Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports has gotten himself in hot water with a blatantly racist joke he made about New York Knicks phenom guard Jeremy Lin.

During Lin’s 38 point showing against the Los Angeles Lakers two nights ago Whitlock took advantage of the stereo type that Asian Men have smaller than average penis’,  tweeting,

“Some lucky lady in NYC is gonna feel a couple of inches of pain tonight.”

The Asian American Journalists Association immediately got online and demanded an apology from Whitlock for the joke which they considered in bad taste at best and racist at worst.

The AAJA posted to their Facebook page,

“[Whitlock's Tweet] doesn’t hold up to the conduct of responsible journalists, those in sports or otherwise, who adhere to standards of fairness, civility and good taste. Nor does it meet the standards of Fox Sports, with which you are associated. Outrage doesn’t begin to describe the reaction of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) to your unnecessary and demeaning tweet

Whitlock sent out an apology to Jeremy Lin and to the country’s Asian population.

He wrote wrote on FoxSports.com,

“I’ve cried watching Tiger Woods win a major golf championship. Jeremy Lin, for now, is the Tiger Woods of the NBA. I suspect Lin makes Asian Americans feel the way I feel when I watch Tiger play golf. I should’ve realized that Friday night when I watched Lin torch the Lakers. For Asian Americans and a lot of sports fans, his nationally televised 38-point outburst was the equivalent of Tiger’s first victory in The Masters. I got caught up in the excitement. I tweeted about what a great story Lin is and how he could rival Tim Tebow. I then gave in to another part of my personality — my immature, sophomoric, comedic nature.”

Do you think the apology is enough for the racist joke of Jason Whitlock about Jeremy Lin?

Jason Whitlock Apologizes For Small Penis Joke Made at Jeremy Lin is a post from: The Inquisitr

Dennis ‘Oil Can’ Boyd has revealed he probably pitched under the influence of cocaine “at every ballpark” in his 10-year major league career.

The former Red Sox pitcher, now 52, told Boston’s WBZ radio station that his habit cost him scores of possible wins, and quite a lot of sleep, by the sounds of it:

“Some of the best games I’ve ever pitched in the major leagues I stayed up all night – I’d say two-thirds of them. (But) if I had went to bed, I would have won 150 ballgames in the time span that I played.”

As it is, Oil Can Boyd – so named because of a love for beer in his youth in Missouri, where beer was known as ‘oil,’ – won only 78 matches.

Speaking to WBZ’s Jon Miller, Boyd said he had “learned how to indulge in an abundance of cocaine,” around a year before his most successful season in 1986. He is clean today, and now sees his former habit as a response to a “very cold, scary world I was living in as a young kid.”

If it’s surprising that Boyd got away with his cocaine abuse for so long, that’s because he was barely confronted about it:

“I never had a drug test as long as I played baseball. I was told that, yeah, if you don’t stop doing this we’re going to put you into rehab, and I told them … I’m going to do what I have to do, I have to win ballgames. We’ll talk about that in the offseason. Right now I have to win ballgames.”

And Boyd’s old teammates may have reason to be concerned. While he revealed no names in his interview with Miller, he has an apparently revealing memoir out in June, They Call Me Oil Can: My Life in Baseball. Boyd’s fellow players had varying reactions about his habit at the time, though most knew about it:

“All of them didn’t rally around me. All of them knew (of my habit) and the ones that cared came to me. The Dwight Evanses and Bill Buckners and Don Baylors … it was the veteran ballplayers. Some guys lived it; they knew what you were doing, and the only way they knew was they had to have tried it, too.”

Oil Can Boyd Pitched While High On Cocaine is a post from: The Inquisitr

Derrick Rose sat out of the Chicago Bulls loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday after suffering from back spasm and the Bulls point guard now plans to visit with a back specialist in Chicago on Monday.

Rose admitted to suffering from back issues for the last several weeks:

“The first time I remember (the back problems) happening were in high school,” Rose revealed. “But college I didn’t have it. First couple of years (in the NBA) I didn’t have it. All of a sudden it just happened now. Hopefully, (Monday) I’ll meet with some people and try to figure something out.”

According to Rose his back was giving him issues since the Chicago Bulls started their nine-game road series on Jan. 29 in Miami.

“It was the whole trip,” Rose said. “I just played through it and the more I played through it, it tended to get worse after every game. At the time I was really worried about it, but (I’m) just trying to stay positive and hopefully I’ll be all right.”

Rose also revealed that he has had a lot of pain when trying to handle even small tasks including walking.

Speaking of his star players turn for the worse Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau revealed:

“You’re always concerned. It’s something that he’s had before. He had it when he was in high school. So we’re hopeful that it gets cleared up shortly, but we want to make sure … back are tricky, so that’s why he’s going to see a specialist (Monday).”

Also out of Sunday’s game was Rip Hamilton who was attending to a personal matter. Rip has missed all but 11 games this season because of injuries, his last game occurring on Jan. 29.

With 22 points and 7 assists per game Derrick Rose will be missed if an extended leave is required.

Chicago Bulls Point Guard Derrick Rose To Meet With Back Specialist is a post from: The Inquisitr

Phil Mickelson surged ahead on Sunday at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am tournament to beat Tiger Woods with a final round score of 8-under 64.

Mickelson was six shots behind Tiger but surged ahead in just six holes to pass both Woods and Charlie Wi.

Playing in the second-to-last group Mickelson won the final round against Tiger Woods by 11 shots, winning for the fourth time at Pebble Beach.

The win was also a big one for Mickelson who became just the ninth player in PGA tour history to mount 40 wins.  After his victory Phil said:

“Pebble Beach … it feels awesome no matter what number it is.”

For Tiger Woods the fall was surprising as he shot a 67 in the third round and appeared poised for an easy win on Sunday. Woods however failed to make birdie on the courses easy opening stretch, making his first birdie at the par-5 sixth.  Mickelson answered with a 20-foot eagle putt.

After the tournament Woods said:

“I didn’t hit it as bad as the score indicated, but I putted awful. As good as I felt on the greens yesterday, I felt bad today. Anything I tried to do wasn’t working. Consequently, I made a ton of mistakes on the green.”

What might be more troubling for Tiger Woods is the fact that he has now collapsed at two tournaments in a row, two weeks ago he entered the final round of the Abu Dhabi tournament tied for the lead with unheralded Robert Rock but ending up failing to break par, finishing in third place.

While Tiger Woods use to once be the bane of Phil Mickelson’s existence that all changed in 2007 at the Deutsche Championship and now Mickelson has posted five better final round scores while playing in the same Sunday group as Tiger Woods.

Phil Mickelson Surges From 6-Shot Deficit To Beat Tiger Woods At Pebble Beach is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rumors have been circulating for some time now that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has fallen out of shape since neck surgery was performed on him in 2011. Now some of Manning’s observers have come out to refute claims that Manning is throwing with a “noodle arm”

One of his supporters is none other than Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Polian who watched Manning throw back in late December. According to Bill:

“It’s marked (improvement) from where he was back in September,” Polian said. “He threw it accurately, he threw it with a good, tight spiral, and he threw it with velocity.

“Generally, he looked like a pretty confident quarterback out there.”

Another Colts player also backed Mannings improvement. Kicker Adam Vinatieri told NFL.com of the QB’s improvement:.

“I haven’t watched him the last few weeks, but I did see him at the end of the season,” Vinatieri said during the interview. “He was developing nicely. Was he quite all the way back yet? No, probably not. Not to his standards.

“But he definitely is not that far off.”

At this time the Colts are running out of signing time with Manning set to receive a massive $28 million singing bonus should he still be on the roster come March 8, if anything these reports should continue to fuel speculation that another struggling NFL team at the QB position will pick Manning up before he hits the free agent market.

Do you think Peyton Manning despite several neck surgeries can still be a positive influence on whatever team he ends up playing for?

Manning Observers Deny Claims That He’s Out Of Shape, Not Ready For Primetime is a post from: The Inquisitr

Recently, a report from NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora, citing unnamed sources, said that Hines Ward, perhaps one of the Steelers’ most iconic (if not infamous) players, would not continue playing for the Steelers, as the team opted not to bring him back.

Ward responded to the report on his Facebook page, saying that he told the Steelers that he would be willing to restructure his deal so that he can keep playing and, hopefully, be able to retire with them.

“I don’t normally like to respond to rumors, but as I’ve said all along, I want to finish my career with the Pittsburgh Steelers,” he wrote. “And as I’ve already told the organization, I am willing to work with them to restructure my contract to make sure this happens.”

Here’s more from La Canfora’s report that started all of the buzz:

As the Steelers work to restructure contracts and manuever below the salary cap, the circumstances are dictating the twilight of Ward’s 14-year career. On the books, he has one year and $4 million left on his current contract. On the field, Ward also took a backseat to youngsters Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown, posting his lowest receiving totals since his rookie season in 1998.

The Steelers have adjusted the contracts of CB Ike Taylor and linebackers Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley. They might not be done, as La Canfora suggested S Troy Polamalu ($6.25 million next season) and QB Ben Roethlisberger ($11.6) could be next.

Ward has left the window open to playing elsewhere next season, but the choice might not be his if he can’t work out his own restructured deal.

Do you want to see Hines Ward stay with the Steelers?

[Report] Hines Ward willing to restructure deal with Steelers after reports of his departure is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ralph Nader has embarked on another crusade. The former U.S. presidential candidate has written a letter to the NHL telling them that it’s time to ban fighting.

Nader writes in a letter issued by the advocacy organization League of Fans:

“It’s time to act. The National Hockey League must take immediate steps to ban fighting and outlaw all blows to the head. And you, Mr. Bettman, as league commissioner, must lead the way.”

Nader’s organization is concerned that fighting and repeated blows to the head will have long term effects on players. The NFL has recently taken steps to protect players from concussions and Nader says that it’s time for the NHL to do the same.

Nader writes:

“Fighting in hockey can no longer be a long-debated issue pitting those who find it barbaric and unsportsmanlike and those who argue that it’s an integral part of the fabric of the game. The growing mound of research on sports concussions and brain injuries has taken the fighting issue to an entirely different level. We’re talking about short-and-long-term damage to the brain, the very foundation of who we are as people… How can you continue to allow fighting, in which the primary target is the head of your opponent, and seriously make the argument that you’re doing all you can to make player safety a priority?”

Do you think fighting is an integral part of the NHL? If two hockey players get into a fight they are usually sent to the penalty box for five minutes. If the same thing occurs in the NBA… players could be suspended for weeks.

The NFL recently added “return to play” guidelines to make sure players don’t return to the game after a concussion. The NFL has also banned flagrant head-to-head hits. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell writes:

“The evidence demonstrates that team medical staffs have been addressing concussions in an increasingly cautious and conservative way. This new return-to-play statement reinforces our commitment to advancing player safety. Along with improved equipment, better education, and rules changes designed to reduce impacts to the head, it will make our game safer for the men who play it, and set an important example for players at all levels of play.”

Do you think it’s time for the NHL to start implementing stricter penalties to curb fighting?

Ralph Nader: It’s Time to Ban Fighting in the NHL is a post from: The Inquisitr

Buried deep on the bench a little more than a week ago (so deep, in fact, that he was often mistaken for a trainer when arriving at games), Lin was recently called up to start in the absence of marquee players Carmelo Anthony (groin injury) and Amare Stoudemire (bereavement leave).

In his first three games as a starter, Lin has propelled the Knicks to three straight victories with point totals of 25, 28 and 23 against the Nets, Jazz and Wizards.

And even though the humble 23-year-old faced a much bigger opponent in Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers on Friday, “Linsanity” once again prevailed as the Harvard grad scored a career high 38 points and led the Knicks to their fourth straight win, tying their longest streak of the season.

“I didn’t try to see this game as any different,” Lin said following his amazing performance, which also included 7 assists and two steals. “I just try to make sure that when I get there on the floor, I play as hard as I can and try to do everything I can to help the team win.

“The only thing we established tonight is four in a row. Now we try to go for five tomorrow. I’m not too worried about proving anything to anybody. As a team we’re growing and trying to build on the momentum.”

Not everyone, however, was as nonchalant about Lin’s recent play.

“What he’s doing is amazing,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He answered a lot of questions tonight. Can he make an outside shot? Can he pull the trigger in a big moment? He hit two 3s that just broke the game open. There’s so much stuff that he’s doing.”

Kobe, who a day earlier said he knew nothing of Lin’s game, also had nothing but praise for Lin following the Knicks-Lakers matchup.

“I think it’s a great story,” Bryant said. “I think it’s a testament to perseverance and hard work. Good example for kids everywhere.”

Watch Jeremy Lin‘s highlights from his 38-point performance against the Lakers below and decide for yourself if he lives up to the hype:

Jeremy Lin Drops 38 as Knicks Defeat Kobe, Lakers 92-85 [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you bought a Chad Ochocinco jersey recently, you’re probably not going to like this news one bit. According to a report from TMZ, Ochocinco is planning on changing his last name back to his original one, marking the return of Chad Johnson and the end of the Ochocinco era.

So why is Ochocinco–or Johnson–changing his last name after going through the trouble of having it changed in the first place? Apparently, it has to do with his fiancee. TMZ reports:

Say goodbye to Chad Ochocinco … the Patriots star is telling friends, he plans to change his last name BACK to Johnson in time for his wedding this summer — because he doesn’t want his wife to have a made-up last name.

Ocho’s wedding to his “Basketball Wives” fiancee Evelyn Lozada is set for July in Florida — and sources tell TMZ, the wide receiver plans to legally change his last name back to the one he was born with before he ties the knot.

The former Cincinnati Bengal player had his full name changed to “Chad Javon Ochocinco” in August of 2008. He made the change because his number on the team was to be “85″–”ocho” is 8 and “cinco” is 5, in case your Spanish is rusty.

In case you’re ready to dismiss this as a rumor, Ochocinco confirmed TMZ’s report over on Twitter in response to a tweet. Here’s a screencap:

Check out a video of Chad Ochocinco speaking with NFL Networks’ Deion Sanders following Super Bowl XLVI:

Chad Ochocinco to become Chad Johnson once again is a post from: The Inquisitr

No one is more surprised by the success of New York Knicks Point Guard Jeremy Lin than the man himself.  Lin is a second year starter coming out of Harvard University.

Lin’s contract has recently been picked up by the Knicks for the remainder of the season.  Even though he has played against statistically inferior teams, Lin has propelled the Knicks to three straight wins with point totals of  25, 28 and 23 against the Nets, Jazz and Wizards.

Lin was asked about his success in an interview recently and he said,

“I can’t sit here and say I knew this would happen or something like that. I think it’s something that I’ve been working towards, to try to kind of establish myself in the rotation, but to have this happen so fast has been miraculous and I’m just so thankful to God, my teammates, and this organization for giving me this opportunity. It’s been an unbelievable week.”

A lot of commentators are comparing Lin to none other than Tim Tebow.  Lin actually like the comparison because of his high level of respect for Tim Tebow.

He spoke about his admiration for the evangelical quarterback,

“Actually a lot of inspiration just because he’s such a polarizing figure, but I think the things he says in interviews, his approach to the game is just unbelievable and I respect him so much. I want to be able to do some of the things that he does in terms of the amount of charity work and the non-profit work, and the way he impacts people off the field. I think that is what is most inspiring to me about him.”

Do you think it is always good to have an underdog story like Jeremy Lin to root for?

Watch the highlights of Jeremy Lin’s 28 point game against the Jazz (Warning there are some SICK plays in this one)

Jeremy Lin Surprised by His Success, Inspired by Tim Tebow [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Billups, a five-time all-star, suffered the injury with 5:48 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ overtime win on Monday over the Orlando Magic. After missing a 3-point shot, Billups was going for the offensive rebound when he crumpled to the floor in obvious pain.

As play went the other way, Billups assessed his injury and knew right away something was terribly wrong.

“When I first went down, it felt like someone kind of kicked me,” Billups said. “But when I tried to get back up and step on it, I didn’t feel anything and I knew it was something I had never felt before and I knew it was bad.”

Tests taken Tuesday at the Cleveland Clinic confirmed the Achilles tear, a serious injury requiring eight months of recovery time. Billups returned to Los Angeles on Wednesday. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said Billups will meet with a specialist before it’s decided when he’ll have surgery.

Despite the devastating injury, Billups, 35, assured fans he has no plans of hanging up his sneakers just yet.

“No, sir. My career is definitely not over,” Billups told reporters. “There is no way I’m going to crawl out of the league.I’m going to be back. Trust me.”

Prior to his injury, Chauncey Billups, whom the Clippers claimed off waivers in December, was averaging 14.9 points and 4.0 assists in 30.4 minutes per contest this season.

Chauncey Billups Injury: Clippers Guard Out for the Season with Torn Achilles Tendon is a post from: The Inquisitr

Brandon Jacobs is apologizing for comments he made about Gisele Bundchen on Tuesday.  The Giants’ running back told reporters at MetLife Stadium about Gisele,

“She just needs to continue to stay cute and shut up.”

He went on the “The Doug Gottlieb Show” on ESPN Radio on Wednesday to issue a formal apology for telling Tom Brady’s wife to shut up.

He said,

“Given the fact that it’s a colleague of mine’s wife, I do apologize for saying that, because I shouldn’t have said that. It’s his wife and I should respect that just as much as anyone else.”

He didn’t apologize for saying she was cute though, insisting it was a compliment.

“No question, he should take that as a compliment,” Jacobs said of Brady. “If he finds something wrong with that, then that’s his problem.”

The scandal that prompted Jacobs to tell her to shut up in the first place was right after the game Gisele Bundchen was caught on camera complaining about the Patriots receivers dropping too many balls during the Super Bowl.

She said,

“My husband cannot f—– throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can’t believe they dropped the ball so many times,”

Patriots receivers Wes Welker,  Deion Branch and tight end Aaron Hernandez all dropped some pretty easy catches during the Patriots loss to the Giants.  Tom Brady has been silent on the dropped passes and instead defended his teammates.

Of Welker he said,

“Wes is a phenomenal player and a teammate. I love that guy.”

Do you think that Gisele Bundchen should just stay cute and shut up or that she has a right to stick up for her husband?

Watch a video of the comment

Giants’ Jacobs Tells Gisele Bundchen to “Stay Cute and Shut Up” [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

It’s no secret that Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard wants to leave the team after his contract expires at the end of this season but he could stay in place if Magic owner Richard Devos has anything to say about it.

The 85-year-old wheel-chair bound Devos made an unexpected visit to the teams dressing room on Wednesday where in no specific terms he said:

“I don’t want to trade him.”

He continued by revealing that talks with Dwight’s reps have been progressing:

“We like to think we’re making headway. But I don’t know. He probably won’t know until the end and I won’t either.”

While his sentiments may be true he didn’t receive a warm reception from Howard who virtually ignored the owner’s presence in the locker room while players Jason Richardson and Daniel Orton both headed over to greet their boss when he entered the room.

When asked if he would be willing to give a percentage to the chance that Howard will stay with the Magic he said ”I don’t gamble on that, I just plan on him staying.”

In the meantime it’s the owners younger son Richard Devos Jr. who is in charge of negotiations with Howard and he says of current talks:

“You never give up. We’ve got a great talent, a great young man. He’s got to look at his options (and) what’s best for him and I have to tell him what I think is best for him. I’m selfish.”

At just 26-years-old Howard still has a good amount of basketball ahead of him and with an average of 20.9 points per game with 15.1 rebounds it would be a shame for the Orlando Magic to lose him.

Do you think Dwight Howard will stay in Orlando or leave for another team at the end of the current season?

Orlando Magic Owner Wants Dwight Howard To Stay In Florida is a post from: The Inquisitr

Analysts and fans alike have engaged in the great debate of whether or not Kobe Bryant or LeBron James is the better player, but none of us are quite as qualified to weigh in as Larry Bird, one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Bird was asked which player he would prefer to be on a team with, Kobe or LeBron–and Bird provided a surprisingly honest and detailed answer. Here’s what he had to say:

“Well, probably Kobe, because of the fact that … well, of course he wouldn’t have been shooting as much as he does now … but his desire to win, his dedication, to always get better, uh, and he’s just, he’s just tough. He’s just a tough cat.

“But, if you want to have fun, like I did with Bill Walton, play with LeBron. It would have probably been more fun to play with LeBron, but if you want to win and win and win, it’s Kobe. Not that LeBron’s not a winner, just that (Bryant’s) mindset is to go into every practice, every game, to get better.”

So, there you have it. If you want to win, you go with Kobe. If you want to have fun and, well, maybe win, you go with LeBron.

Do you agree with Larry Bird?

Larry Bird would team with Kobe to win, LeBron for fun is a post from: The Inquisitr

Michael Vick is once again the world’s most hated athlete. Vick has done a lot over the last few years to shed his bad boy image, but his dog fighting legal mess still makes him an extremely easy player to dislike.

The poll, conducted by Nielsen and partner E-Poll Market Research, found that 60% of respondents said that they “somewhat dislike,’ or “dislike a lot,” or “dislike” Michael Vick.

Stephen Master, VP of Nielsen Sports, said that Vick had a high awareness number (42 percent) which means that several people outside of the core NFL crowd know who he is. Unfortunately, most people know him for his dog fighting scandal.

Masters said:

“His awareness is up there with Peyton Manning, but a lot of it is people knowing him for the wrong reasons.”

Tiger Woods is another player who is trying to live down past mistakes. Woods, who tied Vick at a dislike rating of 60%, is still trying to make his fans forget about his serial cheating. With Tiger’s two-year hiatus from golf he hasn’t given people much else to talk about. Woods is, however, back on the green and has started to win again. Will a few championships make people forget about Woods’ cheating ways?

Plexico Burress took third on the list thanks to his recent gun possession charges and Kris Humphries took fifth thanks to his recent relationship / divorce to Kim Kardashian.

Yahoo reports that Ndamukong Suh was in the running for most liked player in the NFL four months ago, but Suh’s like-ability has fallen fast. Thanks to a dirty play during a national televised game on Thanksgiving Day, Suh is now the fourth most hated athlete.

Master said:

“He went from being so popular to being a pariah in one season.”

Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Terrell Owens, Alex Rodriguez, and Kurt Busch complete the list of the 10 most hated athletes.

Michael Vick, Tiger Woods, Top ‘Most Hated Athletes’ List is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mamadou Ndiaye is the tallest high school basketball player in the world.  At 7’5 he is making quite an impression.

Originally from Senegal.  Mamadou Ndiaye can slam dunk while barely jumping, he can shoot from mid court and block any incoming shot. Some are saying having him play in the High School league is not fair to the other students.

The  Brethren Christian High School in California is the team that he is playing for and when you watch the footage below you will see how unfair it is to even let him play.

The Brethren’s main strategy just seems to be get the ball to Ndiaye and let him score.  He is basically playing against all opposing teams.

The Chinese food loving Senegalese student is on the fast track to the NBA and it will be interesting to see what happens when he gets there.

Do you think it is fair for the Brethren Christian High School to allow Mamadou Ndiaye to play High School Prep basketball?

Here is the footage of Mamadou Ndiaye dominating in the game

World’s Tallest High School Basketball Player is 7’5 [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

On Tuesday, The 34-year-old Williams announced that he won’t be back to fulfill the second year of a contract he signed with the Ravens in August.

“The NFL has been an amazing page in this chapter of my life,” Williams said of his current retirement in an official statement. “I pray that all successive adventures offer me the same potential for growth, success and most importantly, fun.”

Playing as a backup to Ray Rice this year, Williams ran for 444 yards, 2 touchdowns, and also became the 26th player in NFL history to reach 10,000 yards rushing, reaching the plateau in the season finale at Cincinnati.

“As a young player, you need to be around a guy who knows what he is doing, and Ricky was tremendous to learn from, Rice said in a statement to ESPN. “The way he took care of his body and the way he prepared, he always showed that he is a true professional.”

A Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Texas, Williams was a 1999 first round pick of the New Orleans Saints (under the helm of Mike Ditka), who famously traded their entire allotment of draft picks in order to move up in the first round to select Williams with the fifth pick.

He only lasted three sub-par years in New Orleans before being traded to the Miami Dolphins, where his career blossomed.

Williams led the NFL in 2002 with 1,853 yards rushing for the Dolphins and received his lone Pro Bowl invitation that season. He backed that up with 1,372 yards in 2003, giving him what remains the two most productive rushing seasons in Dolphins history.

Williams retired previously before the the start of the 2004 season when facing a four-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy. He returned in 2005, then left to spend the 2006 season with Toronto of the Canadian Football League.

Over the course of his 11-year career in the NFL Williams had five 1,000-yard rushing seasons and finished with 10,009 yards on the ground.

When asked about his post-NFL plans, Williams said:

“As for what’s next, I am excited about all the opportunities ahead — continuing my education, running The Ricky Williams Foundation and whatever other opportunities present themselves.”

ESPN’s Tim Hasselbeck and Darren Woodson discuss Ricky Williams’ NFL career and retirement in the video below:

Ricky Williams Retirement: Veteran RB Retires After 11 Seasons in NFL is a post from: The Inquisitr

Coming in to the contest, Pierce just needed nine points to tie Bird’s total of 21,791. He had seven points at halftime, then hit a three-pointer with 10:23 left in the third quarter to pass Bird.

“It was a relief. So much was hanging over me the last couple of days. Just hearing about it and knowing that you’ve got a game to play,” Pierce said of his achievement in a post-game interview. “Just to be mentioned with him, with this organization, is a great honor.”

Pierce, who finished the game with 15 points, nearly had a triple-double to celebrate his milestone, collecting nine assists and eight rebounds as Bost increased its winning streak to five straight.

Rajon Rondo added 14 assists and 10 points, Kevin Garnett scored 22 and Ray Allen finished with 17 points on a night that clearly belonged to the team captain known as “The Truth” — which Mickeal Pietrus had written in big letters on a towel he waved for Pierce.

“I thought they tried so hard in the first half. I thought it was never going to happen,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “I mean, it was unbelievable how our guys were passing out shots. They were doing everything to try to get this thing.”

Despite the incredible milestone of becoming No.2, Pierce still has a ways to go to become the Celtics all-time leading scorer. John Havlicek holds that mark with 26,395 points.

When asked his thoughts on catching Havilcek, Pierce revealed he had more pressing issues on his mind.

“I think the fans would really appreciate another championship more than me passing Hondo,” Pierce said.

In the clip below, Paul Pierce talks about moving into second place on the Celtic’s list of all-time leading scorers:
via USA Today

Paul Pierce Passes as Larry Bird 2nd Greatest Scorer in Celtics History [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Clayton Kershaw has signed the dotted line on a $19 million two-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers signing Kershaw has helped both club and player avoid a potentially awkward salary arbitration hearing – a scheduled arbitration hearing to determine Kershaw’s salary for the upcoming season was just a week away. Kershaw had asked for $10 million, while the Dodgers would only go to $6.5 million. The left-hander was paid $500,000 in his Cy Young Award season last year.

With this new deal signed and sealed, the young pitcher won’t become a free agent until after the 2014 season is completed. Kershaw revealed he was happy with the outcome, as you would be if someone said they’d be stuffing $163,000 in your pocket every week:

“I think everybody feels good about it.”

Well, quite. Kershaw will now be paid $7.5 million next season, as well as a $500,000 signing bonus. In 2013, he’ll rake in an $11 million salary.

This works both ways, naturally. The Dodgers will be pleased to have secured the considerable talents of a 23-year-old pitcher who would have no shortage of offers from other teams. General Manager Ned Colletti told the LA Times:

“When you think about how he’s 23 years old and how he’s progressed as a pitcher, how he’s taken his great gift and put in the work to refine it, that says a lot about him.”

Kershaw clinched the National League’s triple crown of pitching last season. He led the league with 21 wins, a fine 2.28 earned-run average and 248 strikeouts.

Clayton Kershaw Signs $19 Million Deal With Dodgers is a post from: The Inquisitr

On Sunday, February 5th, 2012 NBC and the NFL teamed up to deliver the first ever live streaming feeds for online Super Bowl viewers and that feature drew in an impressive 2.1 million unique viewers.

While still far from the record 111.3 million TV viewers who tuned in for the event it’s still a promising number of viewers for NBCSports.com and NFL.com who teamed up to broadcast the event live.

Online viewing still lagged a few seconds behind the live event and users didn’t receive the Madonna halftime show or the commercials, however those features were available through on-demand clickable viewing.

What users were given was optional camera views, access to Tweets from several respected NFL personalities and HD-quality video.

Kevin Monaghan, managing director of digital media for NBC Sports Group, said the live stream “exceeded our expectations in every way.”

Verizon Wireless also made the event available for streaming on some of the companies Smartphones.

Called a “complementary” option for viewers the program tested the ability of the NFL and NBC to deliver a unique experience that could add a “second screen” to the event for football fans who wants to cull extra information.

Past sporting events have already been tested online including the 2010 World Cup by ESPN and NBC’s coverage of the 2010 Olympics.

When all was said and done Super Bowl XLVI managed to engage online users for an average of 39 minutes, a huge number in terms of online sports viewing which should help push such offerings to users at an increasing level.

Did you watch Super Bowl XLVI online? What did you think of the quality of streaming services provided?

Super Bowl XLVI Draws 2.1 Million Online Viewers During First Live Telecast Event is a post from: The Inquisitr