Football players may be tough on the field, but they have feelings, too.
Jimmy Kimmel Live / Via youtube.com
Jimmy Kimmel Live / Via youtube.com
Jimmy Kimmel Live / Via youtube.com
Jimmy Kimmel Live / Via youtube.com
Celebrities Read Mean Tweets About Themselves - NFL Edition
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15 Times Derek Jeter Was Too Sassy For His Own Good
He’s the captain for a reason.
That time he caressed Robinson Cano’s facial hair.
Goochy-goochy goo.
YES Network / Via sbnation.com
That time he meticulously chose which fan to give a ball to.
NO- NO- NO- not you- YOU.
Via sbnation.com
That time he, again, chose which fan to give the ball to.
Sweet and sassy.
That time the sass just poured out of his face and manifested itself into a smile.
TEACH US YOUR SASSY WAYS.
MY 9 / Via ftw.usatoday.com
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Atlanta Hawks Owner Selling Team After Admitting To Racist Email
“My theory is that the black crowd scared away the whites…”
Bruce Levenson, the controlling owner of the Atlanta Hawks, announced on Sunday in a statement that he would be selling his share of the team after self-reporting an "inappropriate and offensive" email he sent in 2012.
“If you’re angry about what I wrote, you should be,” Levenson said in a statement released by the team. “I’m angry at myself, too. It was inflammatory nonsense. We all may have subtle biases and preconceptions when it comes to race, but my role as a leader is to challenge them, not to validate or accommodate those who might hold them."
Levenson was one of Donald Sterling's strongest critics when the then-Los Angeles Clippers owner was caught making racists comments on tape, and was later banned from the NBA for life.
“I have said repeatedly that the NBA should have zero tolerance for racism, and I strongly believe that to be true. That is why I voluntarily reported my inappropriate e-mail to the NBA."
According to Levenson, the current Hawks CEO Steve Koonin "will oversee all team operations and take all organizational reports as we proceed with the sale process."
AP Photo / John Bazemore
The email (full text shown at bottom) was allegedly sent to team President Danny Ferry, and details how Levenson believed the team's fan base was too African-American and the "black crowd scared away the whites."
Curtis Compton / Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FULL TEXT OF THE E-MAIL (via the Hawks):
From: Bruce Levenson
To: Ferry, Danny
CC: Foreman, Todd (ucg.com); Peskowitz, Ed (ucg.com)
Sent: 8/25/2012 11:47:02 PM
Subject: Re: Business/Game ops
1. from day one i have been impressed with the friendliness and professionalism of the arena staff -- food vendors, ushers, ticket takers, etc. in our early years when i would bring folks from dc they were blown away by the contrast between abe pollin's arena and philips. some of this is attributable to southern hospital and manners but bob and his staff do a good job of training. To this day, I can not get the ushers to call me Bruce yet they insist on me calling them by their first names.
2. the non-premium area food is better than most arenas, though that is not saying much. i think there is room for improvement and creativity. Levy is our food vendor so we don't have much control but they have been good partners. i have wished we had some inconic offereing like boog's barbeque at the baseball stadium in balt.
3. our new restaurant, red, just opened so too early for me to give you my thoughts.
4. Regarding game ops, i need to start with some background. for the first couple of years we owned the team, i didn't much focus on game ops. then one day a light bulb went off. when digging into why our season ticket base is so small, i was told it is because we can't get 35-55 white males and corporations to buy season tixs and they are the primary demo for season tickets around the league. when i pushed further, folks generally shrugged their shoulders. then i start looking around our arena during games and notice the following:
-- it's 70 pct black
-- the cheerleaders are black
-- the music is hip hop
-- at the bars it's 90 pct black
-- there are few fathers and sons at the games
-- we are doing after game concerts to attract more fans and the concerts are either hip hop or gospel.
Then i start looking around at other arenas. It is completely different. Even DC with its affluent black community never has more than 15 pct black audience.
Before we bought the hawks and for those couple years immediately after in an effort to make the arena look full (at the nba's urging) thousands and thousands of tickets were being giving away, predominantly in the black community, adding to the overwhelming black audience.
My theory is that the black crowd scared away the whites and there are simply not enough affluent black fans to build a signficant season ticket base. Please dont get me wrong. There was nothing threatening going on in the arean back then. i never felt uncomfortable, but i think southern whites simply were not comfortable being in an arena or at a bar where they were in the minority. On fan sites i would read comments about how dangerous it is around philips yet in our 9 years, i don't know of a mugging or even a pick pocket incident. This was just racist garbage. When I hear some people saying the arena is in the wrong place I think it is code for there are too many blacks at the games.
I have been open with our executive team about these concerns. I have told them I want some white cheerleaders and while i don't care what the color of the artist is, i want the music to be music familiar to a 40 year old white guy if that's our season tixs demo. i have also balked when every fan picked out of crowd to shoot shots in some time out contest is black. I have even bitched that the kiss cam is too black.
Gradually things have changed. My unscientific guess is that our crowd is 40 pct black now, still four to five times all other teams. And my further guess is that 40 pct still feels like 70 pet to some whites at our games. Our bars are still overwhelmingly black.
This is obviously a sensitive topic, but sadly i think it is far and way the number one reason our season ticket base is so low.
And many of our black fans don't have the spendable income which explains why our f&b and merchandise sales are so low. At all white thrasher games sales were nearly triple what they are at hawks games (the extra intermission explains some of that but not all).
Regardless of what time a game starts, we have the latest arriving crowd in the league. It often looks and sounds empty when the team takes the floor.
In the past two years, we have created a section of rowdy college students that has been a big plus. And we do a lot of very clever stuff during time outs to entertain the crowd. Our kiss cam is better done than any in the league.
We have all the same halftime acts that other arenas have but i question whether they make sense. people are on their cell phones during half time. i wonder if flashing on the scoreboard "$2 off on hot dogs during halftime tonight" just as the half ends would be a better use of our halftime dollars and make the fans happier.
We do all the usual giveways and the fans are usually their loudest when our spirit crew takes the floor to give away t-shirts. It pisses me off that they will yell louder for a t-shirt then for our players.
Our player intro is flat. We manufacture a lot of noise but because of the late arriving crowd and the fact that a lot of blacks dont seem to go as crazy cheering (another one of my theories) as whites, it is not great. Even when we have just returned from winnng four straight on the road, i am one of the few people in the arena standing and cheering when our team takes the floor. Bob has kicked around ideas like having the starters coming down aisles rather than off the bench during intros. Sounds cool but may highlight all the empty seats at the start of games.
Not enough of our fans wear hawks jerseys to games. i have just begun to push for ideas like discount food lines for folks wearing jerseys, special entrances, etc. I think we need a committed and perhaps incentivized fan club. We need to realize atl is simply different than every other city. Just adopting nba best practices is not enough. we have to create our own.
I am rambling and could probably go on forever. If you have any specific areas you would like my thoughts on, let me know.
Best,
Bruce
ps -- I have cc'd todd and ed so they can chime in with additional or different thoughts.
Sent from my iPad
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Ohio State's Marching Band Did A Tribute To TV And It Was Epic
And in other news there was also a football game that night.
This past weekend at the Ohio State vs Virginia Tech game, Ohio State's marching band gave an incredible performance.
The band presented a tribute to television which included The Simpsons.
youtube.com / Nick Wray @ BuzzFeed
Followed by The Addams Family.
youtube.com / Nick Wray @ BuzzFeed
Remember when Batman was a TV series?
youtube.com / Nick Wray @ BuzzFeed
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Stat Boy's Farewell To "PTI" Was Actually Really Sweet
Nicely said, Tony.
Tony Reali — the TV host who got his start as stat boy on "Pardon The Interruption" — made his final appearance on the ESPN show last week.
He's heading this fall to a new job on ABC's Good Morning America.
I don't remember the first thing Wilbon said to me but I know it came with one of his all-enveloping handshake/hugs that ensconce you in a cocoon of velour certainty. It was probably, "Blah blah blah, Chicago." ;) Kornheiser, though? "Rent! Don't buy! We're going to be cancelled in the first commercial break." The first of many super galactically incorrect pronouncements from Mr. Tony, thankfully. He best sees the future when he's wearing the earrings for Fortune Teller.
2850 shows, maybe 10,000 errors and omissions. Everything from stats to geography to geopolitics. My favorite: Wilbon not knowing he was wearing a Team Russia jacket while covering the Salt Lake Olympics. Most frequent: Hockey is a co-national sport of Canada, along with lacrosse, per the Canadian National Sports Act of 1994. There have been lists and Mount Rushmores and more lists and more Mount Rushmores. (Top 10 public colleges in America, Reali, Go! Mount Rushmore of vegan quarterbacks, Go! Maxim's 100 Hottest Hotties, Go! Go! Go!) Some errors were made before we went to air; I'm pretty sure we wished Happy Birthday to Don King twice in one year. (Only in America.) Others were made by myself while making corrections. After I got Roger Staubach's total Super Bowl appearances wrong I'm pretty sure we got an email. From Roger Staubach's manager.
...
The dream is a hope plus a fear, because what's a dream without a little agita. It's me, coming to my end, finding myself at the pearly gates, facing St. Peter. I always loved St. Peter, like a rock. Well, my hope is St. Peter takes my meeting and greets me. That'd be a good sign. The fear comes soon after when St Peter turns to his sidekick and says "Time to find out what you messed up, Stat Boy."
You guys were clean. You don't have to try to do better next time, it'd be impossible. Thank you, thank you, a million times thank you.
Your Boy,
Anthony Joseph Paul Reali
We'll miss you every weekday before "SportsCenter," Stat Boy.
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Tennis Great Martina Navratilova Proposed To Her Girlfriend At The U.S. Open
“She said yes. It was kind of an out-of-body experience.” Psh, and they say “love” means nothing to tennis players.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova popped the question to her longtime girlfriend Julia Lemigova in front a packed U.S. Open crowd over the weekend.
Navratilova has been dating Lemigova, a businesswoman and former Russian beauty queen, since 2006.
Mike Segar / Reuters
The nine-time Wimbledon champ interrupted an interview to get down on one knee, with a standing ovation from the crowd, after Kei Nishikori's stunning upset of Novak Djokovic in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Mike Segar / Reuters
"Please, marry me?" she asked Lemigova. "It's a yes, no, or maybe," she jokingly added.
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NFL Suspends Ray Rice Indefinitely After Video Surfaces Of Him Knocking Out Then-Fiancée
Update: The running back had his contract terminated after initially earning a two-game suspension for the punch. Last week, the NFL commissioner sent a letter to team owners saying “domestic violence is unacceptable.” Warning: Graphic content.
The White House released a statement Monday night calling domestic violence unacceptable. "All of us have a responsibility to put a stop to it."
Head Coach John Harbaugh said Monday evening that the Baltimore Ravens decided to terminate Ray Rice's contract after seeing the video for the first time Monday morning.
Harbaugh declined to describe how Rice reacted to his termination. He said he and his wife would try to help Rice and his wife, Janay Palmer, however they could.
"My pain is for both of them as a couple," he said.
Harbaugh added he was satisfied with the diligence of the investigation into the incident. The video had not been available to the team before Monday, he said.
"It wasn't something we ever saw, ever had access to," he said.
Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun / MCT
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54 Times Brad Pitt Made Me Question My Sexuality In "Fight Club"
Or, why there is no one hotter than Brad Pitt in Fight Club .
When he casually drifted by on the airport walkway.
20th Century Fox
When he flashed a smile on the airplane.
20th Century Fox
When he briefly made me interested in owning a red leather jacket.
20th Century Fox
When he was looking at Edward Norton and it made me want to be Edward Norton.
20th Century Fox
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NCAA Lifts Penn State Football's Postseason Ban Two Years Early, Restores Scholarships
Penn State football will be eligible to play in a bowl game this year and provide scholarships to players starting in 2015, the NCAA said Monday.
Due to Penn State University's significant progress toward ensuring its athletics department functions with integrity, the NCAA Executive Committee today eliminated the school's postseason ban, effective immediately, and will return the full complement of football scholarships in 2015-16.
The committee's action endorses recommendations released today by George Mitchell, the university's athletics oversight monitor, in his latest report.
In addition to the scholarship and postseason participation changes, Mitchell also recommended that if Penn State continues to make impressive progress at the conclusion of the 2015 report, Mitchell's oversight may conclude substantially earlier than 2017, the date set forth in the original agreement between the NCAA and Penn State.
"Penn State's commitment to the integrity of its athletics department and its progress toward meeting the requirements of the Consent Decree are clear," said Northern Arizona President Rita Hartung Cheng, who chaired Monday's Executive Committee meeting. "We thank Senator Mitchell for his meticulous and exhaustive work over the past two years. Mitchell's efforts and the dedication of Penn State officials made today's decisions possible."
Executive Committee leadership met Monday with the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and presidents from the Big Ten Conference prior to taking a vote on the action. During these discussions, Mitchell briefed the group on his work to date and the university's compliance with the athletics integrity agreement.
The Board of Directors also accepted Mitchell's report and endorsed the Executive Committee's action.
"Penn State has made remarkable progress over the past year," said Harris Pastides, Board member and University of South Carolina president. "The board members and I believe the Executive Committee's decision is the right one. It allows both the university and the association to continue to move toward a common goal of ensuring that educating, nurturing and protecting young people is a top priority."
Via ncaa.org
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Adrian Chiles Got Soaked By Sprinklers Before The England Game And It Was Glorious
Easily the highlight of the game.
The ITV commentary team are broadcasting from St. Jakob-Park in Basel, where England are playing Switzerland in their first Euro 2016 qualifier.
Instead of being stuck in a stuffy studio, Lee Dixon, Ian Wright, Glenn Hoddle, and Adrian Chiles are reporting from the touchline.
Let's hope they don't turn the sprinklers on, eh?
Lol.
Sprinkler 1 – 0 Chiles.
Chin up, Adrian.
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Beats By Dre Just Created A Pretty Stellar Serena Williams Training Montage
“And here you are, a black unicorn.”
To promote their new wireless headphones, Beats by Dre created an homage to the No. 1 female tennis player in the world.
The ad is focused around Serena Williams' training session with flashbacks of what it was like to grow up and play tennis in Compton.
Fueled by Sunni Patterson's wonderful lyrics, the ad takes on a whole new meaning, comparing Serena Williams to a "black unicorn." Check it out:
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J.J. Watt Has So Much Money Now That He Googled "What Do Rich People Buy"
What would you buy with $100 million?
After signing a contract extension with the Houston Texans worth up to $100 million, J.J. Watt needed some help finding a way to spend all that money. So, he did what anyone would do — He asked Google.
Fox Sports / Via youtube.com
But he didn't like the answer that Google gave him...
Fox Sports / Via youtube.com
So he's just going to stay low-key, and continue to be awesome.
National Football League
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11 Reasons Why You Should Be Excited For The Future Of WWE
Meet the stars of NXT, the training ground of the WWE.
Kevin Steen
KILL STEEN KILL! Kevin Steen's crippling move-set has won over the internet as he has dominated the independent wrestling scene for almost a decade.
Ring Of Honor Wrestling
Charlotte
WOOOOO! Charlotte is the daughter of WWE legend Ric Flair and is the current NXT Women's Champion. Earlier this year, Charlottes match with Natalya was called one of the best women's matches in recent memory.
WWE
Tyler Breeze
MMMMM Gorgeous. Tyler Breeze may seem like a self-indulged egomanic, but place this selfie-taking phenomenon into the ring and he becomes a ruthless predator.
WWE
Bailey
She's is the girl next door. Bailey has won the hearts of the NXT audience with her loveable attitude and kick-ass in-ring ability.
WWE
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89 Thoughts Guys Have While Walking Around Dick's Sporting Goods
We want everything.
1. Okay, all I need is a couple pairs of socks. I'll be in and out of here.
2. DAMN this place is bigger than I remember.
3. Okay, okay — FOCUS!
4. Where are the sock…. Ooooh is that a putting green?
5. Wow, this putter would shave at least eight strokes off my game.
6. I am sort of in the market for a new set of wedges.
7. How do people spin the ball backwards? I wanna do that.
8. Oh wow, they have a DRIVING CAGE?!?!
9. Let me find a Dick's employee to let me in there…
10. How does Rory McIroy hit the ball 150 yards farther than me?
11. Why are golf balls so friggin' expensive?
12. Damn, how do I tell this guy that I'm too poor to buy a $400 driver?
13. I'll just walk away briskly.
14. You know what? I haven't played competitive baseball in about ten years — I could use a new bat.
15. THIS IS LIGHT AS HELL!
16. I totally would have been all-county if I had a bat like this in high school.
17. Okay, these wood bats are a lot heavier than I expected.
18. Maybe I should buy some batting gloves and act like I'm Drake.
19. Are those wiffleballs? I should probably buy a case.
20. When the fuck did they start covering the rim on the basketball hoops?
21. I wish I had someone with me to throw the football around.
22. I'll just throw it into that basket.
23. Do I need a new pair of cleats? You know, just to have?
24. Probably — my playing days aren't over yet.
25. Athletic cups are so funny.
26. They sell football helmets here? Why the hell would someone buy their own football helmet.
27. Man, it would be pretty cool to have a football helmet.
28. How can anyone drop a ball with these gloves? They're so sticky.
29. I wonder if it would be weird to wear one of these shock-resistant mouth guards in public.
30. Technology these days….
31. If lacrosse was a thing when I was growing up I totally would have been awesome at it.
32. Probably would have went to an Ivy League school too.
33. I wonder if my roller blades are still in the garage?
34. Do I need a street hockey stick?
35. Do people still play street hockey?
36. I've always wanted a pair of hockey gloves.
37. I wonder if the treadmills are plugged in?
38. I've always wanted a punching bag.
39. Or one of those speed bags from Rocky!
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The Cincinnati Bengals Restored Some Faith In The NFL By Standing By Devon Still
We finally have a feel-good story in the league.
After preseason injuries hindered Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Devon Still's playing ability, the team cut him to reach their 53-man roster limit. In addition to his injuries, Still admitted that he was no longer fully invested in football. The reason: his 4-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in June and given a 50-50 chance of survival.
To help cover the costs of treatment, the Bengals then signed Still to their practice squad, ensuring that his daughter, Leah, will be covered under the team's health insurance policy.
Getty Images / Rob Carr
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Outrage Over The 20-Cent Tip That NFL Player LeSean McCoy Left At A Burger Restaurant
A receipt reportedly left by Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy went viral this week after the manager of the restaurant shared it on Facebook.
LeSean McCoy, running back for the Philadelphia Eagles, ate at PYT Burger with three friends in Philadelphia on Monday.
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
The owner of PYT Burger, Tommy Up, decided to share what he said was McCoy's receipt on Facebook, furious that the NFL player would leave a 20-cent tip on a meal that was over $60.
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Watch Los Angeles Lakers Jeremy Lin Scare A Bunch Of Fans At A Wax Museum
“I can’t believe these people thought this piece of steel was made out of wax.”
Last month, Jeremy Lin visited Madame Tussauds in San Francisco for the unveiling of his very own wax figure. By visiting, Jeremy took the opportunity to scare a few of his fans while posing as a wax figure.
Madame Tussauds SF / Via youtube.com
He started off by scaring the living crap out of this guy...
#ZOMG
Madame Tussauds SF / Via youtube.com
But he wasn't satisfied so he dunked on a few unsuspecting girls.
#Posterized
Madame Tussauds SF / Via youtube.com
Then this happened...
#CreeperLin
Madame Tussauds SF / Via youtube.com
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NFL Received Ray Rice Video In April, Law Enforcement Source Says
But in a letter to team leadership on Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell again denied seeing the clip of a domestic violence incident between the former Baltimore Raven and his then-fiancée. He said laws governing ongoing investigations by law enforcement prevented the league from obtaining video.
Carlo Allegri / Reuters / Reuters
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expanded on his previous statements about the investigation of Ray Rice, who was indefinitely suspended from the league this week after TMZ released video showing the former Baltimore Ravens running back punching his wife in a casino elevator.
Rice was originally suspended for two games related to the February altercation, which left his now-wife, Janay Rice, unconscious. Local prosecutors dropped charges of aggravated assault after Rice completed a diversion program.
The NFL had asked for the elevator video, but their requests were denied, Goodell said. Under New Jersey law, any evidence related to an ongoing police investigation is not public, he added.
Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti also released a letter on Tuesday, describing a similar series of events and apologizing for how the investigation was handled.
The law enforcement source played the AP a 12-second voicemail from an NFL office number confirming receipt of the video. A female voice says, "You're right. It's terrible."
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Former FBI Director To Investigate NFL's Handling Of Ray Rice Case
The NFL says an independent investigation will be overseen by Giants owner John Mara and Steelers owner Art Rooney. The final report will be made public.
Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File
Mueller's investigation will be overseen by New York Giants owner John Mara and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney. Mueller's final report will be made public, according to a statement from the NFL:
Former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III will conduct an independent investigation into the NFL's pursuit and handling of evidence in the Ray Rice domestic violence incident, Commissioner Roger Goodell announced tonight. Director Mueller's investigation will be overseen by NFL owners John Mara of the New York Giants and Art Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the final report will be made public.
The statement adds that no one inside the NFL offices saw footage of Rice punching his then-fiancee before a video of the assault surfaced Monday.
Mueller headed up the FBI from September 2001 to September 2013.
AP Photo/Matt York, File
Muller was nominated to lead the FBI by George W. Bush. Prior to that, he worked as a litigator in San Francisco, as an assistant United States attorney, and as a partner at a Boston law firm, among other jobs. He also has led the United States Department of Justice and during his career has worked on cases involving white-collar crime, financial fraud, terrorism, drugs, corruption, and other things.
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Stop Everything And Look At These Four Hot Rugby Player Brothers
Four. Hot. Rugby. Player. Brothers.
Hi hello, these are the Burgess brothers.
There's four of them.
They're brothers.
They're hot.
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