sports Page 620 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

The Fray's Pre-NCAA Title Game National Anthem Performance Was ... Different
While nowhere near as bad as any that made our suggestions for the Worst National Anthem Ever (indeed, if you caught Monica's tone-deaf rendition Saturday, you know it wasn't even the worst of the Final Four) The Fray's attempt at a hipster version of Marvin Gaye's "Star-Spangled Banner" fell awfu...

Antonio Valencia's Screwball Goal Was A Work Of Odd Beauty
A brilliant defensive performance by Blackburn Rovers was ruined when Manchester United's Antonio Valencia sliced in a strike that caught keeper Paul Robinson out of position and floated into the goal. Don't let Robinson's failure detract from the ridiculous spin Valencia put on the shot, though;...

Ty Lawson's Crossover Dribble Literally Busted Ryan Anderson's Ankle
It's generally the go-to descriptor for an effective crossover dribble: "He broke the defender's ankles." Usually, this is a considerable exaggeration—but don't tell Magic forward Ryan Anderson that, because his ankle rolled over like a Suzuki Samurai while trying to guard Ty Lawson late in last ni...

Wrestlemania Got An Early Start At Today's Penguins-Flyers Game
The last minute or so of today's Pens-Flyers matchup on NBC was a big chunk of madness, but our favorite part is this—in which a Hulkamania-inspired Pens fan who spent most of the game giving shit to Scott Hartnell and the Flyers gets what's coming to him in the form of some masterful trolling. Or...

Bruins Fans Make Clever "Two Minutes For Hooking" Sign That Gets Filthy Photoshop Update
That is a pretty clever sign from Saturday's game between the Islanders and Bruins. The girls are enjoying themselves, Tyler Seguin is enjoying himself—all around just a good time is being had by all....

Despite Scoring Two Goals, Mario Balotelli's Biggest Impact Yesterday Was This Hissy Fit
A fractured Manchester City side patched together a 3-3 draw at home against Sunderland yesterday thanks in part to two Mario Balotelli goals. Yet City management find themselves most concerned with Balotelli's on-pitch behavior, especially in light of this tantrum he threw yesterday over not bein...

Louisville Stopped The Bleeding With This Sexy Steal, Dish, & Dunk
It's halftime in New Orleans, and Kentucky leads Louisville 35-28. The Wildcats would be spanking the turnover-prone Cardinals even worse if it wasn't for this late Russ Smith steal, Chris Smith behind-the-back feed, and Gorgui Dieng dunk (which drew a foul from UK's Darius Miller). UL's got a wa...

The Flyers' Wayne Simmonds Scored A Goal With His Face
Wayne Simmonds was a bloody mess after scoring a goal with his face in the second period of Philadelphia's 4-3 shootout loss to Ottawa today, but credit to the Flyers' winger for showing toughness and returning to help his team force overtime after being down 3-0. Still, though, wearing a visor w...

Joey Votto Has His Own Cereal, And Of Course They're Called "VottOs"
Reds slugger and 2010 National League MVP Joey Votto is endorsing a new cereal available at Cincinnati-area Kroger stores cleverly called VottOs....

Ryan Anderson's Miss At The Buzzer Was Worthy Of His Facepalm Reaction
Not to take anything away from Dirk Nowitzki's game-winning basket, but the 5.9 seconds remaining were enough for Orlando to get off not one but two final shots in an attempt to tie the 100-98 Mavericks lead. The second of these—an awkward scoop at the buzzer from under the rim—didn't fall for Ryan...

J.J. Hickson Brought The Boomstick Down On DeAndre Jordan
J.J. Hickson didn't impress the Kings much this season, but he made his impact on Trail Blazers brass tonight with this thunderous slam on the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan. It was the kind of dunk Blake Griffin could appreciate, which made it convenient he was right there watching Hickson fly by. [ES...

Ryan Leaf Is In Jail Again
Iconic NFL bust Ryan Leaf—who just a few months ago was assuring us that this time he's clean, like, for real—is in jail after being busted for felony burglary, misdemeanor theft and criminal possession of dangerous drugs according to the Great Falls Tribune....

Diego Maradona Got Into A Fight With U.A.E.-League Fans, Allegedly Over His Girlfriend
Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona has been off the international radar somewhat since accepting the manager position of Al Wasl FC in the U.A.E. football league last year. Al Wasl hasn't done a whole lot under his leadership, either—they currently sit in sixth place in the 12-team league....

Here's The First Authentic Smile In Los Angeles Since The Birth Of The Film Industry
The Lakers threw Derek Fisher a party upon his return to Los Angeles, only to see their esteemed guest have his cake and eat it too. The Thunder escaped from L.A. with a 102-93 victory, and Fisher played his part by scoring seven points in his first seven minutes of action after entering the game i...

Sidney Crosby Was Knocked Out Of Tonight's Game By A Puck To The Face
Poor Sid Crosby just can't catch a break. He can, however, catch a puck in the nose, as happened tonight at Nassau during the second period of the Penguins' clash with the Islanders. Crosby—just a few weeks returned from yet another lengthy tenure off the ice due to concussion symptoms—actually ma...

Dumb Shining Moment: Your 2012 NCAA Tournament Lowlight Reel
While the NCAA tournament isn't yet finished—the Final Four starts Saturday, after all—the 64 games played thus far have been short on the drama (one overtime game, zero buzzer-beaters) but long on the blunders. While a good number of these mistakes can be blamed on the officials, players (and fa...

The New Columbus Goalie Showed Up For Work In Michigan Gear
Shawn Hunwick's college hockey career ended in heartbreak, as the goaltender's Michigan squad fell to the Union Dutchmen Cornell Big Red in the NCAA tournament five days ago. His NHL career, meanwhile, came as a whirlwind....

The Knicks Blew Out The Magic, But The Bigger Surprise Is That Glen Davis Didn't Eat This Knish
New York stomped Orlando 108-86 last night in a game that was less close than even that score indicates. But lost in the narrative is a single moment that speaks volumes about love, betrayal, and an uneaten knish....

Fox Considering Launching Its Own National Sports Network
After conquering most of the cable news market, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is now taking aim at the Worldwide Leader, and is in the process of launching their own 24-hour national sports network....

Tripping Basketballs: Hoopsters Are Alive And Well At The Ultra Music Festival
While we declared the end to the Hoopster trend a year and a half ago, the Hoopsters show no signs of quitting—certainly not at this past weekend's Ultra music fest in Miami. For the uninitiated, Ultra is the social event for college kids who love Ecstasy and sort of like electronic music. Here are...