LrBron James perfecting his flop

In an initiative seen as a precursor to an inevitable merger with Professional Wrestling, NBA commissioner David Stern today announced that all NBA season and pre-season games will be broadcast solely on the World Wrestling Entertainment networks next season, 2013/2014. Stern said that the move is primarily designed to improve revenues, increase entertainment values, and also to clear away any confusion as to whether the NBA was ‘real’ or ‘fake’.

‘Take last night’s game six, for example’ Stern said, alluding to the last point, clarity around the questions as to whether the NBA was in actual fact, ‘real’, or just staged, like the WWE. ‘Obviously, I mean, people can clearly see that we are trying to create something entertaining, and dramatic, and with Joey Crawford officiating the game, we would have thought it was pretty clear that we wanted the game to have a ‘dramatic conclusion’. Yet, still there are people confused, is it all scripted, or is it real? We just want to clear that up’.

]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/fan-and-media-indignation-at-celtics-coach-doc-rivers-is-hypocritical-212030671.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/fan-and-media-indignation-at-celtics-coach-doc-rivers-is-hypocritical-212030671.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:04:26 PDT Doc Rivers is looking for another job. Boston fans and sporting media are not happy about it. 

It would appear as if the Doc Rivers 'trade' to the LA Clippers, in a package with Kevin Garnett, might be dead in the water. After a painful few days of drawn out negotiations, the Clippers have said they are leaving the table, and not coming back. The Celtics, and Doc Rivers, are left standing there with their pants down a little.

Meanwhile, the Boston sporting media is not amused.that Rivers seems to have been actively flirting with the Clippers. 'Should Doc be allowed back to the Celtics?' one headline cried, as if Rivers was a naughty street urchin, who isn't getting any supper. 'Can Rivers come back to the Celtics?' asked another, while a further headline appealed to the masses 'Do you think Rivers can come back to Boston?' It is safe to say the Boston Celtics fans at large, and the Boston sporting media, are seriously indignant that Rivers should dare talk to another club about working for them, while employed in Boston.

]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-patriots-snap-up-tim-tebow-211035771.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-patriots-snap-up-tim-tebow-211035771.html Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:19:17 PDT The New England Patriots have snapped up former Jets backup quarterback Tim Tebow. Let the circus begin.  ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/chipper-jones-outs-himself-as-flaming-racist-210741131.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/chipper-jones-outs-himself-as-flaming-racist-210741131.html Sun, 09 Jun 2013 05:04:14 PDT Former Braves star, famous for 18-month extramarital affair with a Hooters waitress which produced a son, shows incredible lack of sensitivity and shocking grasp of basic English language skills in wildly racist Tweet Chipper Jones What is it about the Atlanta Braves? Don't they do sensitivity training down there? We all remember John Rocker, but, now Chipper Jones has thrown his stetson firmly into the 'outrageously racist' ring with an unbelievably immature, insensitive and racist Tweet. The Jones Tweet - no doubt soon to be deleted from his account Where do you start with this? First of all, the very people he is mocking probably have a better grasp of the English language than Jones. Sure, people abbreviate on Twitter, but there's abbreviation and there's 'wud'. Secondly, his choice of target, an ethnic minority group, is cowardly. Jones come across as a school yard bully. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-top-50-highest-paid-athletes-list-is-a-cesspit-of-wasted-money-210120171.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-top-50-highest-paid-athletes-list-is-a-cesspit-of-wasted-money-210120171.html Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:04:13 PDT Sports Illustrated's list of the top 50 highest paid athletes in the United States is full of names that will surprise and or shock you   The immortal Carl Crawford Sports Illustrated's recently released lists of the top paid athletes in sports is well worth a look. Fascinatingly SI have separated their lists into two, a United States list, and an international list. This separation perhaps unexpectedly provides a look into the soul of American sports. Much as we all love it, it's not always pretty. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/espns-earth-shattering-report-on-which-side-of-the-bed-lebron-gets-out-on-208899201.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/espns-earth-shattering-report-on-which-side-of-the-bed-lebron-gets-out-on-208899201.html Fri, 24 May 2013 04:48:52 PDT ESPN has gone to great lengths to report on how Michael Jordan had it all wrong, LeBron James can dribble left, or right, or something. Here's an exclusive sneak peek at their forthcoming follow up report on which side of the bed LeBron likes to get out of in the morning. Let's find out!! A very ESPN snap of LeBron James LeBron James thinks Michael Jordan's scouting report on which side of the bed he likes to get of in the morning is wrong. And James keeps proving it. Yes, we at ESPN are supposed to be impartial, but, we frequently write sycophantic sentences like, 'and James keeps proving it'.  ESPN recently asked some guy called Michael Jordan which side of the bed The King, LeBron James gets out of in the morning. Laughably, this guy, this random Joe Punter, Michael Jordan or whatever his name was, said that he thought, and we are snickering just saying this, that LeBron likes to get out of bed on the right hand side of said sleeping device. Within days of the story coming out, LeBron, simply put, got out of bed on the left hand side of the bed. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/boston-bruins-goalie-tuukka-rask-punches-toronto-player-in-face-during-game-207338891.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/boston-bruins-goalie-tuukka-rask-punches-toronto-player-in-face-during-game-207338891.html Tue, 14 May 2013 03:48:55 PDT Bruins goalkeeper takes care of business in the crease during the Boston versus Toronto playoff game seven last night   Tuukka Rask - Boston Bruins keeper Incredible comeback by the Boston Bruins last night. Playing game seven against Toronto, for a place in the conference semi finals, they were absolutely dead and buried down 1-4 late in the game. The Maple Leafs were completely dominant to that point, and their fans were celebrating like maniacs on the streets of Toronto. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/meet-filomena-tobias-the-miami-fan-who-flipped-the-bird-at-joakim-noah-206930841.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/meet-filomena-tobias-the-miami-fan-who-flipped-the-bird-at-joakim-noah-206930841.html Fri, 10 May 2013 09:18:37 PDT Previously we brought you the story on the new poster child of the Miami Heat, an angry, ugly woman who thought it was OK to aggressively flip the bird at the Bull’s Joakim Noah. As it turns out, the media got hold of her pretty easily. Her name is Filomena Tobias and let’s just say, she has priors. Filomena Tobias and friends Are you ready to meet Filomena Tobias? Let’s just warn you, the chances are you are going to like her even less than when you first met her, after you read a little extra about her exploits thus far, before becoming the new face of the Miami Heat fandom. Let’s start with another websites headline today;  'Millionaire hedge fund widow cleared of foul play in death of husband flips the bird at basketball star'. Are you tantalised as yet? It’s true, Mrs Tobias was cleared by police in the mysterious drowning of her husband at the couple's Jupiter, Florida home in 2007 after her husband's siblings accused her of foul play.  Filomena and Seth Tobias' (the fourth in a line of four marriages that didn’t work out for Filo!) marriage was allegedly fraught with drugs and violence but although Mr Tobias' siblings suspected her of foul play in his death, she was cleared. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/miami-heat-fans-have-a-new-poster-child-206775081.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/miami-heat-fans-have-a-new-poster-child-206775081.html Thu, 09 May 2013 09:03:34 PDT Obnoxious woman and man at Heat versus Bulls game captured for eternity giving Joakim Noah a ‘Miami farewell’ ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-chinatown-yellow-faces-consider-name-change-in-light-of-redskins-debate-205796061.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-chinatown-yellow-faces-consider-name-change-in-light-of-redskins-debate-205796061.html Thu, 02 May 2013 09:03:27 PDT World Series champion San Francisco based team consider new name options less wildly racist than ‘Chinatown Yellow-Faces’ as country continues to be divided by Redskins debate. Other equally racist-named teams also considering change.  ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/lebron-james-becomes-second-nba-player-to-come-out-today-205291801.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/lebron-james-becomes-second-nba-player-to-come-out-today-205291801.html Mon, 29 Apr 2013 02:03:22 PDT Great drama across the NBA today as first Jason Collins and then LeBron James 'come out' as gay. Word from the James camp is that LeBron is 'way more super gay' than Collins. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/was-the-anibal-sanchez-trade-worth-it-for-the-redsox--204996641.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/was-the-anibal-sanchez-trade-worth-it-for-the-redsox--204996641.html Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:48:16 PDT Last night Anibal Sanchez struck out 17 Braves. As he shines for the Tigers, Redsox followers have to consider, was the 2005 trade that sent him and Hanley Ramirez to Florida worth it? Anibal Sanchez in his Redsox minor league days Mention Jeff Bagwell and Redsox fans old enough to remember shudder involuntarily. Bagwell was a hot prospect in the Boston minor league system until he was traded for the somewhat-less-than-immortal relief pitcher Larry Anderson in 1990. Anderson played but one season in Ye Old Towne. Bagwell went on to smash 449 home runs in a glittering Major League career. That trade has quite literally haunted an entire generation of Redsox fans. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/rousing-anthem-electrifies-at-start-of-boston-bruins-game-203595351.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/rousing-anthem-electrifies-at-start-of-boston-bruins-game-203595351.html Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:18:08 PDT Before last night's game, Bruins regular Rene Rancourt gets the anthem started and then a passionate crowd takes it to the bridge (and further!) ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/former-patriot-lineman-joe-andruzzi-comes-to-the-rescue-at-boston-marathon-203227441.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/former-patriot-lineman-joe-andruzzi-comes-to-the-rescue-at-boston-marathon-203227441.html Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:48:06 PDT   The city of Boston was struck by tragedy on Monday, on a day normally set aside for the celebration of sports. Patriots day is a huge day in Boston, one of the greatest sporting cities in the World. You all know about the New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Celtics and indeed the Boston Bruins. Those legendary teams are but the tip of the ice berg. Boston is also home to the world’s oldest and some say the most prestigious marathon, and it is also home to some of the finest collegiate teams in all of the United States. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/2013-masters-tournament-slides-into-farce-202847511.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/2013-masters-tournament-slides-into-farce-202847511.html Sat, 13 Apr 2013 10:32:57 PDT The 77th Masters continues to be a magnet for controversy, as first Guan Tianlang is penalised with a little used 'slow play' penalty while second, Tiger Woods avoids disqualification for a much more serious offence. Tiger Woods cheats - and gets away with it Golf's poster child tournament, the Masters, has not had a dream opening couple of rounds. Instead, quite the opposite. Decisions made by those in charge have added to the view that Golf's hierarchy is an archaic, unfair, old boys club, which will drop the hammer of the law on a 14 year old kid whilst protecting one of its bigger money spinners, the latter guilty of a far more grievous foul than the former. Simply put, 14 year old Chinese future-star in the making Guan Tianlang almost didn't make the cut after having been penalized for 'slow play' by the Masters referee, The decision has been widely criticized by the media, fans and players alike, many of the latter pointing out that the rule is almost never used. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/epic-caroline-wozniacki-masters-tee-shot-fail-video-202678911.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/epic-caroline-wozniacki-masters-tee-shot-fail-video-202678911.html Fri, 12 Apr 2013 04:33:01 PDT Caroline Wozniacki takes a tee shot for her boyfriend Rory McIlroy during the festivities to open the Masters. Results were not awesome. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe they are not. The famous old ball player and movie star were an all-star couple with a dramatic, star glazed quality that we couldn’t resist. Rory McIlroy and Caroline Wozniacki? What can you say, really, bar, Jokin’ Joe and Marilyn will not be challenged for ‘athlete couple of all time’ for some time yet. Nevertheless, Rory and Caroline are being gleefully rammed down our collective throats at every possible occasion. Thankfully, we still get a chance to laugh at their antics on occasion, perhaps unintentionally, and definitely not as planned out in advance by their seemingly rabid PR teams. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-nebraska-cornhuskers-and-7-year-old-jack-hoffman---a-moment-of-true-class-video-202185651.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-nebraska-cornhuskers-and-7-year-old-jack-hoffman---a-moment-of-true-class-video-202185651.html Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:02:53 PDT The Nebraska Cornhuskers will be getting all sorts of Karma points for this classy act, where they organised for 7 year old cancer patient Jack Hoffman to score a touchdown in their spring training game   ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/irish-kids-brilliant-ruby-tricks-video-grabs-dan-carters-attention-201634101.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/irish-kids-brilliant-ruby-tricks-video-grabs-dan-carters-attention-201634101.html Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:03:29 PDT Enjoyable rugby trick-shot video created by young Irish lad gains the attention of All Blacks legendary outhalf Dan Carter   George Morgan strutts his stuff You may remember the brilliant ‘trick shot’ video we talked about some time ago by Håvard Rugland in Norway. Håvard is now working on an NFL career while his video is up to an incredible 2,750,229 views. Ireland now has its own trick shot star on YouTube. Step forward George Morgan. His enjoyable video centres around his rugby skills. Check out the lads ability to hit a lamppost at will. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-boston-red-sox-open-2013-with-a-bang-201080421.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-boston-red-sox-open-2013-with-a-bang-201080421.html Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:02:41 PDT The Red Sox showcase surprisingly effective youthful talent and a diverse, powerful range of bullpen arms in shocking 8-2 opening day win in New York ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/manny-ramirez-makes-his-debut-in-taiwan-200609881.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/manny-ramirez-makes-his-debut-in-taiwan-200609881.html Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:17:37 PDT Believe it or not, Manny Ramirez is now plying his trade for the EDA Rhinos, a Taiwanese team in the Chinese professional baseball league.   Yeah, this is going to end well. Manny being Manny, in Taiwan. This is not a dream. This is reality. Manny Ramirez, yes, that Manny Ramirez, is now playing professional baseball in the Chinese baseball league. He is playing for the EDA Rhinos, one of the four Taiwanese teams that ply their trade in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. Ramirez is earning the equivalent of approximately $25,000 a month to play, although you can bet there are other benefits. For example, we doubt he is paying for his accommodation and there appears to be some sort of ‘daily stipend’ involved, which is probably bigger than you or my monthly salary anyway. Put it this way, we highly doubt Manny Ramirez is playing baseball in Taiwan and China for $25,000 a month alone. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/bruins-media-and-fans-announce-player-coming-to-boston-a-little-too-quickly-200453891.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/bruins-media-and-fans-announce-player-coming-to-boston-a-little-too-quickly-200453891.html Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:47:34 PDT Boston sports media and fans on Twitter left with proverbial egg on face as Jarome Iginla goes to the Penguins, not the Bruins as so many expected (and so many announced). Jarome Iginla goes to the Penguins Last night was set up to be a thing of beauty for the Boston Bruins and their fans. The Bruins were playing old rivals the Canadiens on the ice and behind the scenes the Bruins front office was manoeuvring to make a trade with  the Flames for their long-time captain Jarome Iginla. Despite his age (35) and relatively ho-hum regular season thus far for the Flames, Iginla’s potential arrival sparked great excitement among the Boston fans and media. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/florida-gulf-coast-dunk-their-way-into-our-hearts-video-199885911.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/florida-gulf-coast-dunk-their-way-into-our-hearts-video-199885911.html Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:02:34 PDT Florida Gulf Coast drop a load of dunks on, well, everyone, on their way to the Sweet Sixteen. FGC go dunk crazy First Harvard knocked out number 3 seeded New Mexico. Then Wichita State bonked out number 1 seeded Gonzaga. Make no mistake however, the underdog story of March Madness thus far is Florida Gulf Coast. The tiny college which only reopened for business in 1997 has blasted aside first the 2nd ranked Georgetown Hoyas and now 7th ranked San Diego State. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/english-rugby-continues-to-make-a-mockery-of-itself-199380621.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/english-rugby-continues-to-make-a-mockery-of-itself-199380621.html Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:47:24 PDT English Rugby continues its streak of embarrassing moments by crying about referee after a 3-30 bashing The Nike video promoting England's 2011 Grand Slam - not a super successfull prediction There are moments where it is acceptable to complain about a sporting result. Say for example, a tight game where a referee makes a bad decision that directly effects the outcome of the game. Then there are moments where it is probably best to take it on the chin, and maintain a dignified silence. Say, for example, when your Grand Slam hopes have been shattered to pieces and handed to you in a 3-30 drubbing. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/why-the-usa-cant-win-the-world-baseball-classic-198593221.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/why-the-usa-cant-win-the-world-baseball-classic-198593221.html Sat, 16 Mar 2013 04:17:20 PDT ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/patriots-fan-and-writer-outrage-at-loss-of-wes-welker-is-misguided-198091801.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/patriots-fan-and-writer-outrage-at-loss-of-wes-welker-is-misguided-198091801.html Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:32:14 PDT Fans and writers wailing about loss of Welker to the Broncos seem to have forgotten how the Patriots deal with high priced free agents Wes Welker - not the first Patriot to depart in the free agency process The departure of Wes Welker from New England to the Broncos via free agency has predictably been the catalyst for the usual over the top dramatic hyperbole from some of Boston’s finest sporting media entities. I was amused to read one prominent scribe describe the loss of the wide receiver as such;  ‘’Patriots drop ball in Welker, Amendola swap’’. On his page there is a link to his Twitter feed and his top Tweet was this cracker; ‘’Hey, Ryan Mallett is younger than Brady, let's go with hom (sic) at QB, too.;]’’. Fantastic stuff. Exactly the kind of over the top and completely pointless reaction we have sadly come to expect from Boston writers, both journalists and bloggers alike, the last five years in particular. Exploring our friend’s ‘analysis’ through the medium of his scorching headline for a second, to this day I find it hilarious when a blogger preaches forth on a coach making a mistake. Really? The Patriots ‘dropped the ball’, did they? One can only assume that one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, Bill Belichick, lost the above headline writers phone number, or maybe forgot to check in with him, before all of this went down. Naturally if the writer had warned Belichick he was about to drop the ball, the coach would have followed the bloggers advice and paid top dollar to keep Welker. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/highlight-video-of-brian-odriscoll-emerges-amidst-calls-for-statue-to-be-erected-in-his-honour-197808731.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/highlight-video-of-brian-odriscoll-emerges-amidst-calls-for-statue-to-be-erected-in-his-honour-197808731.html Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:47:12 PDT Brian O'Driscoll - might he become the first Irishman to captain the Lions twice? Get ready for a hell of a lot of Brian O’Driscoll related stories doing the rounds on Irish related sporting media the next few days in particular. Ireland finish off what can only be described as a disappointing Six Nations tournament this weekend with a game against Italy, in what could conceivably be the final game in an Irish jersey for who some think is Ireland’s greatest Rugby Union player of all time, one Brian O’Driscoll. The match has added importance with a view to the Lions tour this coming Summer. Some are taking Lions coach Warren Gatland’s presence at the Irish training camp yesterday as a sign that he will be considering O’Driscoll for the captain’s armband for the touring party. This would of course make Brian the first Irishman to captain the tourists for a second time, a massive honour. Adding fuel to the fire, it should be noted that Gatland was the coach who pushed O’Driscoll to the fore, into the Ireland side in 1999 before he had ever even played for Leinster’s full side. Perhaps it is no coincidence the Lions coach is in town. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/kaspars-daugavins-tries-circus-shot-in-loss-to-boston-bruins-197511151.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/kaspars-daugavins-tries-circus-shot-in-loss-to-boston-bruins-197511151.html Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:17:19 PDT Tuukka Rask's big save led to more points for the Boston Bruins The NHL almost made it on to the front pages of mainstream US sporting media entities last night and today, with a player trying what can only be described as a total circus shot during a penalty shootout. The Boston Bruins, busy having a fantastic season, were tied 2-2 in regulation forcing a shootout with the Ottawa Senators. Enter Kaspars Daugavins. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/ronan-ogara-career-highlights-video-196755241.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/ronan-ogara-career-highlights-video-196755241.html Sun, 10 Mar 2013 06:17:08 PDT RTE release enjoyable nostalgic highlight video of the great number 10's career Ronan O'Gara career highlight video by RTE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/are-other-forces-at-work-in-the-ronan-ogara-situation-196348951.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/are-other-forces-at-work-in-the-ronan-ogara-situation-196348951.html Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:32:10 PST There may be more to the omission of Ronan O'Gara from the Irish Six Nations squad than at first meets the eye. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/even-when-rory-mcilroy-says-sorry-he-gets-it-wrong-195282861.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/even-when-rory-mcilroy-says-sorry-he-gets-it-wrong-195282861.html Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:47:01 PST Last weekend Rory McIlroy walked off the course of the Honda Classic golf tournament, and straight into a veritable blizzard of controversy. His decision to abandon ship after only 9 holes of the course was initially met with mouth-agape amazement from most corners, however that seemed to abate after a half-dressed story emerged that Rory was struggling with dental pain. Most sporting media entities appear to be buying that line without question and Rory's apology, issued today, is being taken as a humble 'mea culpa' with most commentators advising us to move on and leave the young lad alone. Wait one second now. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-miami-heat-dont-understand-the-spirit-of-the-harlem-shake-194944751.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-miami-heat-dont-understand-the-spirit-of-the-harlem-shake-194944751.html Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:01:57 PST Everybody is doing the Harlem Shake. Sports teams, clubs and other organisations are taking it upon themselves to perform their version of the viral Internet dance/pop song combination now being referred to as 'The Harlem Shake'. Effectively The Harlem Shake is an Internet meme in the form of a video of various groups of people performing a comedy sketch accompanied by a short excerpt from the song "Harlem Shake" Here's the Miami Heat version. ESPN and other major sporting sites have been drooling all over this since it arrived late last week. They, including the Heat, are all missing the point entirely. If there was such a thing as a 'Harlem Shake' review team, they would take one look at this and shout 'wrong, wrong, wrong!'. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/bad-dad-gone-mad-vancouver-coach-jailed-for-tripping-13-year-old-video-193618341.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/bad-dad-gone-mad-vancouver-coach-jailed-for-tripping-13-year-old-video-193618341.html Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:16:58 PST Normally 'tripping' in hockey costs you two minutes in the sin bin. For one delinquent Dad it is costing him 15 days in the slammer. Martin Tremblay of Vancouver will serve 15 days in jail for assault, an incident where he tripped an opposing player after his son's youth hockey game.Tremblay (48) swept out the leg of an opposing player while the teams were going through the age old youth hockey ritual of lining up to shake hands after the game. Two players, a 10-year-old and a 13-year-old, fell to the ice. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/tom-brady-shows-leadership-in-taking-pay-cut-for-the-patriots-193321001.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/tom-brady-shows-leadership-in-taking-pay-cut-for-the-patriots-193321001.html Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:31:50 PST There’s a reason Tom Brady, despite what some would describe as ‘limited physical abilities’, has multiple NFL MVP awards and multiple Superbowl rings on his fingers. He may be slower than Jabba The Hutt, he may look like the Tinman in the Wizard of Oz in the pocket, but the kid has a seriously solid head on his shoulders. Time and time again Brady makes the right decisions. For the second time in his career, Brady has restructured his contract with the New England Patriots in a manner beneficial to the team, not the player. The restructuring is dramatic in terms of numerical value, and means primarily that the Patriots have all sorts of ‘wiggle room’ to play with in terms of keeping players (Welker, for example) or bringing in new free agents. Let’s immediately swat the nay-sayers out of the argument. Sure, Brady can physically afford to take a pay cut. However, he did it. He put his money where his mouth was. In this day and age, how often do professional athletes actually give out hometown discounts? Put simply, they don’t. it is very rare. Look around you, Justin Verlander is demanding to be paid over $200 million. No hometown discount for Detroit. Dwight Howard certainly didn’t offer Orlando a hometown discount. Joe Flacco is looking for mega bucks from the Ravens, absolutely no sign of a hometown discount there. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/life-the-universe-and-everything-according-to-an-nhl-goalie-192748101.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/life-the-universe-and-everything-according-to-an-nhl-goalie-192748101.html Sat, 23 Feb 2013 02:16:44 PST All too often we are let down by those in authority when it comes down to quotations on the 'heavy' topics in life. Life, the meaning of same, the universe and such. Do you recall we had a US presidential candidate that once said; "Space, is a very big place." On the flip side of that coin, all too often we are also let down by our sporting heroes, in that absolutely all they want to talk about is themselves. Let's face it, the life perspective and World view of many of our athletes is nothing short of pathetic. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/did-oscar-pistorius-kill-reeva-steenkamp-over-south-african-rugby-star-francois-hougaard-191859271.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/did-oscar-pistorius-kill-reeva-steenkamp-over-south-african-rugby-star-francois-hougaard-191859271.html Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:46:41 PST The sports world at large is reeling at the terrible tragedy that unfolded in a high security, upper class gated community in South Africa last week. The whole World is watching intently as the trial of Olympian Oscar Pistorius begins, with opening statements towards the bail decision this morning. As the details around the death of Reeva Steenkamp emerge, the surrounding fog of uncertainty is possibly getting even murkier, as opposed to clearer. Pistorius and his team are sticking rigidly to their claim that the shooting was effectively self-defence, defending one’s self against a burglar. Of course, none of us were in the house when the tragedy, or murder,  occurred, so until justice has its day, we can’t really pass final judgement, tempting as it may be. However, Pistorius’s pre-planned and calculating statement at the bail hearing today had some massive holes in it. Add to that the hint that a motive may have been found, and Pistorius would appear to be skating on extremely thin ice. Before we delve into this possible motive, a quick look at Pistorius’s statement from earlier today. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/alfredo-aceves-still-causing-headaches-to-the-boston-red-sox-191672851.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/alfredo-aceves-still-causing-headaches-to-the-boston-red-sox-191672851.html Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:16:37 PST You may have noticed the Boston Red Sox are doing their utmost to change their club house environment for the better. They have been bringing in ‘high character’ type players all offseason long. The team is clearly trying to send a message, move on together, and get away from the ’25 guys, 25 cabs’ mentality that prevailed over much of the last two seasons in Boston. This apparent change to in-house culture obviously hasn’t been completely finalised as yet, as one massive, glowing, shining neon light of potential disaster is still emanating from one of the lockers in the Sox clubhouse. Alfredo Aceves is no stranger to controversy in Boston (or anywhere else, for that matter). He apparently simply refuses to toe the line of a ‘team first’ mentality, and seems to have a burning desire to stand out via the medium of outlandish actions and incidents. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/ten-years-on-can-real-madrid-and-manchester-united-pick-up-where-they-left-off-191005631.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/ten-years-on-can-real-madrid-and-manchester-united-pick-up-where-they-left-off-191005631.html Wed, 13 Feb 2013 06:01:32 PST The Champions League is a beautiful thing. The knockout stages of the competition provide some of the most dramatic, endearing moments in sports anywhere in the World. The international element, combined with the quality of play make for pure dramatic tension, wonderful entertainment. To sports lovers like myself, this section of the sporting calendar is a fantastic time. Baseball is coming, the Six Nations, the NHL (Just!), the NBA, the Premier League and La Liga are all in action. Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Champions League nights, have a special aura about them. With Real Madrid set to host Manchester United tonight at the famous old Bernabeu stadium, memories have come flooding back from their dramatic Champions League encounter which took place, that’s right, ten years ago. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/section-of-irish-rugby-fans-an-embarrassment-during-loss-to-england-190874741.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/section-of-irish-rugby-fans-an-embarrassment-during-loss-to-england-190874741.html Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:01:41 PST Ireland were pretty much knocked flat on their face on Sunday by a powerful (if stupefyingly boring tactically) English team. Perhaps worse yet, the legend of great Irish fans support took a serious body blow, inflicted by none other than our own.  One of Irish rugby’s most endearing features, and indeed one of its proudest traditions, was the veritable silence afforded the kicker, even opposition kickers, during play. Sadly, English outhalf Owen Farrel was subjected to boos, whistles and cat calls on almost every one of his six kicks on Sunday. It was ugly. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-summer-of-gronk-gets-started-early-190025601.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-summer-of-gronk-gets-started-early-190025601.html Wed, 06 Feb 2013 08:16:22 PST Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski is a living legend on many levels. His ridiculous tangible success to date, the combination of his athletic size and talent and his charming, cheeky, Dexter like grin have combined to basically carpet bomb the hearts and minds of Patriots and other NFL fans to the point where he is a superhero after just two seasons in the league. A feature of his personality that doesn’t sit as well with the Patriots front office and indeed some fans, is his Peter Pan like party animal persona. Gronkowski likes to pary. After last season Gronk embarked on a General Sherman like assault on the summer, partying, drinking and dancing to the point where Patriots fans were referring to the summer of 2012 as ‘The Summer Of Gronk’. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-night-the-lights-went-out-a-theory-on-the-superbowl-power-outage-189682801.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-night-the-lights-went-out-a-theory-on-the-superbowl-power-outage-189682801.html Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:01:28 PST There are those who watched as the lights went out last night in the Louisiana Superdome and thought, 'oh well, that's crazy!' Then there are those who saw it and thought, 'Wait a second, what's going on here?' This article is geared towards the latter. The Superbowl last night was basically one or two big plays away from being one of the best, if not the best, ever played. If San Francisco had managed to bury the rock in the end-zone with those two minutes to go, it would have been the greatest comeback of all time. Instead we are left with a pretty memorable event anyway, partially because of that power outage that happened just after the start of the second half. Essentially, as we said in the opener, your interest in that crazy event, the lights going out, can go one of two ways. Either, ‘Gosh that was funky’ or ‘Wait a second, this is a bit odd’. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/can-a-rookie-qb-really-lead-his-team-to-superbowl-glory-189387881.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/can-a-rookie-qb-really-lead-his-team-to-superbowl-glory-189387881.html Fri, 01 Feb 2013 09:16:28 PST Off to the Super Bowl but is the 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick up to the challenge?   It doesn’t happen often. The Superbowl is a sacred place, a land that is ridiculously difficult to get to, and even more difficult again to conquer. Many have tried and only a chosen few have prevailed. The challenge increases exponentially when your team has a rookie QB at the helm. Nevertheless that’s exactly what San Francisco will try this coming Sunday night, as they go into the game with rookie Colin Kaepernick leading the way. Kaepernick is an interesting young man. Just 25 (Rookies are a little older in the States than you might expect, as 99% of them complete a full college career before being selected into the NFL) he was a standout QB for his college team, Nevada, where he won plenty of awards for excellence at the QB spot. The 49ers took interest, and chose him in the 2nd round of the NFL draft with the 36th overall pick. He has an absolute cannon of an arm, and as he exhibited in particular against the Packers, a surprisingly veteran-like ‘touch’ on his passes too.  The kicker, the kid is lightning quick out of the pocket, and can beat you not only with his arm, but his legs too. This means Baltimore are going to have to keep an eye on the 49ers receivers, RB Frank Gore, and also Kaepernick rushing on his own. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/new-york-yankees-find-possible-solution-to-a-rod-problem-188876661.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/new-york-yankees-find-possible-solution-to-a-rod-problem-188876661.html Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:01:08 PST So, I guess we know why the New York Yankees really signed Kevin Youkilis. Perhaps they knew something other than regular injury was up with their third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Turns out A-Rod has been abusing the juice, again. Yes, one of the greatest frauds to have ever walked on a Major League Baseball diamond, has once again, been caught with his pants down, and with a giant steroid needle stuck firmly in his backside. A Miami paper has published the results of a three month long investigation and A-Rod is the biggest name on the list. Judge for yourself, but the evidence certainly looks compelling. The happiest people in the World right now are the Yankee beat reporters who suddenly have much of their Spring Training copy practically written for them ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/slow-motion-jim-harbaugh-freak-out-just-a-taste-of-whats-to-come-187743501.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/slow-motion-jim-harbaugh-freak-out-just-a-taste-of-whats-to-come-187743501.html Mon, 21 Jan 2013 08:46:20 PST Wonderful! Absolute sheer NFL bliss. With last night's NFL results we are in for a serious treat the next couple of weeks. Can you imagine what the pre-Superbowl coverage is going to be like? Endless (and we mean endless) stories battering every single angle of the Harbaugh v Harbaugh story into a bloody submission. By the time the Superbowl kicks off you and I are going to know what colour boxer shorts Jim likes best and which episode of 'Greys annatomy' was John's favourite. Ray Lewis? You thought that narcissistic close up of a weeping, sobbing, over-emoting Ray Lewis during the anthem last night was something, well, wait until you are picking pieces of Ray Lewis off your mind like last night's steak out of the cracks in your teeth.  We are in for more Ray Lewis the next two weeks than you could ever imagine. Just beautiful. The Superbowl itself? Are they actually going to play the game? Is there any point? I would assume they could really make this whole process of 'The Superbowl' more efficient and more commercially viable for the networks by simply having Ray Lewis dance in the middle of the field roaring, screaming and posing for 60 minutes wearing a jersey emblazoned with 'I am going to be on ESPN next season!' while the Harbaugh brothers dance and roar with equal vigour and oh-so-honest passion on their respective sidelines. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/manti-teo-probably-not-the-worlds-greatest-ever-boyfriend-187576221.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/manti-teo-probably-not-the-worlds-greatest-ever-boyfriend-187576221.html Sat, 19 Jan 2013 04:45:54 PST For the love of God, please, someone take the shovel off of Manti Te'o. This hole he is digging is getting so deep there is no way he is going to be able to climb back out of it. You are probably following Te'o attempts to clear his sullied, muddied name by staging bizarre ESPN 'interviews' (they would appear to be 'interviews' along the same lines as a Kim Jong-il Press Release) where no real questions are asked while Manti finds new and interesting ways of making his whole story more confusing. We will leave you to trawl through the facts and fiction and instead point you in the direction of one pretty damning comment on the unfortunate young man's part. When asked by ESPN why Manti didn't once visit his dying girlfriend in her time in hospital, Te'o responded, and we quote; ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-curious-case-of-manti-teo-and-lennay-kekua-a-few-questions-for-mr-teo-187323571.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-curious-case-of-manti-teo-and-lennay-kekua-a-few-questions-for-mr-teo-187323571.html Thu, 17 Jan 2013 10:15:53 PST ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/jj-watt-wags-his-finger-and-spits-on-the-logo-of-the-team-that-hung-83-points-on-his-defence-this-nfl-season-186771031.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/jj-watt-wags-his-finger-and-spits-on-the-logo-of-the-team-that-hung-83-points-on-his-defence-this-nfl-season-186771031.html Mon, 14 Jan 2013 05:30:55 PST ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/objectification-of-katherine-webb-shows-just-how-far-behind-the-times-us-sporting-media-has-fallen-186150731.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/objectification-of-katherine-webb-shows-just-how-far-behind-the-times-us-sporting-media-has-fallen-186150731.html Wed, 09 Jan 2013 04:46:03 PST The BCS bowl game Monday night sadly was not what you would call compelling viewing. For Notre Dame fans the writing must have been on the wall as the teams came out of the tunnel, and they suffered that scary moment of realisation that hits all teams from high school up through college. ‘Damn, those guys are huge!’. The game was such a non-contest that the commentary team’s minds and mouths wandered. Brent Musburger and his broadcast partner Kirk Herbstreit decided to add some commentary to camera shots of AJ McCarron's girlfriend Katherine Webb. You know what, you be the judge. Here’s the video. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-celtics-hammer-the-knicks-and-drive-carmelo-anthony-to-distraction-186044501.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-celtics-hammer-the-knicks-and-drive-carmelo-anthony-to-distraction-186044501.html Tue, 08 Jan 2013 09:47:45 PST Madison Square Garden enjoyed some school yard basketball at its finest last night. The Boston Celtics came to town and Captain Paul Pierce led his team to a thumping 102-96 win over the New York Knicks, leaving the latter so frustrated that one of its stars morphed into a 15 year old bully. To say ‘Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett got into an altercation’ is a little facetious as basically what happened was Melo decided to wait for Garnett at the Celtics team bus. See image below, and Comcast Sports Net New England has the 50 second video which is pretty funny to watch, we have that for you below also. ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-peoples-lockout--send-the-nhl-a-message-185859681.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/from-the-bleachers/the-peoples-lockout--send-the-nhl-a-message-185859681.html Mon, 07 Jan 2013 04:45:38 PST Rejoice! The NHL is back. This column often strikes a sarcastic pose so we should clarify, we do think that is actually a good thing.  A great thing, in fact. The return of the NHL is terrific sporting news. Word on the street is that once the suits finish crossing and dotting their proverbials, we should have hockey on or between the 15th and 19th of January. As far as the NHL is concerned at that point the NHL fans, casual and loyal both, should dutifully put on their jerseys and make way in orderly fashion to their closest Ice Hockey rink to pay their hard earned money to watch the NHL product. The NHL thinks it can basically slap whatever it wants on your plate, and you are going to gobble it up without any reservations. And you will be thankful. Although those within the league, extending from front office execs to heavy set ‘enforcers’ on the ice, are all striking the right conciliatory tones, you can bet that once the season starts and once their precious stadiums fill up, we will be back to square one. ]]>