach said if he were putting together dream team he would take someone else first.

Jackson said he would take Celtics legend Bill Russell to lead his team, even over Mike.

“In my estimation, the guy that has to be there would be Bill Russell. He has won 11 championships as a player,” Jackson said in an interview with Time. “That’s really the idea of what excellence is, when you win championships.”

By many measures, Russell had an even better career than Jordan. He was the centerpiece of a Celtics team that won 11 titles in the 1950s and 1960s, winning NBA MVP five times and being named to the All-Star team in 12 of his 13 seasons. Russell also won two NCAA championships with San Francisco and won a gold medal in the 1956 Olympics.

Jordan was close — earning six NBA titles — and was named MVP five times. Jordan also won two Olympic gold medals with the Dream Team and hit the game-winning shot to lead North Carolina to an NCAA title.

In a new memoir, Phil Jackson seemed to endorse Michael Jordan over Kobe Bryant. Admitting that he had deep-seeded problems with Kobe after the Lakers star was accused of sexual assault (a charge that would later be dropped), Jackson said Kobe doesn’t match up to Jordan in the leadership department.

“One of the biggest differences between the two stars from my perspective was Michael’s superior skills as a leader,” Jackson said. “Though at times he could be hard on his teammates, Michael was masterful at controlling the emotional climate of the team with the power of his presence. Kobe had a long way to go before he could make that claim. He talked a good game, but he’d yet to experience the cold truth of leadership in his bones, as Michael had.”

Phil Jackson may not have Michael Jordan or Bill Russell to pick from, but he does seem to be aiming for a return to the NBA. Jackson has reportedly been interested in several job openings, but in a front-office capacity rather than as a coach.

Phil Jackson: I’d Pick Bill Russell Over Michael Jordan is a post from: The Inquisitr

Washington Nationals’ relief pitcher Ryan Mattheus is expected to miss 4-6 weeks due to a broken right hand. Most injuries come on the field, but Mattheus broke his hand while punching a locker Sunday night.

The 29-year-old gave up five runs in one inning against the San Diego Padres that day and he obviously wasn’t too happy about it. The terrible inning of relief got the best of him as he took out his anger on a locker after the game.

According to the Washington Post, Mattheus didn’t immediately tell the Nationals about his “locker punch,” though he eventually informed the team which led to an exam of his pitching hand. An X-ray revealed soon after that his hand was fractured, which eventually led to the disabled list.

Punching a locker will easily get out the steam, but it’s a horrible way to deal with a bad outing, especially for a pitcher. The incident will cost Ryan Mattheus up to six weeks on the DL, and the right-hander will be sure to stay away from self-inflicting injuries from here on out.

In 14 appearances this season, Mattheus has a 4.96 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched. He has one blown save and three holds to go along with 12 strikeouts in the early season.

The timing isn’t the best for the Nationals, as they have failed to win a series in over two weeks. They’re coming off a series with the San Francisco Giants where they lost two-of-three games, dropping them 4.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.

The only good news to come of the entire ordeal is that Mattheus’ broken hand won’t require surgery, which would’ve kept him off the field for much longer than 4-6 weeks.

The Nationals’ still have high hopes for Mattheus, especially after his breakout season coming out of the bullpen in 2012. Mattheus appeared in 66 games and finished with 18 holds while sporting a respectable 2.85 ERA.

Do you believe Ryan Mattheus will recover in enough time to make an impact with the Nationals in 2013?

[Image via Cathy T]

Nationals Ryan Mattheus Likely To Miss 4-6 Weeks After Punching Locker is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tim Duncan is getting divorced. Maybe.

The extremely private NBA player has reportedly filed for divorce from his wife Amy. But before anyone jumps to any conclusions let’s look at the facts.

• The court papers filed in Bexar Country District Court involve a man with the initials T.T.D. This matches up with Duncan’s middle name of “Theodore.”
• The papers included a request that the legal discovery in the case be postponed until after the San Antonio Spurs’ season. Duncan plays for the Spurs.
• The divorce papers state that the couple married in July, 2001, which is when Tim and Amy were married.
• The divorce papers mention two children with the initials S.I.D. and W.D.D. The Duncans have two children named Sydney and Draven. The middle names of the children are not known but the birth dates appear to match up with the children’s ages.
• Richard Orsinger is representing A.S.D. Orsinger represented Tony Parker during his divorce to Eva Longoria.

Do you think Tim Duncan is getting divorced? Is there another couple with the initials of T.T.D. and A.S.D. who got married in 2011, have two children, and an undying love for the San Antonio Spurs?

Tim and Amy started dating in college at Wake Forest. Tim was playing for the basketball team and Amy was a cheerleader. Duncan got drafted into the NBA in 1997 and married Amy a few years later in 2001. The two have been married for more than a dozen years now but it looks like things could be coming to an end.

Do you think Tim Duncan is getting a divorce?

Tim Duncan Getting Divorced? Cryptic Court Documents Point To Marriage Trouble is a post from: The Inquisitr

Roy Hibbert took a knee to the groin by Shane Battier in Game 1 against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night and he believes the three-point specialist did it on purpose. Hibbert took the blow in the first quarter when Battier drove the lane for a lay-up.

Battier’s play was called for a charge, taking away the basket, and Hibbert immediately went down to the floor after taking the right-knee to the groin. The Pacers’ shot-blocker and force in the paint doesn’t think Battier’s groin shot was an accident in the slightest bit, but he still plans on protecting the basket as the series moves forward.

The Heat went on to beat the Pacers 103-102 after LeBron James hit a lay-up at the buzzer in overtime. The Pacers’ looked to have Game 1 in the bag when Paul George hit a 32-footer from behind the arc to tie the game at the end of regulation and then gained the lead with 2.2 seconds left after three free throws in overtime.

The win never came as the NBA’s MVP in LeBron James made the clutch lay-up to seal the dramatic victory. Roy Hibbert wasn’t on the court for the final play of the game, though it’s doubtful the knee from Battier has anything to do with it.

Pacers’ head coach Frank Vogel said after the game that he probably would’ve put Hibbert on the floor for the final play after looking back at it, but it’s too late now as the Heat took control with the Game 1 win.

On Thursday, the play between Hibbert and Battier became a hot topic of discussion on social media sites like Twitter, and the majort of responses said the play was “inadvertent.”

Roy Hibbert thinks otherwise, and he took to his own Twitter account to make it known how it felt about the controversial play.

U can knee or kick me every time u drive 2the rim. Ill be there 2protect the rim. That wasn’t inadvertent. Battier knew what he was doing

— Roy Hibbert (@Hoya2aPacer) May 23, 2013

Here’s the video of the groin shot in case you missed it.

Do you believe Shane Battier purposely kneed Roy Hibbert in the groin during the first quarter of Game 1?

[Image via Mark Runyon | Basketball Schedule]

Roy Hibbert Believes Shane Battier’s Groin Shot Was Intentional [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Steve Nash’s ex-wife Alejandra wants to move to Los Angeles so that the kids can be closer to their father. Nash really doesn’t want that to happen.

The NBA player isn’t against being closer to his kids (he did choose the Lakers over the Knicks for family reasons) but he doesn’t want to pay any additional child support. If his ex-wife and his children move to California he will likely be obligated to fork over more cash every month to support his family.

Nash reportedly pays 90% of all of his children’s medical, school and extracurricular activities as well as the majority of the nanny’s salary. Alejandra wants her ex-husband to pay more in child support but the NBA player argues that Alejandra is a millionaire in her own right and believes that he already gives more than enough.

A judge ruled in favor of Nash earlier this month but Alejandra has already filed an appeal. She’s also reportedly looking for a place in Los Angeles so that she can get a leg up in the child support battle.

Nash said that he doesn’t want the family to move to California because he isn’t certain how long he will be with the Los Angeles Lakes and he doesn’t want to uproot the family again. Alejandra, however, says that Nash is using his career is a smokescreen and that the real reason he doesn’t want the family to move west is because it would require him to pay more money in child support.

According to TMZ, a judge has issued a restraining order forbidding Alejandra to move into California until the trial next week.

Steve Nash Ex-Wife Alejandra Says That She’s Been Banned From Los Angeles is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Kansas City Royals are hanging tough in the AL Central to start the 2013 season, but whoever does the graphics for their broadcast obviously isn’t putting in too much of an effort like the ball club. A Royals’ graphic from their Thursday night broadcast has hit the web after it completely botches MLB players’ names and who they play for.

In the graphic, the Royals’ are asking viewers to text-in answers about which players on the list they would like to start a franchise with. There happens to be one pretty big problem, and that’s the multiple errors that go along with the broadcast’s poll.

Did you know Bryce Harper is actually named “Bryce Hunter” and currently plays for the Detroit Tigers instead of the Washington Nationals? Well, the Royals’ graphic can fill you in if you didn’t know.

Have you heard of that up and coming starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles named “Matt Jones” who is tearing up the league? Probably not, because his real name is Matt Harvey and he takes the mound for the New York Mets.

Can you believe the Orioles shipped rising star Manny Machado off to the Chicago White Sox? Neither can the White Sox, as he still plays for the Orioles and is currently tearing the cover off the baseball.

And little did you know that Mike Trout has been a member of the New York Yankees all along; well at least the Royals’ graphic says so.

The poll was sure to grab a lot of responses, but not to the actual question at hand: Which young player would you like to start a franchise with?

Instead, the Royals probably received a lot of histerical comments on their completely botched graphic. A shot of the poll has since made it rounds on Twitter, and ESPN’s Darren Rovell re-posted the photo, calling the mishap the “most #fail graphic of all time.”

Royals broadcast has most #fail graphic of all time twitter.com/travdawgks/sta… (via @travdawgks)

— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) May 24, 2013

As you can see, the Royals weren’t even close, and it doesn’t take a baseball whiz to notice it. Have you ever seen a graphic this far off before?

[Image via Conman33]

Botched Royals Graphic Is Full Of Errors is a post from: The Inquisitr

UFC president Dana White is defending the controversial decision to give $130,000 in bonuses to Bryan Caraway after Pat Healy tested positive for marijuana at UFC 159 last month.

Healy initially defeated Jim Miller via technical submission due to a rear naked choke at 4:02 in the third round. However, the NJSAC overturned Healy’s victory when his test results came back, since marijuana is a banned substance. The move to give the bonus money to Caraway wasn’t very well received by UFC fans or fighters, including Nate Diaz, who was suspended for calling Caraway a gay slur on Twitter.

“There are f***ing rules,” White said at a UFC 160 pre-fight scrum Thursday. “Whether it’s TRT, didn’t get an exemption, whether it’s steroids, diuretics, whether it’s pain pills, there’s things that are banned substances. And whether you like it or not, marijuana is one of them. And somebody said, ‘they took 90-percent of his purse.’ We didn’t take f***ing zero from his purse. We took 100 percent of the bonus that he wasn’t eligible for.”

He went on to say that, while he didn’t think marijuana should be a banned substance because he didn’t think it was performance enhancing, his opinion didn’t matter.

“Every fighter knows that you go in, and you use marijuana, and you get caught, you’re busted,” he said. “Now the commission’s going to come in — they took that fight away from him — and he’s going to get fined by the commission. He wasn’t eligible for that bonus.”

White went on to say that while people may dislike Caraway for saying on Twitter that he hoped he would get the bonus after Healy forfeited his Submission of the Night honor, he deserved the money because he followed the rules.

“He had a submission that night, and he followed the rules. He absolutely, 100 percent deserves that bonus,” White said. “What would it say if I gave that kid $130,000 for testing positive for marijuana and the guy who followed the rules doesn’t get it?! How does that make sense?”

Do you think the UFC made the right decision giving Pat Healy’s bonus money to Bryan Caraway?

UFC President Dana White Defends Giving Pat Healy’s Bonuses To Bryan Caraway is a post from: The Inquisitr

Charlie Weis hasn’t been the head coach at Notre Dame since 2009, but his buyout clause could reach upwards of $19 million over the next few years. So far, Notre Dame has already paid Weis millions ever since his firing in 2009, and the numbers look to be rising as he currently holds the clipboard for the Kansas Jayhawks.

According to federal tax documents that were provided to the Chicago Tribune, Weis has already received $10.8 million from Notre Dame and the full buyout could reach $18.9 million by December of 2015, when the final installment is paid by the school.

During his five-year span at Notre Dame, Weis led the Irish to back-to-back BCS bowl games, which they lost, in his first two seasons before missing out in 2007. They finished 7-6 the following year and went on to win the Hawaii Bowl, but he once again failed to lead the team past the regular season in 2009.

Weis was fired shortly after, though his time at Notre Dame helped rebuild a team that had fallen off in years past. Charlie Weis’ possible $19 million in buyout payments don’t reflect the Irish’s struggles on the field, though he did manage a 10-3 record in 2006 before being demolished in the Sugar Bowl by LSU.

His stay at Notre Dame was cut short considering he was expected to lead the team by to it’s former glory and remain the head coach for some time. After being fired, Weis was named the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL but he left after one season.

Weis left the Chiefs to take the same position at the University of Florida under head coach Will Muschamp, but once again he made the decision to leave after one year. The move to Kansas was highly criticized as the Florida Gators’ offense was no where near it’s potential under Weis.

Nevertheless, Weis took the head coaching postion at Kansas and he only won one game in 2012. He is now preparing for his second season with the Jayhawks after going 0-9 in the Big 12 Conference last year.

Does Charlie Weis’ $19 million buyout from Notre Dame look even worse now that he’s struggled to produce a winning formula at every stop since leaving the Fighting Irish?

[Image via Creative Commons | larrysphatpage]

Charlie Weis Buyout From Notre Dame Could Reach $19 Million By 2015 is a post from: The Inquisitr

New York Knicks star forward Amar’e Stoudemire is a dad for the fourth time.

According to US Weekly, the six time NBA All-Star and his lovely wife Alexis welcomed the birth of a beautiful baby boy earlier this week.

The 30-year-old NBA star tweeted the news Wednesday writing:

“We are proud to announce we added a healthy baby boy to the Stoudemire team,” Amar’e tweeted. “Alexis and the baby are doing great. #Blessed.”

Amar’e and Alexis, who’ve been an item since 2002, are already parents to two daughters, Assata, 4, and Are, 7, and son Amare Jr., 6.

After getting engaged in Paris in June 2012 — when Stoudemire presented Alexis with an 8.5-carat diamond — the two tied the knot in a secret ceremony on the rooftop of Amare’s apartment in New York City’s Greenwich Village neighborhood.

Just one month after their wedding, the Stoudemire’s announced they were expecting baby number four.

“We’re blessed that we were able to extend our family,” Amar’e told People at the time. “We’re both huge on having a nice size family. It was something we’ve been talking about for a while. It happened naturally and at the right time so it all worked out.”

Congratulations Amar’e and Alexis on the birth of baby number four!

Image: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

Amar’e Stoudemire Baby: Knicks Star Welcomes Fourth Child With Wife Alexis is a post from: The Inquisitr

Manchester City is off to a great start on their US summer tour, as they partnered with the New York Yankees to form Major League Soccer’s 20th expansion club earlier this week before rallying to beat Chelsea on Thursday night. In one of the most exciting friendly matches you will ever see, Man City fell behind 3-0 early and stormed back in the second half to beat Chelsea 4-3 in the final minutes.

A sold out crowd at Busch Stadium, the home of the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, came to watch the “battle of the Blues” in the first stop on the US Tour, and they surely got their money’s worth in the action-packed match.

Chelsea jumped out to an early lead in the 15th minute off a brilliant header by Demba Ba before Cesar Azpilicueta added to the lead with a penalty just before the half.

City defender Karim Rekik was beat by Chelsea’s Juan Mata as he entered the box, which led to a bad tackle and the penalty kick. Chelsea’s early lead would grow to three in the second half as Oscar scored in the 52nd minute.

Man City took over from there and a quick goal by Javi Garcia in the 62nd minute sparked the late rally for the Citizens. Edin Dzeko followed with two quick goals to even the score at three with just under five minutes left to play.

City continued to keep the pressure on Chelsea as the match moved into stoppage time, and Micah Richards sealed the win as he beat young goalkeeper Jamal Blackman.

Blackman was subbed into the match midway through the second half for Petr Cech with a 3-0 lead, but the 19-year-old was buried by the Citizens’ attack as he gave up the goal to Javi Garcia on the first shot he faced.

He settled down after the quick goal, but City’s persistent pressure continued to make a difference and they finally capitalized after missing multiple scoring chances in the first half.

The two-game U.S. Tour between City and Chelsea will now move to New York City for a match at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Chelsea hasn’t figured out Man City this season as they failed to beat the club in four matches before losing the friendly on Thursday.

Here’s the video highlights of Man City’s comeback win at Busch Stadium:

[Image via John Urquhart]

Man City Rallies From Three Goal Deficit To Beat Chelsea In Friendly At Busch Stadium [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Los Angeles Kings shutout the San Jose Sharks 3-0 Thursday night to regain control of the second-round series. Johnathan Quick was stellar in net and stopped all 24 shots he faced in the contest to push the Sharks to the brink of elimination.

San Jose had the Kings all figured out when they evened the series at two with back-to-back wins, but the defending Stanley Cup champions have been dominant at home and they proved it again on Thursday.

The Kings haven’t lost at home in over two months, and Quick’s performance in Game 5 made sure it would stay that way. Quick posted his third shutout of the playoffs after Anze Kopitar and Slava Voynov lit the lamp late in the game to give the Kings a 3-2 series lead.

Jeff Carter added an empty-net goal in the final minute to make it 3-0 Kings, though it didn’t make a difference as the Sharks failed to capitalize on opportunities early and never developed a late rush to get back in the game.

The Kings shutout gives Quick seven total in his postseason career, more than any other Kings’ goaltender in franchise history.

“‘We came out with a purpose,” Quick said after the game. “We knew what was on the line tonight, and I’m lucky to play with guys who care so much about winning. Top to bottom, I thought everybody played well, but it’s just three wins. We know that doesn’t mean anything.”

The Kings will now look to end the series on the road at the HP Pavilion in San Jose on Sunday where they lost Games 3 and 4.  A Sharks’ win will push the series back to Los Angeles for a Game 7 on Tuesday, though the team’s performance on Thursday would suggest their all but done.

The Kings outplayed the Sharks on both ends of the ice, and even picked up their physical presence on the boards. Aggressive play slowed down the Sharks’ offense early and the Kings capitalized late to push their home win-streak to seven straight in the playoffs dating back to last season.

Will the Los Angeles Kings win on the road Sunday to advance to the Western Conference Finals?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Kings Shutout Sharks 3-0 In Game 5 To Regain Series Lead is a post from: The Inquisitr

Women’s German soccer side Wolfsburg defeated Lyon in the Champions League final to inflict the French side’s first defeat in 118 games.

Lyon were clear favorites going into the game and were appearing in their fourth straight final, but it was the German team that completed a surprise victory on Thursday evening.

Wolfsburg won the game one-nil thanks to a second-half penalty from Martina Mueller with only 17 minutes left. This made then the first team to defeat the French champions in normal time in 120 matches.

Their victory wasn’t straight forward though, and only occurred after the favorites dominated the game for long periods. The French team had scored 129 goals in 21 league games so far this season, and in defense they only conceded five efforts.

This triumph confirmed Wolfsburg’s third title of the season, coming after they had won the Women’s Bundesliga and the German Cup in the past two weeks. Before this campaign they had never won a major trophy in their history.

Lena Goessling, who was the player of the match, remarked of their victory, “The way everything has happened over the last two weeks is just a dream.”

Ralf Kellermann, who coaches the winning side, stated that she was impressed by Stamford Bridge, where the game was held, noting, “I love these English stadiums and I am absolutely delighted.” He then called their display “a tactical master performance.”

Patrice Lair, Lyon’s manager was disconsolate in defeat, stating, “We are very disappointed, even though we do not lose very often. We didn’t pose enough of a threat and needed to be a bit more effective.”

On Saturday, two more German sides compete in the men’s Champions League final at Wembley Stadium when Bayern Munich take on Borussia Dortmund. Jupp Heynckes’ Bayern Munich are regarded as the slight favorites to beat their counterparts.

[Image via Stephen Mcsweeny/Shutterstock]

Women’s Soccer Team Finally Lose After 118 Games Unbeaten is a post from: The Inquisitr

Congratulations are in order for Nick Swisher and his wife JoAnna Garcia who welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world earlier this week.

People magazine reports that little Emerson Jay Swisher was born on Tuesday, May 21 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The child was the first for Swisher, 32, and his 33-year-old actress wife.

“We are overjoyed, blessed and so full of love that our daughter Emme has finally arrived,” the Swishers tell PEOPLE. “She is healthy, beautiful and vibrant. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

The couple, who married in December of 2010, announced they were expecting back in November.

A month later, Swisher and Garcia moved from New York City, where Nick played baseball for the Yankees, to Cleveland.

The Ohio native currently plays first base for the Cleveland Indians. Swisher is expected to return to the field Friday.

Prior to Emerson’s birth, Swisher revealed that he was more than ready for the little girl’s arrival.

“I am so excited. I never in a million years thought I’d have a little girl, but over the last six months, the pink and purple dresses that I’ve bought,” Swisher told Yahoo! earlier this month.

“My wife says, ‘You’re going to spoil that little girl so much.’ I talk to her every night. We’re only a couple weeks out now. Jo and I, we’re so excited to meet her and to bring her in the world and give her a whole heap of love. It’s that life-altering moment that I need. I’ve been cruising along. I’ve got a beautiful wife — she’s my best friend. I’ve got a great job and a beautiful home, and now it’s time to be a dad.”

Nick Swisher Welcomes Baby Girl With Wife JoAnna Garcia is a post from: The Inquisitr

J.A. Happ is continuing his recovery after being hit in the head with a line drive, and the Blue Jays pitcher says he could be back on the mound by June.

The 30-year-old pitcher has been rehabbing at Toronto’s minor league complex near Tampa, Florida, since the May 7 incident. He was pitching to the Tampa Bay Rays’ Desmond Jennings when a line drive hit him directly in the head, caroming well into the outfield.

Jennings, who ended up with a triple on the play, was visibly shaken and buried his face into his jersey. He watched on as team trainers rushed to J.A. Happ, who lay bleeding and motionless.

The play took place in the second inning of the game, leading to an 11-minute delay as medical personnel immobilized Happ, loaded him onto a stretcher, and carted him off the field.

J.A. Happ spoke publicly about the injury for the first time, saying he’s slowing getting back to full pitching ability.

“I’m hoping mid-June but I think it’s hard to put a time frame on it exactly at this point, just because I haven’t really been able to throw quite yet,” Happ said.

Happ said while he’s now throwing outdoors and is close to being physically ready, he can’t be sure what it will be like mentally to step on the mound for the first time.

He added that he doesn’t think he could have done anything differently to avoid the hit.

“Well, initially, I wasn’t sure what happened because to me it seemed like maybe I got hit from the first-base side, if there was like a collision somehow — cause I don’t remember seeing the ball at all and moving my head,” Happ said. “I thought something came in from the first-base side and knocked me over and then I guess for lack of better words, I was kinda looking [at] sort of an explosion — loud ringing. Everything else was quiet and just ringing in my ear and a lot of pressure, so that’s when my hands were on my head. I felt like I need to keep everything together. I was aware the whole time.”

J.A. Happ added that he’s had a great outpouring of support from fans and fellow players.

J.A. Happ Starts Throwing Outdoors, Eyes June Return is a post from: The Inquisitr

A San Francisco Giants fan managed to catch a foul ball whilst holding onto his baby at AT&T Park on Wednesday.

The San Francisco Giants were playing the Washington Nationals when the foul ball was hit into the stands towards the dotting father who was holding his baby in his left hand.

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford clipped the ball from a 2-1 pitch off the Nationals pitcher Tyler Clippard during the ninth inning of the game, and as it floated into the air the man just nonchalantly lifted up his right hand and caught the ball without ever looking like he might drop his child.

His catch caused a huge cheer to erupt from the stands, and the incident was then replayed for the commentators to pass judgment on.

The lead commentator states, “How about that play? We’re talking great athletes, all right let’s watch it … [the father catches the ball] not a problem. That’s a player.”

The co-commentator then chimes in, “The little guy has no idea what is going on.” To which the other responds, “He has no idea how cool his Dad is.”

In the past some father’s have been less concerned about the safety of their offspring, and the website Deadspin in 2010 amassed a highlight reel of father’s picking a foul ball over the well-being of their child.

In August 2010, a man at a Houston Astros game moved out of the way of an incoming ball which went on to hit his girlfriend in the face. This incident lead to the demise of their relationship.

In September 2009 a Phillies fan caught a foul ball at a Phillies vs. Nationals game only to then hand it to his young daughter who threw it back onto the field.

What did you think of the San Francisco Giants fans catch? Do you think you would have been able to complete the catch?

San Francisco Giants Fan Catches Foul Ball Whilst Holding Baby [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The ‘colored’ comment by the European Tour’s CEO, George O’Grady, has landed him in hot water on Thursday after he made the remark on live television. O’Grady was reacting to the battle between Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods in which Garcia also used the wrong choice of words earlier this week.

In response to Garcia’s “fried chicken” comment, O’Grady said Thursday that “most of Sergio’s friends are colored athletes in the United States.”

The Euro Tour’s CEO quickly apologized for using the offensive word, though he didn’t really explain any reason behind it. He said he regrets “using an inappropriate word in a live interview.”

Though he doesn’t get into detail, he went on to add,  ”I unreservedly apologize.”

Ever since The Players Championship, Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods have been exchanging jabs through the press and it all boiled over when Garcia made the “fried chicken” comment at an event for the BMW Championship on Wednesday.

Tiger considered the racist remark to be “hurtful,” and Garcia has since apologized over 10 times. Throughout the majority of the smack talk between the two golfers, Woods has kept particularly quiet while Garcia seemed to keep coming back with more talk.

All that talking has turned against him, and now George O’Grady has joined him by adding the “colored” comment to the situation. The original dispute could have been avoided in the first place, as Garcia was upset during The Players because he believed Tiger Woods distracted him during a shot in the third round.

The back-and-forth smack talk obviously didn’t affect Woods on the course as he went on to win the tournament that Sunday while Garcia found the water off the 17th tee-box on two straight shots to knock himself out of contention.

There’s no telling if the “war of words” will go any further, but it’s almost a certainty that nobody will be mentioned anything about race going forward. It’s one thing to get upset with a fellow golfer because of on-the-course habits or disagreements, but it’s another when those exchanges turn personal.

Do you believe George O’Grady’s “colored” comment has pushed the dispute even further?

Euro Tour CEO Apologizes For ‘Colored’ Comment is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rumors began surfacing this week that Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy would be named the next head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, and the team made it official on Thursday. Roy won two Stanley Cups as a member of the Avalanche over an eight year span after 10 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, and he will now look to lead the team back to it’s former status as a contender in the Western Conference.

He’s also been named the vice president of hockey operations, joining former teammate Joe Sakic, who was hired earlier this month. Avalanche president Josh Kroenke made it official in a statement, giving Roy the reigns behind the bench at the Pepsi Center.

“This is a very exciting day for our fans and a significant moment in our organization’s history,” Kroenke said in the Avalanche’s press release. “Patrick’s passion for the game of hockey both as a player and as a coach defines who he is as a person. He is a winner and is coming back to Denver where he created numerous special moments on and off the ice while helping lead us to two Stanley Cup championships.”

His old buddy Joe Sakic, who will also be responsible for getting the Avalanche back to playoff form, also chimed in on the decision to have Roy lead the team.

“All along Patrick was our top candidate and we are thrilled that he has decided to accept this offer,” Sakic said about his old teammate. “Patrick has a great hockey mind, is a tremendous coach and there is no one more passionate about this game. He will bring that winning attitude to our dressing room to help this young team grow.”

The task ahead will be a tough one, as the Avalanche have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and five of their last seven. Before their struggles, the Avalanche clinched a playoff berth in their first nine seasons after the franchise moved from Quebec.

Patrick Roy will replace Joe Sacco, who was fired from his post as head coach shortly after the 2013 regular season ended. During his four-year span leading the Avalanche, Sacco managed a 130-134-30 record while only appearing in the playoffs once.

The 2009-10 playoffs experience was short lived for the Avalanche, as the team was knocked out in the quarterfinals by the San Jose Sharks in six games.

Can Patrick Roy lead the Avalanche back to the playoffs in 2014 or will it take time to rebuild on the legacy he started in 1995 as a player?

[Image via Jessica C]

Colorado Avalanche Officially Name Patrick Roy As New Head Coach is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Boston Bruins have pushed the New York Rangers to the brink of elimination, and John Tortorella’s team will be without one of their stars in Brad Richards in Game 4 as they look to stay alive. Richards has been scratched from the crucial game after struggling on the ice and dropping to the fourth line.

The 33-year-old signed a nine-year contract worth upwards of $60 million with the Rangers after becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2011. His first season in New York went quite well as he posted 66 points after appearing in all 82 games.

This year, in his second season with the Rangers, Richards began as a star player on the first line but he won’t be on the ice Thursday as the team looks to fend off elimination.

In the Rangers’ 10 playoff games this year, Richards has posted just one point off a goal in Game 4 against the Washington Capitals in the first round. He won’t have the chance to do it again when the Rangers face the Bruins on Thursday, as he’ll be wearing a suit and cheering on his teammates instead of joining them on the ice.

Tortorella’s decision may be the beginning of the end for Brad Richards with the Rangers, and Rick Carpiniello of the Rangers Report Blog believes a buyout is in the works after the playoffs come to an end.

“The Rangers will use their one remaining compliance buyout within the new CBA to end Richards’ relationship with the team this summer,” Carpiniello said in a blog post Thursday. “Richards, who received $12 million in 2011-12 and most of his $12 million for the lockout 2013 season, will get a $24 million going-away present this summer (spread out over twice the remaining seven years), removing his contract from the books and his salary from the decreasing salary cap.”

The Rangers haven’t addressed Richard’s overwhelming contract just yet as their focus remains on climbing back in the series.

Do you believe Brad Richards stay with the New York Rangers will end this offseason after he was scratched from Game 4 against the Bruins?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Rangers Scratch Brad Richards From Game 4, Bruins Look To End Series is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tom Brady said he wasn’t surprised to see friend and favorite target Wes Welker bolt the New England Patriots this offseason.

Though Brady and Welker were close, and Tom even took a pay cut to free up cap space so the team could sign players like Welker, Brady said it’s just the nature of the business.

“I don’t think anything surprises me anymore in the NFL,” Brady he said on the Dennis & Callahan Show on WEEI sports radio in Boston. “I’ve been around long enough to see things happen at different times with the greatest players of all, whether that’s Wes or Randy Moss being traded by the Raiders or Brett Favre and playing for the Jets and Vikings.”

Welker signed with the Denver Broncos in a two year deal is worth $12 million, adding another target for quarterback Peyton Manning. Last year Wes Welker caught 118 passes for 1,354 yards, the second highest total of his career. Two years ago Welker notched 1,569 yards.

“That’s what happens. This is a, like I said, it’s a very tough, competitive business, and nobody appreciated Wes more than I did and what he was able to accomplish for our team. He’s moved on; he’s in a good situation with another great team and a great quarterback. We always kind of kept in touch, we always will. He’s one of my best friends.”

But it wasn’t always so easy to accept the harsher side of the football business, Brady added:

“Of course I have feelings, but those feelings are very personal to me. I used to get caught up in angry and disappointment, but I don’t make the decisions. These things aren’t up to me. At some point you’ve got to realize the things that are out of your control, you’ve just got to let go, focus on my job and what I need to do. The game moves on, the team moves on, there’s only so long you can dwell on the past, and at some point you’ve got to move forward.”

Tom Brady and Wes Welker will get a chance to reunite on the field this season. The Patriots fave the Broncos on November 24.

Tom Brady: Not Surprised Wes Welker Left Patriots is a post from: The Inquisitr

Derek Jeter’s Starbucks’ cup read “Philip” as he exited the popular coffee chain’s store in Greenwich Village in New York City on Wednesday. Either Jeter’s secretly been hiding his real name during his 18-year Major League career, or the Yankees’ star shortstop used a fake name when he dropped in to grab a “cup of Joe.”

It isn’t odd to see an athlete cover up in public, almost to the extent where they are unrecognizable, but Derek Jeter appeared at Starbucks as himself in a t-shirt and jeans, though he may not of used his real name while making a purchase.

A photo of Jeter leaving the Starbucks began circulating on the web and it’s blatantly obvious that the cup says “Philip.” Maybe Jeter walked out with another man’s cup that was actually named Philip, but the most likely scenario remains to be the use of a fake name.

Philip Jeter? No, that can’t be right, and anyone who’s been around the game of baseball, especially in New York City, would know Derek Jeter when they see him.

The 38-year-old surely wasn’t hiding his face, and who knows, maybe the cashier went along with it for fun even though he or she knew exactly who he was.

Nevertheless, Derek Jeter’s Starbucks cup will remain a mystery. Was Jeter simply using a fake name, or do we have the first Major League All-Star turned undercover Starbucks thief on our hands?

Here’s a side-by-side photo of Jeter as he was leaving the Starbucks in Greenwich Village that Bleacher Report posted on Twitter.

Derek Jeter’s Starbucks alias is “Philip”. So… is he stealing lattes or avoiding recognition? (via @gothamist) twitter.com/BleacherReport…

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 23, 2013

As you can see, the close-up on the right distinctly reveals the name “Philip” on the cup. Scenarios behind the name could go on forever, and the New York Post went on to suggest that their could have been a guy named Philip cruising through the streets of New York with a Starbucks cup that read, “Derek.”

Do you believe Derek Jeter’s Starbucks cup gaffe was a common mistake or a fake name used by the five-time World Series champion?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Derek Jeter Starbucks Cup: Yankees Star Uses Fake Name In NYC is a post from: The Inquisitr

It probably wasn’t the best idea to buy a snow cone from a Houston Astros’ vendor, at least until now. The struggling Astros’ team isn’t the only part of the organization not getting the job done, as a friendly visitor at Minute Maid Park caught a vendor, with his pants down, on camera in a bathroom stall with the snow cones fans regularly purchase throughout a ballgame.

It’s not unusual for an employee to take a restroom break, but this man decided to take his work with him as he brought the rest of his snow cones into the stall and placed them on the floor. The stunned fan immediately reacted by pulling out his cell phone and snapping a quick video of the odd scene.

As the fan walked back and forth in disgust, another employee entered the restroom. After the employee acknowledged that he worked for the team, the fan gave it to him straight, informing the man that a vendor is “taking a s–t” with his “snow cone tray” on the floor.

He went on to make it known that he was getting the whole thing on tape just before the video cuts out.

” I need to speak to your supervisor, that’s real talk,” the man said before he stopped recording.

His plea against the disgusting scene by an Astros’ vendor quickly made its way to the front office, and newly appointed president Reid Ryan had one of the oddest situations he’ll ever encounter, and he hasn’t even been with the team for over a week.

Local 2, a Houston TV station, investigated the incident and even spoke with the new Astros’ president about the gross behavior of his vendor.

“”Well, right away, I just thought, ‘We gotta let this guy go. There is no doubt about it.’ That was my decision,” Reid Ryan told Local 2′s Bill Spencer.

The Astros’ vender was fired for his behavior, and here’s the video that will keep the unknown employee from selling snow cones anytime soon.

[Image via Brian Reading]

Houston Astros Vendor Fired For Bringing Snow Cones Into Bathroom Stall [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chuck Norris has penned an ode to quarterback Tim Tebow in hopes of finding the guy a new job.

Apparently the 80s action hero is a pretty big fan of the QB. In fact, he’s such a rabid supporter of Tebow’s abilities that he wrote a 1,500-word ode to the professional football star in hopes that an NFL team discover the young quarterback’s inherent greatness.

Chuck Norris understands that people have criticized Tebow’s technical abilities, though the action hero seems to focus more on the quarterback’s skills as a natural born leader than anything else. Judging from his ode, Norris sees a lot of himself in the young star.

“I’ve heard the so-called critics say Tebow has poor technical skills, but the truth is that Tim is a natural-born leader, an amazingly gifted football player, an inspiration to his team and the possessor of intense determination and strategy to bring any team to victory — no matter what the odds,” Norris explained.

He added, “One can improve technique, but leadership is innate. That is why I believe Tebow could be a super star and legend in the NFL.”

The ode he penned for WND also includes a bit of Chuck Norris lore involving his students. The Invasion USA star said that he and Tebow are not really not all that different from one another.

Norris continued:

“I would spar with my black belts in class, and sometimes they would outscore me. Yet in the tournaments, I would defeat them. My students used to ask me, ‘Why can we contend equally against you in class, but we can’t beat you in the tournaments?’ My answer was always the same, ‘When it counts, I rise to the occasion.’ The same is true of the former Heisman Trophy winner.”

Why does Chuck Norris think a team should sign Tebow as soon as possible? According to the movie star, Tim could essentially transform a ho-hum team into something great.

“Tebow works miracles on the field, and his inclusion would embolden the spirit of the Jaguars among the team and fans. Plus — and this has no reflection on the current quarterbacks — Tim is from Florida, where he bears a victor legacy and an extensive fan base, to boot, from his days with the Gators,” Norris wrote.

Among other things, the action hero attempted to persuade Jaguars owner Shad Khan to sign Tebow by dropping a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right,” Norris wrote.

What do you think about Chuck Norris’ ode to Tim Tebow? Do you agree with the 80s action star’s thoughts on the quarterback?

[Top Image via - Millennium Films - Bottom Image via Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com]

Chuck Norris Pens Loving Ode To Tim Tebow is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Vancouver Canucks fired head coach Alain Vigneault after another disappointing first-round exit from the NHL playoffs.

The Canucks were swept by the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference quarterfinals despite holding home ice advantage.

This is the second consecutive year that the team was eliminated in the first round and the front office decided that sweeping changes were necessary.

Vancouver president and general manager Rick Gillis announced that Vigneault had been let go along with two assistant coaches.

“We have made the very difficult decision to relieve Alain Vigneault, Rick Bowness and Newell Brown of their coaching duties,” he said. “Alain, Rick and Newell worked tirelessly to lead this team to great on-ice success.

“I am personally grateful to each of them and their families for their commitment to the Canucks and wish them continued success in future.”

Vigneault led the Canucks to the President’s Trophy two years ago as the top-regular season team and made it all the way to the Stanley Cup playoffs, only to lose in seven games to the Boston Bruins.

He was rewarded with a contract extension in 2012 but was just 1-10 in his last 11 playoff games.

Vigneault thanked his players and the fans and revealed that Vancouver has been good to him during his stay in the city.

“Over the past seven years, I have made many good friends in Vancouver and had the chance to coach quality players who cared deeply about their profession and were committed to winning,” he said.

“To work in a city with such passionate and loyal fans is a privilege and I enjoyed every moment of it.”

Vigneault leaves the Canucks with a 313-170-57 regular-season record and a Coach of the Year award in 2007.

The Vancouver Canucks fired coach Alan Vigneault, but it remains to be seen if the franchise can hire a new coach that matches his hockey pedigree.

Vancouver Canucks Fire Coach Alain Vigneault is a post from: The Inquisitr

Brian Urlacher is retiring from the NFL after spending 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears. According to reports, Urlacher turned down a $2 million, one season offer.

As a linebacker for the Chicago Bears, Urlacher led a massive defensive squad that was largely responsible for the Bears wins amongst horrid offensive play over the last decade.

In a statement regarding his decision to retire, Urlacher wrote:

Brian Urlacher Retiring After Turning Down $2 Million Offer is a post from: The Inquisitr

Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery believes that his club will beat Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final on May 25.

The 30 year old winger is teeming with confidence ahead of the all-German encounter at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

Ribery thinks that Bayern’s familiarity with its Bundesliga foe will prove to be the difference in the showpiece event on Saturday afternoon.

“We know Dortmund inside-out,” he began. “If we’re all willing and ready to give our all than we’ll emerge victorious.”

Bayern has made it to three out of the last four Champions League finals and lost out on penalties in front of its own fans at the Allianz Arena last year.

Ribery admits that they must not tighten up in the biggest game of the club soccer calendar.

“It will be crucial not to put too much pressure on ourselves,” he said. “I don’t know if we’ll ever make the Champions League final again, which is why we want to give it everything we got to finally hoist the trophy.”

Bayern finished a whopping 25 points ahead of Dortmund in the Bundesliga standings and Ribery believes his team is better but refuses to underestimate Jurgen Klopp’s side, which beat Real Madrid in the last four to advance to the final.

“Put simply, we are stronger. But Dortmund is a difficult side to play against. I was impressed with how they beat Real Madrid in the semis.”

Bayern advanced to the semifinals with an impressive 7-0 aggregate win over Barcelona and are seen by many as the favorites ahead of the crunch clash.

Bayern and Dortmund have squared off on four different occasions in the 2012-13 campaign, with the Bavarians winning two and drawing two.

Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery hopes his team can add to its recent dominance of Borussia Dortmund with a win in the Champions League final on Saturday.

Franck Ribery In Confident Mood Ahead Of Champions League Final is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Pittsburgh Penguins took care of business on Wednesday night by thrashing the Ottawa Senators 7-3 in Game 4 at Scotiabank Place.

Sidney Crosby and company now hold a commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal and can close out the series in Pittsburgh on Friday.

James Neal and Jerome Iginla led the way with two goals each while Crosby, Pascal Dupuis, and Chris Kunitz also scored for the Penguins.

It was the Sens though that came out flying in the opening period, and they took the lead just 2:29 into the game through Milan Michalek. Kyle Turris then restored Ottawa’s advantage less than two minutes after Neal had tied things up.

However, Pittsburgh stormed back with two goals from Kunitz and Iginla in the first 1:48 of the second period to take a 3-2 lead that it would not relinquish.

Crosby commended his team for not hanging their heads after the opening 20 minutes and said they knew the goals would come eventually.

“It would have been easy to get frustrated after the first period with how that went and the chances we created,” he stated.

“We trusted the way we played and ended up getting some goals. It’s always great to see your teammates have success.”

Special teams play then helped the Penguins pull away in the third frame as Neal scored his second of the game on the power play before Dupuis took the air out of the building with a short-handed goal.

Crosby and Iginla also found the back of the net before Daniel Alfredsson scored a consolation goal late in the final period.

Alfredsson wasn’t too concerned about the heavy defeat though and expects his team to exact a measure of revenge in Game 5.

“I know what we are going to do,” he said. “We are going to go out and play one hell of a game. That doesn’t worry me at all. We never quit and that’s not going to stop now.”

It remains to be seen whether the Ottawa Senators will stave off elimination when they travel to the Consol Energy Center to face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night.

Pittsburgh Penguins Rout Ottawa Senators in Game 4 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sergio Garcia didn’t chose his words wisely when speaking at a function for the European Tour’s BMW Championship on Wednesday, and he’s now facing pressure from his sponsors. The 33-year-old is in deep water after what looked to be a racist comment towards Tiger Woods, the world’s number one golfer who Garcia is obviously not too fond of.

When asked if he would invite Woods to dinner at the upcoming US Open, Garcia responded with a racist joke that may come back to hurt him.

“We’ll have him ’round every night,” Garcia said at the function, according to various media reports. “We will serve fried chicken.”

Using “fried chicken” as the main course in a jokingly manner doesn’t help solve his issues with Tiger Woods, and it will also cost him the support of many fans and possibly his sponsors.

Adidas criticized Garcia for his remarks towards Woods, and his multiple apologies aren’t going to save him this time.

“Sergio Garcia’s recent comment was offensive and in no way aligns with TaylorMade-adidas Golf’s values and corporate culture,” the company said in a statement.

TaylorMade is a golf equipment company that sponsors Garcia and is owned and operated by Adidas. The company’s statement doesn’t only express their disappointment in the Spanish golfer’s comment, but it also leaves room for further action.

“We discussed with Sergio that his comments are clearly out of bounds and we are continuing to review the matter,” the company added.

It’s obvious Garcia’s apology wasn’t enough, and the racial remark also didn’t sit well with Tiger Woods, who took to Twitter to express how he felt about the situation.

The comment that was made wasn’t silly. It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate…

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 22, 2013

The original dispute all started at The Players Championship when Garcia complained that Woods interrupted him while taking a shot. Woods’ disagreed, and the smack talk took over from there.

Tiger Woods’ didn’t say much, and he really didn’t need to as he went on to win the tournament and is currently off to one of the best starts in his career.

Do you believe Sergio Garcia will lose his sponsors after further review of his “fried chicken” comment?

[Image via Craig ONeal]

Adidas Responds To Sergio Garcia’s ‘Fried Chicken’ Comment is a post from: The Inquisitr

LeBron James to the rescue! The Miami Heat’s superstar beat the buzzer in overtime Wednesday night to beat the Indiana Pacers 103-102 in Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals.

James finished with a triple-double, but his last second lay-up saved the Heat from an upset at home to start the series. The Pacers’ Paul George thought he would have the last laugh after draining a crucial three-pointer to send the game into overtime at the end of regulation, but James had other ideas as he stole the victory in front of a sold-out crowd at American Airlines Arena.

James finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the back-and-forth contest. There were a total of 18 ties and 17 lead changes in the game, which looked to favor the Pacers in the final seconds of overtime.

Paul George didn’t stop with his 32-footer with 0.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter as he made three clutch free throws with 2.2 seconds left in overtime to give the Pacers a 102-101 lead.

With Roy Hibbert on the bench for the final play, LeBron James took advantage and drove the lane for a last second lay-up that sealed the Game 1 win for the Heat.

‘Two teams fought hard,” James said after the game. ”We were able to make one more play.”

That one play could go a long way as the overpowering Miami offense has no plans of losing Game 2 at home. The Pacers would love to steal a game on the road before returning to Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but James and company haven’t lost a Game 2 in the playoffs, or a Game 3, and don’t forget Game 4.

The Pacers left it all on the court Wednesday night, but it didn’t slow down the Heat as four-of-five starters finished in double figures. Dwyane Wade pitched in 19 points while Chris Bosh added 17.

Mario Chalmers finished with 10 points on four-of-seven shooting while Chris Anderson dropped 16 points off the bench. Outside of Paul George’s big night for the Pacers, David West managed 26 points and five rebounds in the the loss.

Game 2 is Friday as the Pacers will look even the series at one before returning home. Do you think the Indiana Pacers can slow down LeBron James and the Miami Heat as they battle for a spot in the NBA Finals?

[Image via Keith Allison]

LeBron James Saves Heat In OT Win Over Pacers [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Could Dwight Howard be headed to the Mavericks? If Mark Cuban gets his way, the answer could be yes.

Dallas is reportedly trying to swing a deal that would give away the team’s No. 13 draft pick in order to clear up space for the former Lakers center. The Mavericks have been looking for another star to complement Dirk Nowitzki, and Dwight Howard is the biggest name out there this free agent season (Chris Paul is also a free agent but expected to stay with the Clippers).

If the Mavericks can find a buyer for the first-round pick, it would free up about $1.65 million in cap space, according to Chad Ford at ESPN.

Dwight Howard said he wants to take free agency slowly, meeting with several teams to see which situation fits best, wrote Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. It would be much like the free agent strategy of LeBron James, who went into the 2010 offseason as a highly sought-after free agent and met with several teams before choosing the Miami Heat.

When free agency comes in six weeks, Dwight Howard will likely see interest from several NBA teams. Aside from Dallas he is also getting interest from Houston, which would have a good supporting cast and the cap space to bring in the All-Star center.

Howard had a short and disappointing stint with the Lakers. Brought in along with Steve Nash in an attempt to create the Miami Heat of the Western Conference, the team stocked with talent failed to gel. After a slow start, the Lakers salvaged the season and made the playoffs but were swept in the first round.

Howard was particularly disappointing. He struggled to fit in on the court and got into some behind-the-scenes drama with management and other players.

If Dwight Howard doesn’t go to the Mavericks, the team could still be in the hunt for another big player. Nowitzki told the team he would be willing to take a pay cut so the team has cap space to make more moves.

Dwight Howard To Mavericks? Mark Cuban Trying To Swing A Deal is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kevin Durant’s massive back tattoo is done. The only problem is, the Oklahoma City Thunder player’s new inky may have a typo.

Durant’s tattoo obsession was first revealed two summers ago, surprising many of his fans. His self expression began with a series of tattoos covering his torso, but the latest ink covers the basketball player’s entire back.

The new tat has significant meaning to Durant and includes several things like an angel carrying a basketball, two hands depicting a three and a five, for Durant’s number, and the word “Maryland,” as a tribute to the star’s home state.

But the piece apparently wasn’t complete yet. Kevin Durant unveiled the latest addition to his growing tattoo collection on Instagram. Next to a picture of Jesus’ face, Durant has Scripture. Specifically, James 1:2-4. The Bible verse reads:

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”

Only one thing. Kevin Durant’s back tattoo appears to have a typo. The final sentence, instead of reading, “mature,” actually appears to say “mautre.” Despite the lessons Durant has had on and off the court, it appears he may have missed one — always spell check, especially on tattoos.

Fortunately, it appears the Oklahoma City Thunder player was able to get the spelling mistake fixed. After picking up on the chatter online about his misspelled back ink, Durant Instagrammed a new picture, captioning it, “I got mature spelled the right way lol.”

Along with getting more ink, Kevin Durant also announced this week his plans to donate $1 million to the victims of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado.

[Images via Instagram]

Kevin Durant’s Back Tattoo May Have Typo is a post from: The Inquisitr

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly has recently been placed on the hot seat after his ball club’s slow start, but he made a gutsy decision Wednesday afternoon that seems to have paid off. The skipper decided to bench Andre Ethier to put his “most competitive” lineup on the field and the move must of sparked something, as the Dodgers went on to beat the Brewers 9-2.

Though Ethier is only hitting .264 on the season, he is tied for second on the team with four home runs and has produced in the lineup for years, making Mattingly’s decision a bit questionable, or did it? Scott Van Slyke, a 26-year-old with 27 games of experience coming into this season, replaced Ethier in the lineup on Wednesday and went two-for-four with two RBIs.

The Dodgers broke out to a 7-0 lead after three innings and Hyun-Jin Ryu took care of the rest on the mound. The star rookie from South Korea held the Brewers scoreless until the sixth inning when Ryan Braun hit a solo home run to deep left center.

The Brewers scratched across another run off a Jonathan Lucroy single in the eighth that ended Ryu’s day. The left-hander went 7.1 innings with four strikeouts after giving up two runs on six hits.

He was never truly threatened at any point, and it didn’t hurt when his teammates gave him a six run lead after a huge second inning. The Dodgers went on to add two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth when Van Slyke doubled in Matt Kemp and then scored on a double play.

Brandon League came in and finished off the Brewers in the ninth to take two-of-three games on the road at Miller Park. Mattingly’s decision to bench Ethier paid off after all, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see the slugger back in the lineup when the team goes home to face the Cardinals on Friday.

Do you believe Andre Ethier deserved to be in the Dodgers’ lineup for the rubber match against the Brewers on Wednesday afternoon?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Andre Ethier Benched In Dodgers 9-2 Win Over Brewers is a post from: The Inquisitr

A 66-pitch perfect game was tossed by St. Francis High School senior Michael Strem last Wednesday.

Strem and the top-seeded St. Francis Lancers defeated Monta Vista in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation Central Coast Section Division 1 playoffs. Strem’s perfect game in which he obviously retired all 21 batters that he faced in the seven-inning contest also included 48 strikes and eight strikeouts, so he averaged about three pitches per batter. It was also the first perfect game in the Mountain View, Calif., high school’s athletic history.

St. Francis won the game 2-0 on a sixth inning single by Michael Strem teammate Mark Cardinalli, so opposing pitcher Peter Stern also did a fine job in the playoff matchup. Stern allowed only three hits, walked three, and struck out eight in six innings. The Lancers went on to defeat Valley Christian-San Jose on Saturday by a score of 3-0 in the quarter finals, with Michael Strem notching a one-out save in relief of southpaw John Gavin. The St. Francis Lancers advance to play Palo Alto today in the CCS semi finals.

The senior’s perfect game is not necessarily what you might call a fluke. This season, Strem recorded a dominating 10-1 mark in 13 appearances with a 1.12 ERA and 71 strikeouts. The righty also has a .400 batting average with 40 hits and 17 RBI along with a .995 OPS and five stolen bases. He is reportedly heading to Boston College in the fall.

“It’s a pretty amazing, special day that I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Strem said of his 66-pitch perfect game. Added Strem: “It definitely helped that the game was close because I couldn’t lose focus at all. And this being a CCS game, we knew that tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed so we had to step up as a team. The important thing was to get the win.”

66 Pitch Perfect Game Tossed By California High School Ace is a post from: The Inquisitr

Michael Crabtree’s torn Achilles may force the up and coming wide receiver to miss the entire 2013 NFL season. The San Francisco 49ers lost the Super Bowl last season to Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens, and now they’ve lost their star receiver after the devastating injury.

Crabtree’s injury came during organized team activities (OTA’s) on Tuesday and he will most likely undergo surgery that could keep him out for the upcoming season, according to USA Today. The 25-year-old has shown signs of stardom throughout his first four seasons with the 49ers, but he now faces the biggest setback of his career before his fifth season comes to full swing.

Crabtree’s career wasn’t off to the greatest of starts after he was picked 10th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft by the 49ers, as his mediocre rookie season didn’t live up to expectations. In his first season in San Francisco, Crabtree appeared in 11 games and posted two touchdowns on 625 receiving yards.

He would fail to reach the 1,000 yard marker over the next two seasons, but he broke out last year as the 49ers gained momentum and made a run to the Super Bowl. The Texas Tech product started all 16 games last season for the first time in his career while going for 1,105 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Now Crabtree has a torn Achilles and might not see the field at all this upcoming season. Though some players have made quick returns from ACL injuries, the 49ers may take their time with Michael Crabtree to preserve his future in the NFL.

Up until the injury on Tuesday, skies were the limit for the talented wideout, and if the 49ers hope to have themselves a prominent athlete on the outside for years to come, they won’t push him while he recovers.

Do you believe Michael Crabtree’s torn Achilles will keep him off the field for the entire 2013 season?

[Image via John Martinez Pavliga]

Michael Crabtree: Torn Achilles Could Force Wideout To Miss 2013 Season is a post from: The Inquisitr

The St. Louis Cardinals have found their first road block after a great start to the 2013 MLB season, as starting pitcher Jaime Garcia is set to have season ending surgery on his shoulder. The 26-year-old visited Dr. James Andrews for an examination that revealed a small tear in his labrum.

Dr. Andrews described the tear as being about “30 to 40″ percent, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The left-hander won’t be back on the mound this season, and he could miss up to the beginning of the 2014 season depending on his recovery.

His shoulder problems aren’t a new issue, as he left Game 2 of the 2012 NLDS against the Washington Nationals with shoulder soreness and never returned throughout the rest of the playoffs. Many fans and analysts criticized Garcia for not returning, though it seems his early exit was the right decision.

Even with his shoulder problems, Garcia was off to a respectable start in 2013, as he managed a 5-2 record with a 3.58 earned run average through nine starts before visiting Dr. James Andrews. He’s also averaged seven strikeouts per nine innings this year, though he’s given up more home runs (6) than any other Cardinals’ pitcher.

Jaime Garcia was placed on the disabled list on May 18th and Tyler Lyons was called up as his replacement. Lyons is scheduled to start against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, and his stay in the majors may be a little longer now that Garcia won’t be coming back this year.

Garcia’s been worried about his shoulder for some time, as he was quoted by MLB.com this past Saturday for saying, “I’m very concerned, especially, the way I felt last night and the way I feel today.”

His concern’s were spot on, and Dr. James Andrews confirmed the bad news during their examination. Can the St. Louis Cardinals replace Jamie Garcia’s production in the rotation to continue their winning ways in the NL Central?

[Image via Barbara Moore]

Cardinals Pitcher Jaime Garcia To Have Season Ending Surgery is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jockey Eddie Ahern has been banned 10 years after the British Horseracing Authority found him guilty of corruption for throwing a race.

The 33-year-old jockey was found guilty of three breaches following a corruption inquiry, including failing to ride the horse Judgethemoment on its own merits in a January 2011 race. The BHA also found the Irish jockey guilty of passing on information about the race for reward.

Despite having a lead at the halfway point of the race, Ahern eased off on Judgethemoment and ended up finishing last of seven runners in the two-mile handicap. For that infraction the jockey was banned 10 years.

In his defense, Ahern said he misjudged the pace of the horse and others in the race. But the BHA panel found that it “could not accept that a jockey of Ahern’s experience, especially on the all-weather at Lingfield, could have made an error of such an extent”.

The jockey banned for 10 years said he plans to appeal the ruling. His lawyer, Christopher Stewart-Moore, said the jockey did not do anything wrong.

“Eddie Ahern is absolutely devastated by the BHA Panel’s findings,” Stewart-Moore said in a statement to Press Association Sport. “He did not breach the rules of racing as found by the panel or at all and he will be appealing both the findings as well as the very harsh penalties imposed on him.”

Ahern’s counsel in the proceedings, Jonathan Harvie, feels his client had been “hard done-by” but held off in criticizing the tribunal that banned the jockey for 10 years.

“Justice is an imperfect thing because people decide,” he said. “Some people say one thing, some people say another, and a decision is reached. History is littered with imperfect decisions.”

Though the jockey was banned 10 years, he actually came out of the ruling better off than a co-conspirator. Neil Clement, a 34-year-old former professional soccer player, was found guilty of teaming up with Ahern and others to bet on races that would be thrown. He was banned 15 years.

Jockey Banned 10 Years For Throwing Race is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mike Krzyzewski has agreed to coach yet another U.S. Men’s Olympic basketball team.

Krzyzewski has been a force to be reckoned with on the international stage, leading the American men’s basketball team to three straight gold medals.

A source close to negotiations says Mike K. will announce his official decision by tomorrow afternoon. Coach K was originally expected to step down from his post but will instead hold a news conference at Duke University on Thursday to announce his return.

Coach K has led the U.S. Men’s Olympic team since 2005, taking them to three Olympics with dominating results. Krzyzewski also helped the US claim a world basketball championship in 2010.

Following the US Men’s Olympic team win in London Coach K said he was planning to end his coaching duties on an international level. Not wanting to rock the boat USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo waited until the Duke Blue Devils finished their basketball season before approaching  Krzyzewski for an answer about his future with the team.

Krzyzewski and his team of American basketball players will debut a new lineup next summer at the renamed World Cup of Basketball in Spain. A victory at that event will automatically qualify the US Men’s Basketball team with a spot at the 2016 Summer Games in Brazil.

The anonymous source claims that Krzyzewski plans to add new names to his coaching staff. In the past NBA coaches associated with the Duke coach have included Mike D’Antoni, Nate McMillan and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.

No further details have been made available by Mike Krzyzewski or inside sources at this time. Rumors about the coaches return to international basketball have been circulating for days.

Do you think Coach K is still the right person to lead the U.S. Men’s Basketball Team to another victory.

Mike Krzyzewski Coaching US Men’s Basketball Team For Third Straight Time is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kevin Durant isn’t the only generous athlete. Los Angeles Dodgers outfield Matt Kemp donated $250,000 today to help Moore, Oklahoma rebuild after the devastating tornadoes last week.

This is the second time this week that Kemp has offered to help the victims in Oklahoma. On Monday, Kemp said that he would donate $1000 for every home run he hit from now until the All-Star break.

Some people criticized Kemp for the unusual gesture, saying that he was trying to turn the tragedy into some popularity boost, but the baseball player said that his heart is in the right place. Kemp said today that he would be donating $250,000 to the relief effort in addition to the home-run based donations that he has already pledged.

Kemp said: “Dear Families of OKC, On Monday, out of concern and emotion I committed $1,000.00 for every home run I hit until the All-Star Break. It was a quick and small gesture in advance of what I knew would be my greater contribution through your rebuilding process. I am keeping my pledge and in addition, donating $250,000.00. May God bless you through this and the many generous donations coming to your aid. -Matt Kemp #PrayforOklahoma.”

I’m giving $1000 for tonight’s HR and every HR until the All-Star break for the victims of my hometown in OKC. #PrayforOklahoma

— Matt Kemp (@TheRealMattKemp) May 21, 2013

Kemp also inspired a few other players to join the home run challenge.

I will join my Lil bro @therealmattkemp in his efforts to raise money for the victims in Oklahoma. I will donate $1000 for every HR I hit.

— Torii Hunter (@toriihunter48) May 22, 2013

News of Matt Kemp’s $250,000 donation comes a day after Oklahoma City Thunder player Kevin Durant announced that he was donating $1 million to the relief effort.

[Photo Via Instagram]

Matt Kemp Donates $250,000 To Relief Effort In Oklahoma is a post from: The Inquisitr

Brian Urlacher has retired just two months after the Chicago Bears announced they wouldn’t be re-signing their star linebacker. The 34-year-old made the announcement on his official Who Say account on Wednesday, and he ended the post by saying, “it was an honor to play my entire career for the Chicago Bears.”

The eight-time Pro Bowler spent all of his 13 seasons in the NFL at Soldier Field for the Bears. He is now set to retire after contract talks never amounted to anything more than a “good bye” in March.

“After spending a lot of time this spring thinking about my NFL future, I have made the decision to retire,” Urlacher wrote on the account Wednesday. “Although I could continue playing, I’m not sure I would bring a level of performance or passion that’s up to my standards. When considering this, along with the fact that I could retire after 13-year career wearing only one jersey for such a storied franchise, my decision became pretty clear.”

The five-time All-Pro couldn’t have said it any better, as his heart obviously still belongs to the faithful Bears’ fans. Now Brian Urlacher retires after putting together one of the greatest defensive careers in the franchise’s history.

The University of New Mexico product entered the league in 2000 after being drafted ninth overall in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Bears. It didn’t take long for Urlacher to make his presence known, as he started all 16 games in his first season and posted 125 tackles, 101 of which were solo, the second most in his career.

His best season came two years later when he made 153 total tackles, a Bears’ franchise record, which established him as one of the premier forces on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL.

Now, after 13 seasons and 1,353 tackles, Urlacher is calling it quits as he will always consider himself a member of the blue and gold. It’s truly an end of era at Soldier Field as Brian Urlacher retires, and he went on to say in his statement, “I will miss the great game, but I leave with no regrets.”

[Image via Mike Morbeck]

Brian Urlacher Retires After 13 Seasons With The Chicago Bears is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mario Gotze will miss the Champions League final after the Borussia Dortmund star was ruled out of the crunch clash with a thigh injury.

The news comes as a massive blow to Dortmund as they prepare for an all-German battle with Bayern Munich at Wembley.

The youngster was hoping to be fit for the final after picking up the injury at the end of April but will not recover in time for what would have been the biggest match of his career.

Gotze was understandably devastated with the news but believes his teammates will get the job done on May 25.

“Being fit for the final was my only focus and I fought really hard to get there in the last few weeks,” he said.

“I’m unbelievably disappointed not to be able to help the team in such an important game. But I have total confidence in the team and I will be there cheering them on from the sidelines.”

Gotze picked up the knock in the second leg of Dortmund’s semi-final clash with Real Madrid and was hoping to shake it off before his final match with the German club.

The highly coveted 20 year old is set to join Bayern Munich at the end of the season, the same team that Dortmund will be playing in the final.

Bayern made a €37 million ($48 million) bid for Gotze, which triggered the release clause in his contract and he will officially join the Bavarians in the summer.

Another Dortmund star may miss the final as Mats Hummels is in a fitness race ahead of Saturday’s encounter but the defender is certain his ankle will heal in time.

“Nothing is torn so it’s not as bad as first feared,” he said. “I’m confident I’ll be ready for the final.”

However, the news is not so good for Mario Gotze who will miss the Champions League final in London, England.

Mario Gotze To Miss Champions League Final is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Atlanta Falcons were granted a $200 million loan on Tuesday from the NFL to build a new stadium. NFL owners approved the deal, though the team’s new home is expected to cost upwards of $1 billion.

Team owner Arthur Blank will commit to the majority of the costs, but it doesn’t hurt the Falcons’ owner to have the NFL throwing a hefty chunk of change his way. Another $200 million is in place through public bonds to help pay for the new stadium as well.

Blank commented on the NFL loan during the league’s spring meetings, and he said the decision to support the franchise with funds is an “important milestone” to get the project moving in the right direction.

“The NFL has supported new stadium construction through various means for decades,” he went on to add during spring meetings. “Our club owners understand that investments … are important to the long-term strength of the league, and we thank them for their support.”

The Falcons $200 million loan could go a long way, as the team desperately wants out of the Georgia Dome. The stadium in downtown Atlanta is one of the busiest in the NFL, as it regularly hosts other events from a wide variety of sports, including NCAA basketball and football.

Blank made it known that the new stadium’s design and construction will take place over the next four years, and that the team plans on opening the facility for the start of the 2017 season. If all goes to plan, the Falcons will finally move from the Georgia Dome, where they have been since 1992.

After the NFL agreed on the loan for the Falcons’ new stadium, they also set the site for the 50th Super Bowl. The San Francisco Giants new facility in Santa Clara, which will be named Levi’s Stadium, will host the 2016 championship game.

The NFL spring meeting’s always produce changes and upgrades throughout the league, but this year’s trend seems to be state-of-the-art, billion dollar stadiums.

Will the Falcons $200 million loan go a long way as they look to begin construction on their new $1 billion project?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Falcons Get $200 Million Loan From NFL, Will Finally Leave The Georgia Dome In 2017 is a post from: The Inquisitr

DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers “dunked” over ESPN anchor Charissa Thompson. See embed below.

Jordan made headlines in March when he posterized Brandon Knight of the Detroit Piston in an NBA matchup.

The hallway posterization of Charissa Thompson, the feisty Sports Nation host, was of course a satire of that event, but the potential for a workers’ compensation claim as a result of this bit was there.

Jordan even reenacted his famous “dunk face.”

Jordan’s memorable right-handed monster slam over the outstretched arms of Knight was even more notable in that the Clippers center is left handed.

According to Rant Sports, Charissa Thompson is a “good sport” for going along with the gag: “It may not be as close to the real thing, but Thompson once again took one for the team by pretending to take the fall as the victim to Jordan’s dunk. Props to Thompson as she showed us yet again why she’s one of the most entertaining sportscasters in the industry for performing a skit like this one.”

Thompson is reportedly jumping from the “Worldwide Leader in Sports,” which implemented significant layoffs of rank-and-file employees yesterday, to Fox Sports. Thompson took over for Michelle Beadle (who herself moved to NBC) as co-host of Sports Nation of the summer of 2012, first with Colin Cowherd and now with former NFL defensive end Marcellus Wiley. In fact, ESPN moved the show from Bristol, Conn., to Los Angeles to accommodate Thompson.She also co-hosts the ABC diving reality show Splash with Joey Lawrence. Thompson earlier in her career co-hosted The Best Damn Sports Show Period and was a sideline reporter on the Fox Sports Network among many other television gigs.

Fox is launching its new sports network, Fox Sports 1, on August 17.

Watch Charissa Thompson get posterized by DeAndre Jordan:

DeAndre Jordan Posterizes ESPN’s Charissa Thompson [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Boston Bruins came from behind to beat the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday evening.

The win gives the Bruins a commanding 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal and also puts the Rangers on the brink of elimination.

The visitors fell behind 1-0 after Taylor Pyatt opened the scoring in the second period but Boston came roaring back in the final frame with goals from Johnny Boychuk and Daniel Paille.

The Bruins hold a commanding lead in the series and can wrap things up Thursday night in Game 4.

Boston coach Claude Julien was pleased with the result and praised Paille and the rest of the fourth line for their contributions in the victory.

“They have scored some big goals for us in the playoffs,” he said. “We have confidence in that line. We’ve said it a million times. Tonight was no exception.

“They were on for both goals. You look at Paille’s speed, he puts defenses on their heels. We use them because they are good not because we have to.”

Things started off well for the hosts when Pyatt gave them a 1-0 lead but the scoreline was a bit deceiving as goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist kept the Rangers in the game with some outstanding saves.

Gregory Campbell admitted the Bruins were frustrated by Lundqvist but knew that if they kept shooting they would score eventually.

“We wanted to stay the course, keep chipping away,” he said. “Lundqvist was on his game. We knew we were going to have to keep firing away and it wasn’t going to be easy.”

The Bruins finally beat Lundqvist early in the third period when Boychuk’s shot squeezed through traffic and flew past the New York goalie.

Boston then completed the comeback when Paille pounced on a loose puck in the crease to stun the home fans.

The Boston Bruins will have a chance to close out the series in four games when they meet the New York Rangers on Thursday evening at Madison Square Garden.

Boston Bruins Push New York Rangers To Brink Of Elimination is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tiger Woods has responded to Sergio Garcia’s seemingly racial reference.

The sparring golfers have traded barbs since the Players Championship two weeks ago, in which Garcia accused Woods of having bad course etiquette. Woods took a club from his bag during Garcia’s backswing in the third round, eliciting a cheer from the crowd and distracting Garcia.

Tiger would go on to say that he believed the course marshalls gave him permission to get his club, but that claim was denied by the marshalls themselves.

“He isn’t the nicest guy on tour,” Garcia after the incident.

Garcia added that the two men don’t care for each other too much off the course.

“He doesn’t make a difference to my life and I know I don’t make a difference to his life,” Garcia. “This is not just one thing. This has been going on for a long time.”

But the feud ramped up this week when Garcia made what appeared to be a racially insensitive comment. When asked if he and Tiger Woods had made peace, Garcia responded with a crude joke.

“We’ll have him ’round every night,” Garcia said, according to multiple media reports. “We will serve fried chicken.”

The reference seemed to hint at an African-American stereotype of eating fried chicken, one that’s been used toward Tiger in the past. After the 1997 Masters, golfer Fuzzy Zoeller joked that he hoped Tiger wouldn’t serve fried chicken at the next year’s champions dinner.

Garcia immediately apologized for his comment, saying his answer was “totally stupid” and “out of place.”

“I apologize for any offense that may have been caused by my comment on stage during the European Tour Players’ Awards dinner,” Garcia said. “I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner.”

Tiger Woods responded on Wednesday morning.

The comment that was made wasn’t silly. It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate…

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 22, 2013

I’m confident that there is real regret that the remark was made.

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 22, 2013

The Players ended nearly two weeks ago and it’s long past time to move on and talk about golf.

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 22, 2013

The war of words between Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia may be over for now, but the golfers will soon meet on a big stage again.

Tiger Woods Responds To Sergio Garcia’s ‘Fried Chicken’ Comment is a post from: The Inquisitr