A lack of education and easy access makes the stimulant a popular choice for NFL players.

Image by Tony Dejak / AP

When New York Giants safety Tyler Sash had several speaking engagements lined up during the 2012 offseason, he turned to a doctor to help him with the impending anxiety. According to the statement released on his Twitter page: "I took a prescription drug (Adderall) legally under a doctor's care for an anxiety condition during the offseason in March of this year." Like two of the other three players who said they were suspended for the use of Adderall this season (it's a stimulant, but the league does not specify what drugs players are suspended for), he claimed he had no idea it was banned under NFL rules.

That might be true. But the drug, agents and a former Division 1 college player who spoke to BuzzFeed said, does have a reputation in football for having a number of uses: quelling anxiety, concentrating on learning the playbook, blocking out excess noise on the field, dropping weight, moving faster, and of course, partying. And it can be obtained legally. The only surprising thing about its sudden prevalence is that it apparently took so long for players to start getting caught.

"Everyone wants to do business with an NFL player so there's always someone with a doctor who is a friend of the family who just can't wait to call and help," said one NFL agent, who declined to be identified.

Numerous agents who spoke to BuzzFeed said there is widespread confusion about what procedures players should follow if they're legitimately prescribed the drug.

"I think it may be a case where a lot of guys have tested positive for Adderall got fined because they did not get an exemption [from the league]," said Jack Bechta, whose clients include Sash. "I think if you look at the last several cases, most claimed and have proof they got the drug legally under a doctor's care and just didn't do the exemption form prior to using it. The pattern says that its probably an education issue."

Adderall has been on the NFL's banned list of substances since 2006. The NFLPA issues a handbook to players each year with an updated list of banned substances, which is also available on their website. And agents stress that they tell their players to check with their trainer for everything they even think about putting in their bodies.

"My advice to any of my clients is before you take anything whether it's over the counter, whether it's a supplement from GNC that you feel you need to take ask the training staff first," said Barry Gardner, a former player who now works with players at the Institute for Athletes sports agency.

But for players with extensive medical regimens, some banned drugs can slip through the cracks, agents said. And players in Sash's year missed some of their rookie education because of the player lockout.

Meanwhile, a former Big Ten college player told BuzzFeed, Adderall was easily and informally available when he played in the mid-2000s. The player, who had been diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed the drug through a doctor, said he would get the prescription free through the university, then pass pills on to his teammates.

"I knew a lot of kids who would offer to pay me to fill my prescription," he told BuzzFeed. But since he didn't have to pay for it in the first place, he said, "I would just give it to them for free."

Image by Joe Robbins / Getty Images

They're loud. They're opinionated. They'll type at you in all caps.

The Jock Sniffer

This fan lives in a world where teams don't matter or even exist. They are fans of the individual. When LeBron left Cleveland for Miami, they were most upset about the fact that they had to buy a new jersey. Though some of these people can be intelligent and bring a unique perspective to sports (see: the late FreeDarko), many of them are trolls you can find in the comments section of most ESPN articles. And if you thought YouTube comments are annoying, you haven't spent enough time in the ESPN comment sections.

Alternatively, they could have grown up in a place without a team.

Source: img.gawkerassets.com

The Nerd

(Photo by Randy Stewart, blog.stewtopia.com.)

this fan tells you that his group is called "The Stat Head" but you and I know better. Though advanced statistics are an amazing tool that allow us to know more about the games we love than ever before, these guys also have a tendency to suck the fun out of everything. Is your favorite baseball player kicking ass every time he comes to the plate? That BABIP looks inflated. Regression is coming. A pitcher you like playing well? Check out that xFIP. Regression is coming. Your team on a magical run? Regression is coming.

If you've ever wondered why Tim Tebow is a thing, I think it's at least partially because he is a walking middle finger to advanced stats. Also because he's Jesus.

Source: stewtopia

The Veteran

This guy was all-conference in high school, and might have even had a shot at playing D1 ball if his knee didn't give. So sure he's an insurance salesman now, but that doesn't mean that his experience doesn't make him way more knowledgeable than you. It must be true, he keeps saying it over and over and over and over and...

The Local Jingoist

The other day, I wrote a story about Andrew Bynum's recently haggard appearance, jokingly attributing the hangover eyes and suddenly gray hair to his move from LA to Philadelphia. You know how you know I was joking? Because it's nonsensical to believe that the city of Philadelphia turned Andrew Bynum into a homeless guy over the summer. That didn't stop the Philly fans from flooding my inbox with vitriol about how it was just a bad picture of him, and that their city was innocent. I actually had to write the phrase, "Obviously, Philadelphia didn't make him ugly" multiple times. The lesson? Don't make jokes about The Local Jingoist's city. He loves his town, and he's sensitive.

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The NHL is the Pabst Blue Ribbon of professional sports leagues.

The new Lakers point guard continues to show that he's one of the funniest players in the league.

Steve Nash and Dwight Howard are on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week!

That's exciting! How does Steve Nash respond to it?

If you replaced Steve Nash with a similarly skilled point guard on the Lakers (say a slightly better Dragic), they would be so incredibly hateable. Kobe, Metta World AlmostKilledJamesHarden, and Dwight? Those three make the Heat look like a movie starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emma Stone, and Jesus (not Tim Tebow, the real one). But you throw Steve Nash on the team and suddenly they're hate-proof. Besides being a good point guard, Nash is like hatability insurance. Trading for the most despised athlete since "The Decision"? No worries. Here comes Steve Nash to get a road beers from some Laker fans. Fuck you, Steve. I would have really enjoyed hating these guys.

Sorry Steve. I didn't mean that. You're the best.

I mean, there aren't any games for them to play right now because of the lockout, but — still exciting!

Image by Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

Brooklyn's got another sports team! The New York Islanders, aka the Long Island Islanders, aka New York's other hockey team, are moving west to the Barclays Center, pending the NHL's approval; the earliest they might be rooted full time in Brooklyn is 2015. Considering that, geographically, Brooklyn is a part of Long Island, this isn't a really profound move in terms of distance or location. What it does represent is an attempt by the Islanders to reinvigorate a stagnant franchise that finished second-to-last in the league in average attendance last year, with only 13,000 fans per game. Fortunately for the Islanders, the Barclays Center can only hold 19,000 total, and 17,732 for Nets games, meaning that the Islanders do have a legitimate shot at filling the arena, particularly with the added attention that comes from being located in Brooklyn. Of course, this all depends on hockey returning from the current lockout and some degree of fan interest remaining afterward.

Although the Islanders have a winning percentage of only 45% over the last five years, they were actually a dynasty in the late '70s and early '80s, winning four straight Stanley Cups from 1979-1983. The question of whether or not they'll be a success in Brooklyn should depend almost entirely on they're regaining at least some shred of that former glory; in a borough that now has an NBA team and a decent college basketball squad — GO LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS — there's certainly room to create a new genre of multi-sport fan.

You haven't lived until you've heard the “Boomshakalaka” guy mixing in some salty language to his dialogue. I can't decide if this just ruined or enhanced my childhood.

The story goes that when the dialogue for NBA Jam was being recorded, the team had announcer Tim Kritzrow record R-Rated dialogue to amuse the team. Things like: "No fucking way," "Get that shit out of here," and "He's on fucking fire!" When the game was eventually being ported over to Super Nintendo, the people doing the port found those files and created a build of the game using them.

Now that story seems somewhat apocryphal, but what we do know is that the audio was actually recorded (then-Midway creative director Mark Turmell verified that to GameTrailers), and that the video is hilarious and awesome.

LINK: Watch the whole video here.

“We were supposed to win.” Yeah and your parents weren't supposed to film this and put it online, but sometimes the world disappoints.

Source: youtube.com

It's time to settle this once and for all.

Andy Reid?

Image by Rick Scuteri / AP

Or Mike Holmgren?

Image by AP Photo / AP

Andy Reid?

Image by Joe Robbins / Getty Images

Or Mike Holmgren?

Image by AP Photo / AP

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The 107th World Series begins tonight. Here's why you should be watching.

Look at Prince Fielder! He's excited!

Image by Lucy Nicholson / Reuters

Tonight the baseball gods move one step closer to naming their champion, whebn the 107th World Series gets under way. If you have even a passing interest in sports, drama, or fat guys named "Prince," you're not going to want to miss it.

Hey, I see you giving me the side-eye. "Jack, Baseball is boring. This season's been going on for 36 years already. Can't we just ignore it? Basketball comes back next week, and the NFL's great." No! Baseball isn't boring — BAD baseball is boring. This will not be bad baseball. And believe it or not, this season has only lasted seven months. I know, I was surprised too. So no, you can't ignore it. In fact, here's five reasons you should make sure to tune in tonight (and throughout the whole series).

Two of the greatest players alive lead the Tigers.

Justin Verlander is the greatest pitcher alive. Full stop. The conversation begins and ends with him. Major League Baseball hasn't seen this kind of dominance in quite some time, and he's shown little sign of slowing down. Yet despite years of crazy success, when he takes the mound tonight in Game 1, he'll be looking to redeem one of his greatest failures. The last time Verlander pitched in the World Series was his rookie year, when he got rocked in Game 1 by the St. Louis Cardinals. He's a must-watch pitcher without any extra motivation. With it? He may literally destroy the Giants tonight. They may not even be able to play a Game 2 after the damage JV delivers to them.

And that's just on the defensive side of the ball. On offense, Miguel Cabrera is coming off a season where he became the first player in nearly 50 years to win the Triple Crown. The only thing Miggy loves more than crushing baseballs is alcohol, and the winner of the World Series is going to douse themselves in a lot of champagne. Would you want to stand between Miggy and a ton of champagne? I didn't think so.

Image by David Maxwell / Getty Images

The Giants are comeback kids.

After trailing the St. Louis Cardinals three games to one, the Giants won back-to-back-to-back games with their, um, backs against the wall. This is a team that most had counted out heading into their matchup with the Reds in the divisional series, yet here they are. They're underdogs again, and so far that's been a position they have very much enjoyed. How can you ever tune out of this series? Even if the Giants fall behind, they could, at any time, be about to go on an another epic run.

Image by Mark Humphrey / AP

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It is “his destiny.”

Jews for Tebow is a bustling fan community on Facebook with nearly 4,000 members. They have but one mission: To "fully support #15, Tim Tebow, in his destiny to succeed in the NFL while silencing his critics and haters."

Tebow's Jewish fans love making fun of other, less divine quarterbacks.

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One of the most vocal professional athletes when it comes to LGBT rights, Kluwe is also now the only person to have recorded a radio spot revolving around the phrase “lustful cockmonster.”

Image by Hannah Foslien / Getty Images

Minnesota Vikings punter and BuzzFeed Hero Chris Kluwe has fast become one of the most public and well known professional athletes when it comes to supporting LGBT rights. Now, he's put his mouth where his mouth is and recorded a radio spot advocating for gay marriage. In particular, the spot opposes the Marriage Amendment that Minnesota voters will weigh in on on November 6; if passed, it would change the Minnesota Constitution to say that the only legitimate marriages that can be recognized by the state are between one man and one woman.

In the spot, Kluwe is visited by mock policeman who harass him for his now-famous open letter, posted by Deadspin, in which he promised Maryland state delegate Emmett C. Burns, Jr. that gays being able to marry would not turn him into a "lustful cockmonster." Listen below.

LINK: Here's the Minnesotans for Equality website.

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And it was by far the least obnoxious thing he's ever said.

During a discussion of whether Kobe Bryant would be ready for opening night, Stephen A's language got a little salty.

I have to admit, this actually makes me like Stephen A. more. He spends most of his time on TV getting in contrived arguments over manufactured controversies, all while carrying himself with an overall air of phony-ness. And though I'm not endorsing the use of that word, this feels spontaneous. This feels like Stephen A., just saying what he's thinking, rather than taking a side of an argument because he knows Skip Bayless (or whoever) will take the other side. If ESPN is going to subject us to such dangerously high quantities of Stephen A. Smith, I'd much prefer, off the cuff, cursing Stephen A. At least then I'll get to laugh while getting an ulcer.

H/T Jason McIntyre at The Big Lead

Weight Watchers' message to men? For every 35 pounds you lose, you may gain an extra inch of Prince Everhard III.

Source: youtube.com

On one hand this commercial is hilarious. And for that, I salute it. On the other, I don't think this is how the body works. For every 35 pounds you lose, your penis gets longer by an inch? How? Does your body reward you for working hard? "I can tell he's been putting in the hours, he deserves this. Penis cells, GROW!" That's not a thing. Stop pretending that's a thing, Weight Watchers.

Also, while we're talking, Weight Watchers, why are you using an advertising strategy that you stole from the side bars and pop ups of a porn website? I've heard people say a lot of complimentary things about the porn world, but never once has anyone said, "I can't watch any porn on the Internet without spending hundreds of dollars on pills and supplements. Their advertising is just so good!" Come on Weight Watchers. You can do better than that.

Blame the Illuminati.

Image by John Moore / Getty Images

*looks over shoulder* *beckons you down an alley*

LOOK, MAN. Look. Look at this shit. A shark fell from the sky onto a golf course. Like, a fucking shark. I mean, it's a small shark, sure, kind of more like a fish, but fish are sharks, too, right? No, I have that backward. Sharks are fish. Are sharks mammals? No, that's whales. Mammals will be next. Sure, they'll TELL YOU it was just picked up by a bird or something, but actually: the Illuminati.

Yeah. That's what happened here. Look, ok, quiet — 

*opens manhole*

come down here

*closes manhole*

*lights match*

DON'T LOOK AT THE WALLS. They're watching us. Anyway, follow me. OK, so, what's going on here, I mean, there are sharks falling on to golf courses. Here, look at the shark.

Via: thecapistranodispatch.com

Enhance.

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This is basically the human version of basset hounds running. Slightly NSFW-ish.

© Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Scott MacWatters

Source: 500px.com  /  via: lubbockonline.com

Image by Darren Staples / Reuters

Image by Gustau Nacarino / Reuters

Image by Mark Baker / Reuters

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Congratulations to Grigor Dimitrov. This is a highlight we'll be seeing for a long time.

Watch it over and over and over and...

The bipolar guard is understandably upset about being indefinitely sidelined by his team.

Image by Tony Gutierrez / AP

Delonte West is one of the most enigmatic personalities in the NBA. Often funny (who can forget his KFC drive-thru rap?) and sometimes sad (he was briefly homeless during the lockout), the guard has been fighting a public battle with bi-polar disorder for years.

Much has been written about how teams and the media have treaded carefully around this issue with West, but it has continuously caused problems for the 29-year old Maverick. After a brief suspension earlier this preseason, West was once again suspended by the Mavericks today, this time indefinitely. West claims that he's being blamed for a fight that broke out in the Mavs locker room after the team's preseason loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"There was an argument between two teammates in the locker room last night that didn't involve me," said West, who had two points, one assist and three turnovers in 21 minutes against the Thunder. "Somehow I'm being blamed for it. I had nothing to do with it. I don't know what's going on."

Mavs President Donnie Nelson released an incredibly cold statement on the situation, saying, "We have suspended Delonte for conduct detrimental to the team. The suspension is effective immediately and no other statements will be issued." And true to his word, the team has had little more to say on the matter.

So West took to Twitter to vent about the situation.

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You may be sick of “Gangnam Style”, but it's still pretty neat to see a seven-foot, two-inch NBA star surprising mall shoppers with a flash mob.

In the continuing off-season of Kobe Bryant saying random, bizarre things… Here's what he thinks of Sex And The City .

Kobe took time out of his preseason to write an article for iVillage about why it's important to vote. Buried among his civically minded op-ed was the little nugget that Kobe had more than a passing familiarity with HBO's Sex And The City.

Image by Mark J. Terrill / AP

Of all the adjectives Kobe Bean Bryant could have chosen, I love that he went "informative." That's classic Kobe weirdness. What did he learn? Was he surprised that middle aged women have sex? Was he unaware of how hard it is to be a single gal in the city? Did he discover a deep erotic love for Kim Cattrall? I'm really glad he's using his celebrity to get people to vote, but now I demand another op-ed where he outlines the many life lessons he took out from Sex And The City. Maybe if Smush Parker were a fan of HBO dramedies those two would have gotten along better.

H/T Kobe Bryant at iVillage.

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The NBA's commissioner is retiring. And he doesn't care what you think about that.

David Stern just is. He's not good; he's not bad; he's not a hero; he's not a villain. It's not even that his legacy is more complicated than that. It's less. Over the course of a nearly half-century-long career in the NBA, he has staked out a position as an almost gravitational force, influential to the point of having changed the league's DNA, and to grade him separately from the league he transformed would be impossible. And the beauty of it is that David Stern doesn't care, either. David Stern does what he does, and frankly, he doesn't give a fuck what you think about it.

As a personality, Stern has some parallel with the heels of professional wrestling, who tend to be viewed as characters that bask in and feed off of negative attention. But it isn't quite the same. In wrestling, heels tend to need the boos to know that they're succeeding; if there were no boos, they wouldn't be heels. Their personalities stem from the perceptions of the audience, rather than the other way around. With Stern, it's the opposite. At times, Stern has seemed to have an almost hilariously opaque perception of any human being who exists outside the orbit of the league that he controls, to the point that he essentially manipulated a lockout that stopped play at a point when the NBA was more popular than it had been since Jordan's last seasons with the Bulls. He did this because he and his owners thought it was necessary, even though it wasn't, even though they could've easily made amends and suffered very, very little.

In the face of overwhelming evidence that the league undersells its success and supports some of the weirdest, most crazy-misanthropic-tycoon owners of any professional sports league, Stern has demonstrated himself to be deaf to any and all criticism. And part of the absurdity is that it is true: in my opinion, the NBA is, by leaps and bounds, the best pro sport in the U.S. Not the most profitable, but the best. And with the NFL facing possibly life-threatening obstacles that stem from intrinsic elements of the game, it's unlikely that this will change any time soon. Looking at the 2012 NBA season, professional basketball appears awfully near perfect, and Stern, who has been commish since 1984, is as much a part of that success as Michael Jordan is, or Hakeem Olajuwon, or LeBron James, or Adam Morrison, or Isiah Thomas and James Dolan and Donald Sterling. The NBA is a weird-ass mixture of personalities, but Stern isn't so much the guy stirring that cauldron as he is a sizable but still integrated part of the formula. And even with him planning his exit for 2014, that's unlikely to ever change.

And if you disagree, David Stern could really give a fuck. Just look at that GIF.