Sometimes, when you’re watching garbage time of a midseason game that involves, say, the Knicks, it’s easy to forget exactly how much bonker-balls craziness happens in sports pretty much constantly. With the goal of getting you excited, psyched up and jacked sideways for 2014, here’s a review of all the awesomeness, shocking villainy, and general bonker-ballsness from the last year in athletic competition.
Kenny Anderson, Vin Baker and Doug Christie are among the players who will play in an exhibition game.
Rodman in Pyongyang in December.
David Guttenfelder / AP
Dennis Rodman has recruited more former NBA players to join one of his so-called "basketball diplomacy" trips to North Korea, the AP reports.
Kenny Anderson, Cliff Robinson, Vin Baker, Doug Christie, Craig Hodges, and Charles D. Smith will play against "a top North Korean Senior National team" on Jan. 8 to celebrate Kim Jong Un's birthday. The North Korean leader most recently made headlines for ordering the execution of his uncle and apparent political rival, Jang Song Thaek, last month.
The group of players have a colorful collective history. Anderson has appeared on the reality show Basketball Wives and recently starred in a theatrical event called The Penis Monologues. Robinson has appeared on Real Housewives Of New Jersey and may be a contestant on the next season of Survivor. Baker, a self-described alcoholic, was an All-Star who notoriously drank himself out of the league; as of last year, he was reportedly enrolled at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Doug Christie and his wife Jackie were featured on the BET J series The Christies Committed, and his wife appears on Basketball Wives: LA. (Christie is known for avoiding conversations and eye contact with women besides Jackie.) And Hodges, who was in recent years an assistant on Phil Jackson's Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff, unsuccessfully sued the NBA in 1996, alleging that the league had blackballed him because of his political outspokenness and association with Louis Farrakhan.
Andrew Luck’s long touchdown pass with 4:31 to play capped off an incredible performance.
Rob Carr / Getty
Cue massive Twitter backlash.
Channel 5
What would be good about it? That ain't normal. It is a choice, come on, that ain't the way nobody is made.
'If you were born and your leg were turned this way, what do you do, you go to the doctor and get it fixed back, right?
'All I'm trying to say, you know handicap people are born, you can't say because they are born that way you can't fix them.
Channel 5
“I don’t know how he did it, but he did it!”
During the 2nd period of Saturday's Detroit-Dallas game, Red Wings left winger Tomas Tatar made a dazzling play to somehow get by two converging defenders for an unassisted goal.
With defenders approaching from both sides, Tatar pushed the puck ahead while avoiding a head-on check from Stars defenseman Brenden Dillon, who ended up taking out his teammate, freeing Tatar up for a semi-breakaway.
From there, Tatar just had to maintain his balance, regain control of the puck, avoid an oncoming defender, and lift the puck up for a backhand goal.
You know, standard hockey stuff.
“We’re against discrimination in sport, full stop,” said Heath Spence, captain of the Australian Men’s bobsled team.
Courtesy Principle 6 Campaign
With just weeks left before the Sochi Winter Games, both the Australian men's and women's bobsled teams have announced partnerships with the Principle 6 Campaign to show support for Russia's LGBT community.
"We're against discrimination in sport, full stop," said Heath Spence, captain of the Australian Men's bobsled team. "That means we also oppose discrimination against gay and lesbian athletes."
The campaign, named after the International Olympic Committee's nondiscrimination clause, Principle 6, opposes anti-LGBT policies and discrimination in Russia and was formed early last month by two nonprofits: Athlete Ally and All Out. Starting this week, the Principle 6 Campaign becomes an official sponsor for the men's team with its logo appearing on its bobsled at the World Cup event in Lake Placid, N.Y.
"We don't just believe that on principle — some of our most loyal supporters have been gay," Heath said. "They've supported us, so it would be hypocritical of us not to support them. All of us bobsledders are the biggest, the strongest, the fastest athletes in the Winter Olympics. And there's two or four of us jammed into a sled. If we can support gay rights, why can't everybody else? We're proud to have the Principle 6 badge on our sleds."
With the addition of the men's and women's teams, the campaign has the backing of over 40 Olympic athletes. In December, the campaign launched a clothing line featuring the support of several Sochi-bound Olympians including snowboarder Belle Brockhoff, speedskater Blake Skjellerup, and alpine skier Mike Janyk.
"As Putin tries to put on a friendly face in the weeks leading up to the opening ceremonies at Sochi, it's never been more important to shine a bright light on Russia's cruel anti-gay laws," said Brian Ellner, a founding board member of Athlete Ally. "It's promising to see so many athletes from all over the world step up to make their voices heard and I'm glad the Principle 6 campaign is helping to facilitate that."
The new sponsorship was initiated by the team and is meant to show support for upholding diversity and inclusion at the games, according to Steve Conklin, the team's coach. "We are honored to stand in solidarity with the LGBT community," he said. "We feel that our team has a responsibility to the athlete community to foster a completely inclusive culture."
The sponsorship will continue through all races leading up to the Sochi Games, according to Ellner. The Australian Olympic Committee expects to send contenders in three events: one in the two-man (male), one in the two-man (women), and one in the four-man (male) to compete in bobsled in Sochi.
"Each day, more athletes are seizing on this historic moment to join the movement to end discrimination in sport," said Andre Banks, executive director of All Out, in a statement. "When world-class athletes speak out in support of Principle 6, the International Olympic Committee and the Russian hosts of this year's Games are forced to listen. We hope more brave athletes will join the Australian team and speak out powerfully ahead of the Sochi Games."
Packers fans are currently cold, heartbroken.
Sunday's single-digit temperatures and Lambeau Field faithful should have ensured the Green Bay Packers ultimate home field advantage over the San Fancisco 49ers. Instead, with the game tied 20-20, Colin Kaepernick cut up the Packers defense and led the 49ers down the field for a game-winning field goal with no time left on the clock, leaving a lot of sad cheeseheads in Green Bay.
Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group / MCT
Since the holidays are over, here is a reminder of the extremely harsh truth: The Packers let the game literally slip through their fingers in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter. Let's start with Micah Hyde dropping this gift from Colin Kaepernick.
NFL Game Rewind
It’s an easy call.
The College Football Playoff system, which launches next year, will choose title game locations based on a bidding process; the first one will be at the JerryDome in Dallas. Others, presumably, will be at Super Bowl-style locations in San Diego, Phoenix and the like.
The College Football Playoff system's method of choosing title game locations is the wrong method. The fact that no one has said "and that's another all-time classic in the books at the University of Phoenix Stadium, the place where legends are made" is one reason. Here are just a few of the others.
John W. McDonough / Sports Illustrated / Getty
Jan. 1, 1902. The Grandaddy of 'Em All.
Wikipedia
Jan. 1, 1973. Lynn Swann.
George Long / Sports Illustrated / Getty
Jan. 1, 1975. Woody.
With three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the Seminoles seize the 2013 trophy.
Harry How / Getty
Florida State came into tonight's BCS title game favored by 10 points over Auburn. But with five minutes left in the first half, it was the Tigers who were leading 21-3, their running game slashing and gashing the Seminoles' top-ranked defense, and their own defenders throwing Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston off his game.
Florida State would score before the half to bring the deficit to 11, then draw a field goal closer in the third quarter. In the fourth, fullback Chad Abram rumbled to a 21-yard touchdown on a check-down pass.
Auburn responded with a field goal. And then:
That's Levonte Whitfield running 100 yards for a kickoff-return touchdown with only 4:31 left to take the lead. But Auburn — author of two amazing last-minute wins already this year — responded with what would have been a classic game-winning drive in its own right. On 2nd and 16 after a sack, superstar running back Tre Mason (195 yards on the day) took a carry through and over the Florida State defense to put Auburn ahead 31-27 with only 1:19 left.
The World Cup Alpine ski racer said she is “devastated” to not be competing.
Vonn at a race in in Val d'Isere, French Alps, Dec. 21, 2013.
Christian Hartmann / Reuters
CNN’s Chris Cuomo’s interview with former NBA star, who is in North Korea, (predictably) goes off the rails.
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, and friend of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, reacted wildly to questions about imprisoned American Kenneth Bae from CNN's Chris Cuomo on Tuesday morning.
"Are you going to take an opportunity, if you get it, to speak up for the family of Kenneth Bae and say, 'Let us know why this man is being held?' If you can help them, will you take the opportunity?" Cuomo asked.
"The one thing about politics, Kenneth Bae did one thing. If you understand — if you understand what Kenneth Bae did," Rodman said, adding "Do you understand what he did? In this country?"
Rodman went on to scream at Cuomo for not recognizing the sacrifice being made by the other former NBA players who are in North Korea to play a game as a "birthday present" for Kim Jong-un.
Watch the full interview at CNN.
Instant karma.
Well, look at this. During a recent amateur hockey game, this guy in the red attempted to deliver a hit after the whistle blew, but missed his opponent and ran into the boards.
At full speed.
He did recover relatively quickly and even tried to act tough afterward. Unfortunately, there's simply no way to look cool after you knock yourself out.
And that is why you always play by the rules, kids.
“For teaching us that falling only makes us stronger.”
Fighting stereotypes with dunking. (In honor of John Kuhn dropping the worst Lambeau Leap ever this weekend.)
Dilling is a former national high jump champion.
Clark posts his own videos to YouTube.
Terri Chung, the sister of the American man being held captive by the North Korean government, says she was “shocked and just outraged,” after seeing Dennis Rodman’s wild CNN interview Tuesday.
"We were shocked and just outraged. We couldn’t believe our ears. You know he was in a position to do some good and to help advocate for Kenneth. He refused to do so but then instead he has chosen to hurl these outrages accusations against Kenneth. He clearly doesn’t know anything about Kenneth, about his case and so we were appalled by that."
The former Aston Villa, West Ham, and Everton player retired earlier this year. He is the most prominent gay footballer to state his sexuality.
In the process the former German international has become by far the most prominent football player to announce that he is gay.
Hitzlsperger had a successful career in England with Aston Villa and in his homeland with Stuttgart, before returning to Britain for short stints at West Ham and Everton.
He retired following the 2012-13 season, having won 52 caps for his country and having played at the World Cup and European Championships.
Mike Hewitt / Getty Images
He said it is only in recent years that it "dawned on me that I would rather live with a man" and this followed a "a long and difficult process".
"In England, Germany or Italy homosexuality is not a serious issue, not in the changing room at any rate," he told the weekly newspaper. "I was never ashamed of being who I am but it was not always easy to sit on a table with twenty young men and listen to jokes about gays."
"You let them get on with it as long as the jokes are a bit funny and not too insulting."
Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
The 31-year old broke off their relationship just a month before they were due to get married in 2007.
Today he says it made sense to talk about his sexuality at the end of his career.
"Being gay is a topic that is ignored in football and not a serious topic in the changing room," he explains. "Fighting spirit, passion and winning mentality are."
Friedemann Vogel / Getty Images
Rogers, a USA international, has since come out of retirement and is playing for LA Galaxy in the MLS.
At the time he told the Guardian that he felt the need to stop playing before talking about his sexuality: "In football it's obviously impossible to come out – because no-one has done it. No one. It's crazy and sad. I thought: 'Why don't I step away and deal with this and my family and be happy?' Imagine going to training every day and being in that spotlight? It's been a bit of a circus anyway – but that would have been crazy."
Danny Moloshok / Reuters
Ski seasons are the best! And most draining, exhausting time of your life.
How has it been this many months without doing the only thing that matters?
Working Title / Via mrwgifs.com
I want to do everything all the time!
Consider learning about Ullr, Norse god of snow and skiing.
Via gothamghostwriters.tumblr.com
Curry, Colin Kaepernick and Evgeni Malkin are among the athletes who wear the MoGo company’s gear. Athletic equipment you want to eat: the next big thing?
(WARNING: This picture is from last year, so it's possible that it does not depict a flavored mouthguard.)
Rocky Widner / NBA / Getty
Before the NBA season, star Golden State shooter Stephen Curry announced that he would be wearing, and endorsing, a line of flavored mouthguards made by a company called MoGo. Flavors include bubble gum and fruit punch. (MoGo says flavor is "embedded" in the mouthguards' plastic, and this review confirms the taste lasts through several uses.) Candy and exercise? Sounds like a great recipe — for hot vomit stew, am I right? But it turns out that Colin Kaepernick, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, all-time leading NCAA lacrosse scorer Matt Danowski and a crew of other pros also endorse MoGo's products, which the company says are sold in 2,000 sporting goods stores in the United States. (They're definitely sold online by Dick's and Eastbay.)
In case this strange-sounding idea was in fact the wave of the future, we scientifically evaluated several MoGo flavors with a team of flavor professionals/people who were in the BuzzFeed office on a Friday.
MoGo
Rating on a 1-10 scale: 3
Tasting notes: "Smells like a car freshener. Tastes like what I'd assume one of those Mr. Sketch markers to taste like."
He’s the perfect man for the job.
On Monday, Tim Tebow made his first appearance as an ESPN analyst during pregame coverage of the BCS National Championship. Not only did he almost predict the exact outcome of the game — Tebow predicted a 35-31 FSU win; the final score was 34-31 — but he also gave us a glimpse into what kind of an analyst he will be: a pretty darn good one. Here's why...
This might seem obvious, but even relative to other players Tim Tebow is a fan and student of football. During Monday's pregame coverage he showed off impressive research and analysis, uncommon for a first-timer. NFL.com broke down his commentary noting that he correctly predicted Auburn's fast start and Jameis Winston's early problems throwing over the middle.
Via youtube.com
Tim Tebow's playing style, his heroic reputation in Gainesville, his contentious relationship with the NFL — everything about him yells "college football!" It's what he knows, it fits him and it's where he belongs. It's like Nicolas Cage teaching a class on how to be the greatest actor of all time. It just makes sense.
Sam Greenwood / Getty
The southeast is Tim Tebow's backyard and he played in it for four years, seeing practically every situation imaginable along the way. And he's not that far removed from those days. Who out there is better-qualified about what it's like for a player both on and off the field in the most college football-crazy part of the country?
Kevin C. Cox / Getty
Craig Biggio and his fans will have to wait another year.
Ronald Martinez / Getty Images
It's been a tough few years for Houston Astros fans. After finally making it to the World Series in 2005 (and losing in four games), they've been on a sharp decline. The best players retired or were traded away, disbanding the fan favorite "Killer Bs" — Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Derek Bell, and Sean Berry (and later, lovable Lance Berkman). The team spent several years pretending it could compete, overpaying for washed-up pitchers while letting their farm system waste away. Then the Astros' owner agreed to move them to the American League beginning in the 2013 season, taking them out of their division and causing thousands of Houston fans to feel confused about the All-Star Game. Our new owner is putting work into building up the farm system, but in the meantime we must endure one of the worst and cheapest baseball teams in recent memory, losing more than 100 games for the last three consecutive seasons and finishing up the 2013 season with H-town's worst season ever, topped with an end-of-season 15-game losing streak.
It couldn't get worse, right?
Ronald Martinez / Getty Images
The Houston Astros have never won the World Series, and a player has never been inducted into the Hall of Fame as an Astro. Three years ago Jeff Bagwell became eligible and received only 41.7 percent of the vote, despite having once been named by the legendary baseball statistician Bill James as the fourth greatest first baseman of all time. Some writers who shared their ballots explained that Bagwell just seemed like someone who'd used PEDs, even though he was never indicted or failed a drug test. He was bulky in the '90s, a crime unto itself in the eyes of the dusty old men who fill out so many of the Baseball Writers Association of America ballots for the Hall. (An institution already filled with men who played in a segregated league that excluded many of the era's greatest players, a group that includes documented racists, cheaters, drunks, liars, and many users of various drugs.)
Still, what about Craig Biggio, who played alongside Bagwell during the Astros' own golden era of the late '90s and early '00s? Never a well-built slugger, he was more of an on-base man (he reached base after being hit by a pitch 287 times in his career, the second most of all time). He was beloved by the fans in Houston, a leader on the team, and dominant in his era. He is part of the elite 3,000-hit club, a group of 28 players who've almost all been inducted into the Hall of Fame when they became eligible, mostly on their first ballot (the only exceptions are Biggio, Pete Rose — ineligible due to his ban from baseball for gambling — and known PED user Rafael Palmiero).
Biggio was first eligible for the HOF last year, and he didn't make it. Speculation has it that a large chunk of writers chose not to vote for anyone on the ballot that year to protest the new inclusion of known PED users such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. Biggio was not one of those — no one has ever seriously accused the man of using steroids, outside of claiming that "everyone" in the era was part of the problem — but he didn't make it either. No one did, a punishment not to the players who were swept up in the PED era, but for the fans who'd waited so long for one of their own to be immortalized in the Hall.
But this year would be the year, everyone said. I made tentative plans to visit Cooperstown for the induction ceremony, my second visit. The first time I went to see the Hall of Fame, I was so inspired that I started a personal art project, drawing every Hall of Famer ever inducted in chronological order by induction year. I've been waiting ever since I began that project to know that I would get to sketch a "H" for Houston on the cap of one of the beloved Bees. I couldn't wait, and last night I had tears in my eyes just picturing the moment I'd read about it and call my Houston-born boyfriend, post Biggio pictures on Facebook, and celebrate with my family and friends who've been waiting for a reminder of why we love baseball so much, and why sticking with the Astros through all these years was finally worth it for this moment.
And then:
