The NHL, along with HBO, has decided to bring back one of the most exciting and foul-mouthed shows on television, aside from Eastbound & Down of course.

In the third season the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs will be the focus of HBO's 24/7, a four episode television series that has captivated audiences with it's incredibly raw and gritty portrayal of two NHL teams.

The Red Wings would be considered among NHL fans as one of the nicer teams in the league, which might make them an unlikely candidate for a spot on a television series best known for its terrible language and bad behavior.

In fact, Detroit will be led by Nicklas Lidstrom — a 12-time All-Star and seven-time Norris Trophy winner — who hasn't had a fight in his career, along with superstar Pavel Datsyuk, a four-time Lady Byng winner (the player who demonstrates the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct) who has but one fighting major in his career.

Don't let the nice guy act fool you, though, the Red Wings are a perennial favorite for a deep playoff run. Which, as a matter of fact, is almost the complete opposite of their television counterpart, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Maple Leafs have failed to make the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, as they made their last playoff appearance prior to the 2004 NHL Lockout.

This season will mark the first time that a Canadian-based team will participate in the Winter Classic as well as HBO's 24/7, which is why the NHL and HBO have brought on a Canadian broadcasting partner to present the show to the new audience.

"We're going to have another partner to announce, who will take the series in Canada," said NHL's chief operating officer John Collins to Yahoo! Sports' Puck Daddy. "I think this is one of the benefits of having Toronto in the game. They're paying attention to this in ways that, frankly, they haven't previously in the market up there."

While the third season of 24/7 was never set in stone, it looks as if HBO is on the right track. We can only hope that they can outdo themselves and give the fans what they want, more swearing.

Since Ryan’s departure, things have started to change for the Eagles. Without an NFL-caliber quarterback, BC has turned to its star running back Montel Harris to carry the load, and up until he got himself thrown off the team, he was doing just that.

After putting the team on his back for three consecutive seasons, the Eagles will now be without their leading rusher, as Harris was dismissed from the team Tuesday morning by head coach Frank Spaziani due to violations of team policies.

“Montel Harris has been permanently dismissed from our football team due to a repeated violation of team rules,” Spaziani said. “We are grateful for his contributions the past four seasons and will support him in completing his degree requirements and in his future pursuits.”

Harris started for the Eagles as a true freshman back in 2008, where he ran for 900 yards, breaking the school’s freshman rushing record. Harris’ time with the Eagles was nothing less than extraordinary, as he earned All-ACC honors in his sophomore and junior seasons, finishing with 3,735 rushing yards along with 27 touchdowns, making Harris the all-time rushing leader in Boston College history.

The Eagles will now have to turn to a committee-style rushing attack, with junior Rolandan Finch and sophomore Tahj Kimble as their primary rushers, putting junior bruiser Andre Williams on the hot seat in preseason.

But win or lose, the Sox are always ready to spend time with fans, and they'll be fielding the tough questions before Sunday's series finale against the White Sox.

And who is more qualified to interview Red Sox players than the Parkway National White Sox — a Little League team out of West Roxbury, Mass.?

The Parkway National White Sox will be in the NESN studio for Sunday's Red Sox Pregame coverage, and they'll have a chance to ask Red Sox players questions as part of Little League Sunday.

Coverage begins at 1 p.m. on NESN, and you won't want to miss it.

This year is an exception.

Of course, the list included typical superstars, such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. But the top received a shakeup that even the most dedicated NBA fan couldn't have predicted. That shakeup, of course, was "Linsanity."

The Harvard graduate and former NBA afterthought had one of the most incredible starts to his career, as he became the only NBA player to score at least 20 points and dish out seven assists in his first five starts.

His jersey was as big a phenomenon as he was. See who else joined him at the top.

Click here to see photos of the NBA's top-selling jerseys >>

The Top-15 List is based on sales at NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in NYC and NBA.com.

The only difference was that, this year, when Texas A&M product Ryan Tannehill was drafted, all eyes turned to Twitter where Tannehill's wife Lauren Ulfer stole the show.

Ulfer, a former Texas A&M cheerleaders and current model, is already drawing comparisons to pop sensation Jessica Simpson, a fact that Tannehill will soon be getting an earful from his new South Beach teammates.

Click here to check out a gallery of Lauren Tannehill >>

Johnson beat out stud players such as Texans' running back Arian Foster, MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers and even the lovable Rob Gronkowski.

"Man, it's great," Johnson told ESPN. "Just to see yourself on this Madden (cover) and seeing all the guys that have been on Madden? C'mon, man."

Patriots fans shouldn't be too upset over the fact that Gronk won't grace the cover of the NFL videogame due to the so-called "Madden Curse". While many curses are typically just over-hyped conjecture, the Madden Curse might actually have some truth to it.

Over the past few years star athletes such as Peyton Hillis, Drew Brees and Troy Polamalu earned the cover spot, and in all three cases, the players did indeed have off years.

After a breakout 2011 season for the Browns running back (1,000+ yards, 11 TD), Hillis came out in 2012 looking extremely flat and put up only 577 rushing yards and was limited with injuries.

Back in 2010, Brees and the heavily favored Saints were bounced in the first-round of playoffs by the Seattle Seahawks.

The icing on the cake, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. After appearing on the cover of Madden '10, Polamalu suffered a torn MCL which kept him out for the majority of the season.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford can't be too pleased with Johnson's choice to be on the cover, but only time will tell if Megatron has enough robot in him to break the curse.

Some plays are completely uncalled for, while others are a little more personal, based on years of bad blood.

These vicious moments range from Andrew Bynum's cross-check-like elbow in the 2011 NBA Playoffs all the way to the infamous "Malice at the Palace."

Click here to see the Top 10 most vicious plays in basketball history>>

ESPN's Chris Broussard reported that Orlando superstar Dwight Howard will require back surgery that will keep him out for the rest of the season.

Broussard spoke with Howard regarding the season-ending injury, take a look at the Tweet below to see what Howard had to say.

D12 on yr-ending surgery:"It hurts (emotionally). & with people saying I'm quitting on my team. This is a real issue.

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) April 20, 2012

This is terrible news for Orlando Magic fans, but for Celtics fans, a Howard-less Magic shouldn't be a threat in the post-season

Typically, commissioner Roger Goodell will make an announcement and a disgruntled player will tweet out his feelings on the matter. This offseason however, there’s a new rule that may irk those watching the games, not playing in them. According to the New York Post, the NFL will require ejected fans to pass a “code-of-conduct exam” as well as pay a $75 fine if they want to get back to their seat.

“We’re not trying to squash anyone’s passion. We’re just trying to say don’t be violent,” said Dr. Ari Novick, the Californian who is the brains behind the program.

Requirements will vary depending on the stadium, but most of the time the stadium louts will have to pass the test before being allowed back in. For instance, fans attending a Jets or Giants game “who get the boot must write [MetLife Stadium security chief Daniel DeLorenzi] a letter of apology and take the four-hour, $75 online course, available at fanconductclass.com. To pass, they have to get at least 70 percent of the questions correct.” according to the New York Post.

The crackdown is aimed at season ticket holders who continue to cause trouble, and in no way should change the experience for the rest of the fans, who will stick to safe gameday rituals.

In honor of the upcoming 100th anniversary of Fenway’s first Red Sox game — April 20, 1912 — we wanted to commemorate that day by taking fans on a journey through the history of Fenway Park.

While Friday’s opener does not mark Fenway’s official anniversary, the Boston Pops accompanied by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus performed the national anthem for the Red Sox to celebrate the first home game of the 2012 season.

The team will hold its celebrations for the 100th anniversary on April 20, when the Boston Red Sox take on the New York Yankees, the same team that faced the Red Sox in their 1912 home opener.

Click here to see photos of Fenway through the years >>

With the second set of Eastern Conference Playoff games less than an hour away, it’s time to see how expensive, or in some cases inexpensive, it can be to get yourself to an NHL Playoff game.

The graphic below shows a chart of the four Eastern Conference teams who hold home-ice advantage through the first series of play according to Seat Geek.

The New York Rangers top the chart with an average ticket price of $214 for a Game 1 ticket, and $232 for Game 2.

Following the Rangers on the list is the Pittsburgh Penguins, whose Game 2 tickets are going for an average price of $205.

The Boston Bruins wind up in the third spot here, with tickets for Thursday’s game going for $140, while Saturday’s matinee tickets are up to $176.

Last on the list — unsurprisingly — are the Florida Panthers. The average ticket price of a Florida Panthers playoff game is a mind-blowingly low $79. So if you’re a Panthers fan, you better find a way to get to that game while prices are so cheap.

The Hall of Famer had an incredible NBA career, where he won five championships along with seven rebounding titles and First-Team defensive honors.

While the often troubled big man never “made Michael Jordan money or Scottie Pippen money,” said Rodman in an interview on The Today Show, Rodman claims he is doing just fine, despite what his lawyer recently said.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Rodman’s lawyer claimed “He is broke and extremely sick” in recent child support documents that also stated Rodman could be in some serious debt.

Rodman denied these claims and insists that he is doing just fine as a 50-year-old party animal.

The interview took an interesting turn when he was asked if he feels he will suffer the same fate as other troubled stars such as Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse, but the soft-spoken Rodman shook off the comments with a defiant No. Stating “I never even came near cocaine.”

“I’m not sick, man,” he added. “People have had those allegations about me since 1995. ‘Dennis parties a lot, Dennis does this.’ I’m going to do what I do. I’ve proved people wrong from [Day 1], I’m still proving people wrong that the fact that I’m still loving it…I feel good. I’m 50 years old, I do go out and have a good time, and most of the things I do is based on appearances around the world.”

Carter, who passed away February of this year, spent five of his 19 MLB seasons with the Mets, where he earned his only World Series championship back in 1986. Carters' accolades include 11 All-Star appearances, three Golden Glove Awards, a membership in the 300 home run club and a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Mets honored the baseball legend by wearing Carter's No. 8 jerseys during batting practice, before their Opening Day game versus the Atlanta Braves.

Check out the Mets temporary new look in the picture below from the Mets Twitter Page:

If you are familiar with the Frozen Four, then it's safe to say that you are probably unfamiliar with both Union College and Ferris State, as neither team has ever made it this far into the NCAA Tournament.

Both squads have never produced an NHL-drafted player, but that isn't stopping either team from playing incredible hockey down the final stretch of the season.

With the two "unknown" teams facing off in Thursday's afternoon matchup, this evening's matchup is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Thursday night's heavyweight battle between Boston College and the University of Minnesota showcases two of college hockey's greatest dynasties.

The BC Eagles and the Minnesota Golden Gophers have never faced each other in a National Championship game before. However both teams have appeared in a combined 43 Frozen Fours, with nine total National Championships, BC with 4 and Minnesota with 5.

Check out the picture below brought to you by College Hockey Inc. to see each of the four teams post-season hockey history, as well as a few random statistics of their current squads.

Final Score, Boston College 4, University of Minnesota-Duluth 0: As the Milner chants pour down from the stands — along with some gold and maroon streamers — Boston College celebrates the continuation of its season. BC will now pack its bags for Tampa and the 2012 Frozen Four.

Minnesota-Duluth gave its all against the heavily favored Boston College squadm but it just wasn't enough. 

BC will face another Minnesota team in the next round — the same Minnesota Gophers squad that beat Boston University 7-3 in the opening round of the Frozen Four.

Third Period, 18:30, 4-0 BC: Despite their four-goal lead, BC is still on the attack as forward Bill Arnold misses on his second breakaway attempt of the night.

Minnesota-Duluth is not playing well in the attacking zone tonight. The Bulldogs continue to have odd-man rush after odd-man rush, but they keep failing to get a quality shot through the tough Eagle defense.

Third Period, 15:20, 4-0 BC: Edwin Shea and the rest of the Boston College defensemen are doing everything in their power to keep that goose egg up on the scoreboard, fighting off every Bulldog rush with a little over four minutes left in the road to the Frozen Four.

Third Period, 13:30, 4-0 BC: BC's third line continues to shine as little man Johnny Gaudreau scores his first goal of the night, giving him a goal and an assist along with a +2 rating with 7:30 remaining in the game.

Third Period, 10:00, 3-0 BC: Things are starting to get a little rowdy out there as desperation time creeps in on Minnesota-Duluth. 

J.T. Brown earned himself a roughing penalty after a late hit on BC's Bill Arnold. 

Despite four opporunities for both teams, neither one has been able to net a power play goal.

Third Period, 8:30, 3-0 BC: After another Patrick Wey penalty, the Bulldogs got their fifth power-play opportunity of the game, and just like the other four, they failed to convert. 

Although the opporunities were there, Milner is playing lights out between the pipes and will not let an easy one squeak by him. The Bulldogs are going to need to pick up the intensity if they want to mount a comeback before the night is out.

Third Period, 6:00, 3-0 BC: BC goalie Patrick Milner continues to make save after save, and, with his shutout in the previous game against Air Force, he is quickly making a case for an All-Tournament Team selection.

Third Period, 4:00, 3-0 BC: Boston College defenseman Patch Adams Alber takes a tripping penalty, giving Minnesota-Duluth a two-minute power play.

BC goalie Parker Milner made back-to-back diving saves to keep the Eagles up 3-0 before Patrick Wey took a penalty of his own, giving the Bulldogs a 5-on-3 power play.

Third Period, 1:50, 3-0 BC: After it looked as if Minnesota had stopped a BC rush, junior defenseman Patrick Wey threw a soft wrist shot on net that somehow squeaked by the Bulldogs net-minder. BC leads 3-0 with 18:47 left in the third period.

Second Intermission, 2-0 BC: Minnesota-Duluth failed to capitalize on the power play, and quite frankly, failed to muster a solid shot attempt. 

After two periods, it looks like BC's constant pressure is starting to take a toll on the Bulldog forwards, who appear to be slowing a little bit.

The number of shots seems to be the only even thing between the two teams: Minnesota has 15 shots on goal, while Boston College has 14.

BC will have to be ready to weather the storm early in the third period, as we can expect Minnesota-Duluth to pull out all the stops in an attempt to keep this game and their season alive.

Second Period, 19:00, 2-0 BC: Boston College's mammoth of a defenseman, Isaac MacLeod — listed at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds — took a high-sticking penalty with three minutes remaining in the second period, opening the door for Minnesota-Duluth to attempt to cut this BC lead in half.

Second Period, 16:00, 2-0 BC: If you didn't know BC's Johnny Gaudreau was a freshman, you certainly wouldn't be able to tell by watching this game.

Gaudreau is listed at 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds, making him one of the smallest players in all of college hockey.

Despite his size, Gaudreau has been throwing his body around like he was Zdeno Chara, causing turnovers and disrupting the Bulldogs' breakout nearly every time he touches the ice.

Second Period, 12:00, 2-0 BC: After back-to-back goals by the Eagles, Minnesota-Duluth has picked up the hitting. Wade Bergman delivered a somewhat questionable hit on BC freshman Danny Linell, and directly after that, Minnesota first line left winger Joe Basaraba — drafted in the third round of the 2010 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers — laid a solid body check of his own during a Bulldog forecheck.

Second Period, 9:00, 2-0 BC: Minnesota-Duluth goalie Kenny Reiter is doing everything in his power to keep this game withing reach for the Bulldogs, making save after save as the BC forecheck continues to force turnovers in front of the net.

BC defenseman Tommy Cross continues to do a phenominal job clearing the garbage in front of Parker Milner, the Eagles goalie, blocking his second shot of the night.

Second Period, 4:33, 2-0 BC: The Eagles wasted no time doubling their lead — technically, they wasted 33 seconds — as Steve Whitney sent a gorgeous pass from behind the net to linemate Bill Arnold, who buried it. Boston College leads 2-0 with 14 minutes left in the second period.

Second Period, 4:00, 1-0 BC: After spending quite an awful time in the Eagles' own zone, freshman forward Johnny Gaudreau skated the puck coast-to-coast before tossing a wrap-around shot on net that was jammed home by Pat Mullane.

Second Period, 3:00, 0-0: Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin may have read this blog during intermission, because his Bulldog team has made some serious adjustments and is having no trouble at all working the puck around in BC territory.

First Intermission:  The Eagles have failed to convert on two power plays already in this one and only have 24 seconds remaining on their third attempt.

BC clearly looks like the favorite so far in this matchup, as they have spent most of their time in front of the Minnesota net.

Minnesota has had some trouble in the neutral zone for the majority of the first period, although, despite their lack of time in the offensive zone, the Bulldogs have had a few quality scoring chances that had a real chance at finding twine. 

First Period, 19:00, 0-0: Duluth's first defensive pairing of Brady Lamb and Wade Bergamn looked to be working well on the Minnesota penalty kill before Lamb took an extremely aggressive boarding penalty as their penalty kill expired.

BC will have one minute on the power play to try to score the first goal of the game before the end of the first period.

First Period, 15:00, 0-0: BC foward Bill Arnold took a great pass for a breakaway only to be denied by Bulldog goaltender Kenny Reiter.

Arnold's attack led to a flurry of BC shots before Minnesota's second-line center, Travis Oleksuk, got called for hitting from behind. BC power play with 4:30 remaining in the first period.

First Period, 14:00, 0-0: Duluth looked very strong on its one-minute powerplay thanks to some fancy dangling by captain Jack Connolly. 

Things look to be evening out a little bit here in terms of scoring opportunities as we wait for one team to draw first blood.

First Period, 9:25, 0-0:  Minnesota Duluth defenseman Tim Smith took a tough penalty in front of the Bulldog net, but the power play proved to be short-lived as BC got called for too many men halfway through.

First Period, 6:30, 0-0: Minnesota-Duluth is having a tough time with its breakouts early in this one due to the aggressive BC forecheck. Duluth senior defenseman Brady Lamb is doing everything in his power to cleanly get the puck out of his defensive zone.

First Period, 3:00, 0-0: Just a few minutes into the game and Boston College is already showing off its physical play as freshman forward Destry Straight laid a massive check on a Bulldog defenseman that took his helmet clean off.

BC's forecheck is already in full swing, and Minnesota-Duluth is doing all that they can to get the puck out of the zone.

7:55 p.m.: Only 10 minutes to go until puck drop here at the DCU Center. Boston College fans are slowly filling out the stands as many students made the 35-minute road trip from Chestnut Hill.

Both BC and Minnesota-Duluth looked extremely focused in warm-ups, with the pressure building as the winner of this matchup will be on its way to Tampa for the 2012 NCAA Frozen Four. 

Stay tuned as the Boston College Eagles take on the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs and get ready to fight it out on the road to the national championship.

4:30 p.m. ET: The Boston College Eagles are set to take on the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs on Sunday night, as the two teams face off in the Northeast regional final at the DCU Center in Worcester.

The winning team will move on to Tampa and join Union and Ferris St. in the Frozen Four.

The Eagles are led by none other than junior sensation Chris Kreider, who scored both goals in Saturday's semifinal matchup against a strong Air Force team.

Boston College is 9-1 when playing in Worcester, and surprisingly enough, BC has won three national championships when advancing through Worcester (2001, 2008, 2010).

Although the statistics might point to a BC win, the Bulldogs will not just roll over. Led by senior center and Duluth native Jack Connolly, the Bulldogs captain with 60 points in 40 games, BC will look to attack the Eagles right out of the gate.

Be sure to follow NESN.com's live blog of the 2012 Northeast regional final game to see if the BC Eagles can cement their spot in the Frozen Four.

Paul Pierce

The Celtics' captain has passed yet another Hall of Famer on the NBA's All-Time Scoring list. On Thursday night, Pierce passed Portland legend Clyde Drexler to reach the 26th spot on the list.

Pierce hit the 22,195 point mark midway through the fourth quarter of Thursday's 100-91 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Last season, Pierce was able to pass former Celtics's great Larry Bird and Gary Payton. Although the next two guys on the list might be harder to pass, seeing as how they are both still active scorers, one of which even shares the same locker room with "The Truth". Tim Duncan owns the 25th place on the list with 22,282 points while the Celtics sharpshooter Ray Allen holds No. 24.

Brown brought an incredible work ethic and a winning attitude to the Patriots locker room. And his hard work paid off in the form of success for Brown, reaching five Super Bowls with the Pats as well as helping the team win three Lombardi Trophies.

Brown's determination and 15-year NFL career have made him a living legend throughout the New England area, and now Brown is giving back to the community he once played for.

From June 27th to June 30th, with the help of Evolution Performance Training, Brown will be opening the first ever Troy Brown Football Camp.

The campers, children entering grades 5-12, have the option of staying overnight for the duration of the three-day camp, or they can choose to only attend the day sessions. The camp will focus on the importance of commitment and motivation, as well as skills training and results-oriented drills.

The Troy Brown Football Camp will take place at Bridgewater State University, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA. If you'd like to register for the camp or simply want some more information, please visit www.TB80.net.

Ward has been one of the most consistent wide receivers throughout his 14-year NFL career. He has racked up a number of accolades during his career, including two Super Bowl titles, a Super Bowl MVP Award (2006) as well as being a four-time Pro Bowler.

The veteran wide out even eclipsed the 1,000 receptions mark in the 2011 season, a feat that has only been accomplished by seven other receivers (including Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, and surprsingly Terrell Owens among others). Ward also ranks at the top of just about every career receiving record for the Steelers, including receptions (1,000), receiving yards (12,083), and reception touchdowns (85).

While many Patriots fans won't be sad to see Ward missing on the sidelines, Steelers fan will without a doubt miss No. 86 hanging out in the end zone.

Take a look at some of the Tweets and pictures from Hines Ward's press conference here.

[View the story "Hines Ward Becomes 'Steeler For Life'" on Storify]

Now there’s no promise that this season will be as entertaining as the Aaron Carter and Michael Irvin show in Season 9, but this year’s cast includes Boston sports fan Maria Menounos and Packers wide receiver Donald Driver.

After Monday’s season premiere, Jaleel White — formerly known as Steve Urkel from Family Matters – was in the lead.

Menounos however was not too far behind, as she tied with Driver with a score of 26. Boston fans are counting on Maria to make it at least a few rounds to show people that Boston is great at things other than sports.

In case you missed last night’s episode, check out the video below to see Menounos and her partner Derek Hough perform “The Cha-Cha.”

The hated Yankees star continues to dig his own grave in the eyes of baseball fans everywhere, as A-Rod recently had $17,604 charged to his American Express Black Card at a Manhattan boutique

According the New York Post, A-Rod was seen shopping with his 20-year-old niece, Michelle Silva, as well as his new girlfriend Torrie Wilson at Blue & Cream. A-Rod and his ladies reportedly racked up a whopping $17,604 bill, to buy Silva some fresh new threads. However, after A-Rod’s sister (Silva’s mother) told her that she had to return the outrageously expensive clothes, A-Rod found out that the store did not offer refunds, only store credit.

“This weekend, Blue & Cream was notified that Rodriguez is disputing the charges. It’s ridiculous. Completely ridiculous,” said a store rep to the NY Post. “We have security tapes and coverage of him at the checkout counter. We’re completely not in the wrong.”