NESN.com » Offbeat

Kids Fight Playfully in Stands at Fenway Park After Sister-Brother Hug Turns Hostile (Animation)

NESN Staff — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:09:07 +0000

It’s fair to say that siblings usually love each other, but as kids, it’s rare they like each other for extended periods of time.

That played out in the stands at Fenway Park on Saturday afternoon, as NESN cameras captured a classic family moment between a brother and sister watching the Red Sox play. What at first appeared to be a loving sisterly hug quickly turned into something more dramatic, and baby brother was none too happy with the end result.

Check out the moment in the animation below.

Terry Francona Wrestles With Old Friend Don Orsillo in Dugout Before Friday’s Game (Video)

NESN Staff — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:14:21 +0000

Terry Francona made his return to Fenway Park as manager of the Indians on Thursday, but he didn’t run into Don Orsillo until the next day.

When he caught a glimpse of Orsillo before Friday’s rain-delayed contest at Fenway, the former Red Sox skipper responded by grabbing the NESN play-by-play man by his tie and wrestling him into the visitors’ dugout.

NESN’s own Jenny Dell caught the whole thing on video, which you can check out for yourself below.

Video via Twitter/@JennyDellNESN

NBA Player Kendall Marshall Sees Horse at Strip Mall, Finds That Strange (Animation)

NESN Staff — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:50:24 +0000

There are a few things you expect to see while driving around on a quiet afternoon. Joggers, cyclists and dog-walkers are your normal, everyday pedestrians. Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man is all too rare, but he never fails to brighten up the day. Dead deer, possums and groundhogs are pretty much par for the course.

One thing you don’t expect — or that Suns guard Kendall Marshall doesn’t expect, anyway — is to see a dude feeding a Clydesdale in front of a strip mall.

Marshall didn’t seem to know what was going on, but we can venture a guess. This was clearly the horse from that Budweiser commercial, and this poor gentlemen was the handler who had to corral the horse after its inner-city jaunt to its former master. Mystery solved.

Check out Marshall’s confusion in the animation below.

Dwyane Wade Has Entire Refrigerator Stocked With Bright, Shiny Gatorade in House (Photo)

Jen Slothower — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:46:38 +0000

Um, that’s a serious endorsement.

Dwyane Wade has a deal with Gatorade, and apparently that deal includes massive amounts of Gatorade. How massive? Well, so massive that he has a refrigerator stocked with all flavors of the drink — hundreds of bottles’ worth — in his house.

Wade is also, by his account, giving away a lot of that Gatorade to his children, which would be a pretty effective way to endorse his endorsement.

Check it out in the photo below.

Photo via Instagram/@dwyanewade

John Tortorella Rips Media, Tells Reporters Not to ‘Put Words in My Mouth’ About Sitting Brad Richards (Video)

Jen Slothower — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:35:20 +0000

Maybe Rangers coach John Tortorella is right. Maybe he didn’t sit forward Brad Richards — who signed a nine-year, $60 million deal before last season — to make a statement going into Game 4 of New York’s second-round series with the Bruins.

Maybe he made Richards a healthy scratch just so he could get someone to ask him about it at the after-game news conference, and then use it as an excuse for a Tortorella classic.

Tortorella got all over a reporter who dared to ask Thursday why Richards and his beaucoup salary were out for Game 4. While Tortorella usually revels in the art of brevity, he gave a full speech to defend Richards.

Tortorella went on about how great a player Richards is, saying he’s won a Conn Smythe trophy and that he just wants to help Richards figure out how to get back to form.

“So none of ya’s — don’t put words in my mouth,” he said. “It’s not blaming Brad Richards. I’ve already heard enough of that crap already, as far as this is concerned. … Kiss my [expletive] if you want to write something different.”

Tortorella mixed his share of salty language into the diatribe. Check it out in the video below.

Click here for John Tortorella’s Top 10 Rants >>

Fan Steals Rosin Bag, Eludes Police After Running Onto Field at Kauffman Stadium (Video)

Zach Stoloff — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:13:12 +0000

Don’t try this at home, folks, unless you’re OK with spending a night in a stadium jail.

Throughout the years, there have been many idiotic sports fans who want to make going to a live event all about them. These are the people who think they’re amusing, but are really just making tens of thousands of people wait for them and their stupid antics.

So, without necessarily condoning his actions, at least one Royals fan had a plan to spice up his on-the-field jaunt.

During Thursday night’s Angels-Royals game, one Kansas City supporter ran onto the field during the eighth inning with the Royals at bat. Not only did this fan manage to initially elude police (causing one to wipe out near the mound), but he stole the rosin bag off the mound while in the act. Suffice to say he probably didn’t get to keep that souvenir, but hey, maybe his hands were really, really slippery.

Check out this fan’s on-field antics in the video below.

Rams Rookie Terrell Brown Weighs More Than 400 Pounds, Making Him Heaviest NFL Player

Luke Hughes — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:02:18 +0000

St. Louis Rams rookie Terrell Brown is a big man. Some may even call him the biggest.

Brown, who was signed by the Rams earlier this week, stands at 6-foot-10, which is tall even for a lineman, and was said to be about 385 pounds. As it turns out, the monstrous lineman actually weighs a tad over 400 pounds, at least per Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, making him the heaviest player currently in the NFL.

“Actually, we weighed him in at 403,” Fisher told reporters Thursday. “We had him in for the tryout, and he had some issues that we had to clear up from a physical standpoint. But he got that put behind us.”

Brown used that size on the defensive line for four years at Mississippi. Fisher is trying to find an innovative way to use Brown to his advantage, and the team has even been experimenting with him on the offensive side of the ball.

“We worked him out on both sides of the ball, defensive line and offensive line, and we felt like his best position would be right tackle,” Fisher said. “[Rams offensive line coach Paul Boudreau] said he’d love to have him. He’s a defensive lineman that we’ve converted to offensive lineman.”

The Rams did add former Miami Dolphins tackle and No. 1 overall pick Jake Long during the offseason, but a little — well, maybe not so little — more help on the offensive line certainly couldn’t hurt Sam Bradford.

Oh, and no Terrell Brown story is complete without at least some mention of the infamous chair-breaking video. So, here you go.

Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.

Photo via Instagram/iamsbxii

Chris Bosh Celebrated LeBron James’ Game-Winning Layup With Characteristic Awkwardness (Video)

NESN Staff — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:58:54 +0000

While everyone is busy talking about LeBron James‘ game-winning layup, Paul George‘s coming-out party and Roy Hibbert‘s curious absence in overtime on Wednesday, nobody was happier to have a front-row seat to it all than Miami’s Chris Bosh.

Bosh finished Game 1 with 17 points and two rebounds, but to hear Indiana coach Frank Vogel tell it, Bosh was the key Heat player on the final play. Vogel was so worried about Bosh possibly being left open that he removed Hibbert, the team’s best shot-blocker, from the game. Tyler Hansbrough was assigned to defend the eight-time All-Star, with Sam Young ending up covering Bosh on a switch.

As everyone knows, James took advantage of Hibbert’s absence by driving to the hoop and scoring a layup as time expired. But a new camera angle shows Bosh reacting in his typical, socially awkward fashion. As James hits the layup, Bosh can be seen in the background raising his arms in celebration, but it feels like just another Bosh photobomb. Only Bosh could make celebrating a game-winning shot look so campy.

See James’ layup in the video below, and check out Bosh’s reaction at the 15-second mark.

Memphis’ D.J. Stephens Sets Record With 46-Inch Vertical Leap, Kissed Rim in Practice (Video)

NESN Staff — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:34:47 +0000

D.J. Stephens is not guaranteed to get picked in next month’s NBA draft. Teams might have trouble buying that a 6-foot-5 power forward can survive in the pros, so the senior out of Memphis might have to wait until after the draft to sign somewhere as a rookie free agent.

Stephens reportedly helped his cause in a workout with the Brooklyn Nets, though. He recorded a 46-inch maximum vertical leap, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford, the highest ever recorded for a prospect.

Here at Brooklyn Nets workout. My favorite @DdotJAY30 is here. Measured with a 46" max vert here. Highest EVER measured by NBA
—
Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) May 22, 2013

Stephens was one of college’s basketball’s must-see dunkers this past season, and not only in games. He showed off his ups by kissing the rim in practice. That skill is completely useless in the NBA, but it’s still really cool.

Check out Stephens kissing the rim in the video below.

Thumbnail via Facebook/D.J. Stephens

Report: Carl Crawford Dating Evelyn Lozada, Chad Johnson’s Reality TV Star Ex-Wife

NESN Staff — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:50:04 +0000

Chad Johnson hasn’t been doing so well lately, but it seems that his ex-wife is doing just fine for herself.

Earlier this week, the former Patriots wide receiver was arrested in Florida after a warrant was issued for his arrest. The warrant stemmed from an altercation with his ex-wife, Evelyn Lozada, which allegedly violated Johnson’s probation. Johnson was famously accused of head-butting Lozada during an argument between the two back in August, and she quickly filed for divorce.

So what’s a girl to do when her pro athlete prince charming turns out to be a Toledo Bullfrog? (Johnson has never actually played arena football, but just go with the joke here.) Find a new pro athlete beau, of course.

Lozada has been dating former Red Sox and current Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford, according to HipHollywood.com. The website cites anonymous sources and “a few well-placed eyewitness accounts” in its report, and it points out that Lozada was seen at Citi Field in a limousine when the Dodgers were in New York playing the Mets.

However, perhaps take that report with a grain of salt, as Bossip.com flatly denies the rumor, citing its own anonymous source, who says that Lozada is “super single” and not dating anyone.

Does Lozada have a thing for past-their-prime athletes who used to ply their trade in Boston? It remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: Chad Johnson’s life is certainly not on the upswing.

Ray Lewis Announces Plan to Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, Aims to Raise Money for Clean Water Projects

NESN Staff — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:15:33 +0000

Let’s just get the deer antler spray jokes out of the way early: If it’s good for playing football, it’s got to be good for climbing mountains.

Now, seriously: Ray Lewis has announced that he will be climbing a mountain soon — and not any old mountain. The former Ravens linebacker says he plans to hike the famed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The goal is to raise money and awareness for clean water projects in East Africa, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Lewis is calling the effort “TackleKili” and is raising money on his website, with supporters able to choose from several options to help him toward his goal. Those who register on the site could win the grand prize: a Ravens helmet signed by Lewis.

Mt. Kilimanjaro is known for more than its name — at 19,000 feet above sea level, it’s the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Perhaps it was just a matter of time before it became acquainted with an NFL mountain-mover himself.

Photo of the Day

A new logo?!?!?!

New Dallas Stars logos leaked? Screenshot from the official team app. @icethetics @sportslogosnet http://t.co/fybIoDhnop
—
Lyndon Eh? (@DamnOldNylon) May 24, 2013

Tweet of the Day

Look who’s on Twitter.

A little (blue) bird told me that the place to be is @twitter, so here I am! http://t.co/8AQzBsC6ia
—
Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) May 23, 2013

Video of the Day

Oh, somebody tell the Blue Jays that a driving range isn’t where you’re supposed to have batting practice. Maybe this is why they’re doing so poorly.

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Pirates’ Brandon Inge Dons Penguins Jersey, Full Hockey Gear During Rain Delay (Video)

Zack Cox — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:06:54 +0000

The Pittsburgh Pirates will be wearing Penguins jerseys to support their Steel City neighbors on their road trip to Milwaukee starting Thursday night, but Brandon Inge couldn’t wait until they boarded the buses to unleash his hockey spirit.

The veteran infielder, who has never played a game of hockey in his life, showed up to PNC Park prior to a game with the Cubs dressed head to toe in hockey gear, complete with rollerblades and a No. 66 Mario Lemieux sweater. When the game was halted for nearly two hours due to rain, Inge passed the time by skating laps around the clubhouse and playing goalie on a net set up in the center of the room.

“Just showing my support,” Inge told USA Today. “Man, I’m sweating already and all I did was a 40-second shift and had a goal scored on me. I don’t know how those guys do it.”

Judge Inge’s puck prowess for yourself in the video below, and keep scrolling to check out Andrew McCutchen‘s choice of road-trip attire.

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Photo via Facebook/Pittsburgh Pirates

Phil Jackson Says He Would Take Bill Russell Over Michael Jordan When Building a Team (Video)

Ben Watanabe — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:50:24 +0000

Phil Jackson has coached four players whose places among the NBA’s all-time greats are undisputed. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal all had sizable roles in bringing Jackson his 11 championship rings, and most of the “Who was better?” debates Jackson is asked to weigh in on revolve around Jordan and Bryant (or Jud Buechler versus Jason Caffey, obviously).

In an interview with Time, Jackson touched on a new angle to the debate that was a little surprising.

With Jackson possibly angling to get back into the NBA in a personnel position, he was asked which player from history he would take first if he was starting a team. The answer was not Jordan, the superstar who helped Jackson win six titles, but another guy with an ample collection of championship jewelry.

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

So there you have it. Jackson would take Russell first, counting on that pick working out a lot more like Hakeem Olajuwon did for the Rockets and less like Sam Bowie did for the Trail Blazers. We’re guessing Jackson’s hypothetical team would be in “win now” mode, since the 79-year-old Russell probably doesn’t have the patience for a long, drawn-out rebuilding process.

Check out Jackson’s conversation in the video below.

Gordon Bombay of ‘The Mighty Ducks’ Movies Featured in ’30 for 30′ Trailer Internet Spoof (Video)

NESN Staff — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:26:28 +0000

Any hockey fan who grew up in or around the 90s has seen The Mighty Ducks movies roughly 58 times combined. The Disney movie series about a fictional youth hockey team that eventually grows up to be a fictional high school hockey team, all under the tutelage of Gordon Bombay, is unforgettable for a certain amount of hockey fans.

Some fan decided to take that admiration to new levels, though. As the Puck Drunk Love hockey blog points out, some creative YouTube user has found a new way to honor the movie series. That user made a video featuring Bombay, the former hot-shot hockey player turned lawyer turned hockey coach, as the subject of the ESPN documentary series 30 for 30.

The faux trailier is so good that not only does it make you want to watch the movie again, it also makes you wish they were actually making the documentary titled Gordon Bombay: The Minnesota Miracle Man.

Check out the video below, which was actually made last year but has just started to surface recently.

Vote: Should Charlotte Bring Back Teal and Purple Colors Along With ‘Hornets’ Nickname?

NESN Staff — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:10:34 +0000

Just about everybody assumes that when the Hornets nickname returns to Charlotte in approximately 18 months, the classic teal and purple color scheme will as well.

While that might make sense, the return of the distinctive colors is far from certain. At the news conference to officially announce the name change, Michael Jordan said he had not decided what colors would accompany the rebranding. The official website featured a teal and purple palette, encouraging folks who still fit into their Starter jackets.

If the team goes back to the teal and purple of the Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson days, it would have a ready-made fan base in Charlotte and beyond. The team attracted a wide following after its inception in 1988 due to its unique color scheme, and young fans who were not even alive when the Hornets moved to New Orleans now attest to be bigger fans of the Charlotte Hornets than the Charlotte Bobcats. The former fashion designer who dreamed up the original uniforms even wants in on the creative process for the new Hornets, if they will let him.

What should the Hornets’ new colors be? Vote in the poll below.

Andrew Garfield Plays Basketball as Spider-Man During Break in Filming in New York (Video)

Ben Watanabe — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:44:20 +0000

In The Amazing Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield and the filmmakers make it pretty clear that they have no idea how basketball works when Garfield, as Peter Parker, takes about seven steps before dunking from the 3-point line and breaking the backboard. The absurdity of the scene almost overshadows what is a decent superhero movie overall.

As it turns out, total ignorance of the rules of basketball don’t keep Garfield from enjoying the sport. During a break in filming The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in New York, the star joined some kids on a neighborhood court for a quick game of 2-on-1. The bonus: He was decked out in the full Spider-Man outfit.

Check out Garfield making these kids’ day in the video below.

H/T coed.com

Derek Jeter Appears to Use Fake Name ‘Philip’ to Get Coffee at Starbucks (Photo)

Jen Slothower — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:10:05 +0000

Could a grande blonde French Vanilla get Derek Jeter back to baseball before the All-Star break?

Who knows what Jeter’s favorite coffee is, or how his rehab from his broken ankle is progressing. There is now photographic evidence, however, that Jeter stopped by Starbucks the other day, and he walked off with a coffee designated for “Philip.”

Whether Jeter was stealing some unsuspecting patron’s hot beverage, taking a treat back to teammate Phil Hughes or accidentally revealing his secret name will be tough to figure out. But if you’re ever in New York and see a dead ringer for Derek Jeter that answers to Philip, move in for an autograph, OK?

Check out Jeter grabbing his drink in the photo below, with a hat tip to BuzzFeed.

Photo via Twitter/alsboringtweets

Roy Hibbert’s Absence on LeBron James’ Game-Winning Layup Shown Side-by-Side With Block on Carmelo Anthony (Photo)

Ben Watanabe — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:03:26 +0000

Pacers fans are going bananas after coach Frank Vogel subbed out center Roy Hibbert — twice — on a couple of crucial defensive possessions late in Wednesday’s game against the Heat. Hibbert’s absence gave LeBron James free reign to drive to the hoop, including on Miami’s game-winning play that began with 2.2 seconds on the clock.

Sadly, we will never know what those plays might have looked like had Hibbert been on the court. Oh, wait. Yes we do.

Thanks to a split-screen photo that has gone viral, fans get a look at exactly what Hibbert might have done. The photo shows James attempting his lefty layup unabated, side-by-side with Carmelo Anthony‘s dunk attempt in the Eastern Conference semifinals getting stuffed by the Pacers’ 7-foot-2 rim protector.

Check it out below.

Photo via Twitter/@SportsCenter

Bills Fan Gets Huge O.J. Simpson Mugshot Tattoo on Upper Thigh That Took Nine Hours to Finish (Photo)

Zach Stoloff — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:32:38 +0000

In the years since his NFL playing days, O.J. Simpson‘s reputation and legacy have changed a bit. However, at least one Bills fan is willing to focus on the franchise’s second-leading rusher’s stats and overlook that whole double-murder trial thing.

According to Sports-Kings.com, the tattoo in the photo below has been drawn on a Bills fan, and it took nine hours to complete. Unfortunately, there’s not much more information out there, but one thing’s for sure: This tat probably won’t be taken the way this fan wants it to be.

What’s even more bizarre is that the photo isn’t of, say, Simpson in the Heisman pose or hurdling blockers. Nope — it’s Simpson’s mugshot. Interesting way of drawing attention to his football accomplishments.

Check out the tattoo below.

Photo via Twitter/@jasongoldberger

Plaxico Burress Launches Luxury Socks Line, Says He Hopes to Expand to Bow Ties, Cuff Links, Belts (Photos)

NESN Staff — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:17:01 +0000

The renaissance of formalwear among the ranks of pro athletes has created a market for fine threads, and Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress is there to help fill the void.

Burress launched the Plaxico Burress Collection, a line of luxury socks, this week in New York. This appears to be just the beginning for the former Jets and Giants receiver, who was previously more well-known for other types of things (such as an unfortunate firearm incident — when he was wearing sweatpants, no less). Burress says he wants to design bow ties, cuff links and belts once the socks take off.

“Come on, who doesn’t need a great belt?” Burress said when explaining his plans to the New York Times. “… I’ve always considered myself a pretty stylish guy. … I’ve been planning my sock line from behind the scenes for a couple of years. Nobody even knew I was doing it. So it’s a lot of hard work that got me to this point.”

The socks start at $24 a pair.

Burress has also launched a Twitter account to show off some of his style, and he seems to have an early affinity for pairing his hosiery with blue suede shoes. Check out some photos of his preferred footwear below, as well as one sock design from a fan that doesn’t exactly scream “luxury.”

Love this combo! http://t.co/jMcUcUJ2Mb
—
Plaxico's Socks (@PlaxicosSocks) May 02, 2013

Treat your feet! #sockarmy http://t.co/D1GufGGD4C
—
Plaxico's Socks (@PlaxicosSocks) April 16, 2013

Love them socks! RT @TerenceBoland: @PlaxicosSocks It takes a bad man to pull of these socks at work. http://t.co/wYLxur2DpZ
—
Plaxico's Socks (@PlaxicosSocks) March 28, 2013

Photo via Twitter/PlaxicosSocks

Photo of the Day

Everyone is talking about that layup at the end of the game. But this was the really impressive LeBron James moment.

Tweet of the Day

It turns out they didn’t need him.

I really, really hope the Good Job, Good Effort Kid is at tonight's game.
—
Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 23, 2013

Video of the Day

That’s how to steal a home run. Somebody tell Michael Bourn.

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