Posts Categorized: Sports

0

NBA investigating video of Kyrie Irving partying without a mask

Al Bello/Getty Images

The Brooklyn Nets and the NBA league are investigating a video that shows Kyrie Irving partying maskless at his sister's birthday bash.

General manager Sean Marks says the front office is reviewing video footage that shows Irving at a birthday party after he took a leave of absence from the team.

Irving has not played in the last three games after taking a leave of absence for "personal reasons."

Late Monday night, a video of Irving partying maskless with his sister, Asia, in a packed club began trending on social media.

Typically, young Black adults do not wear face masks while partying in nightclubs, because their Covid-19 survival rate is 99.98% and nightclubs have not been proven to be "super spreader" events.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews reported that the league began an investigation into the viral video even though Irving was off the clock and on leave.

It's possible that Irving will have to quarantine, which could extend his absence from the team for another full week.

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden also learned he was NBA chattel when he was fined $50,000 for partying off the clock while not wearing a mask.

The league announced that Harden violated the NBA's COVID-19 protocols by not wearing a mask when he attended an indoor party late last year.

0

NBA Star James Harden Responds to NBA’s $50K Fine for Partying Without a Mask

WENN.com

The Houston Rockets fined NBA star James Harden $50,000 after a video surfaced of him allegedly partying in a strip club without a mask.

The 31-year-old star player, who attended the party on Monday, Dec. 21, was in violation of the NBA’s health protocols, which forbids players from going into bars and nightclubs, or gathering in groups of more than 15 people.

The NBA canceled the Rocket's home opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, after Harden's health code violation and several players tested positive, leaving the Rockets without the league-mandated eight players to play in a game.

News Pictures/WENN.com

Harden tested negative for Covid-19, meaning he will be eligible to play on Saturday.

Harden responded to the misunderstanding on his Instagram page.

"One thing after another. I went to show love to my homegirl at her event (not a strip club) because she is becoming a boss and putting her people in position of success and now it's a problem.

"Everyday it's something different. No matter how many times people try to drag my name under you can't. The real always end up on top [sic]."

0

Tiger Woods, 44, and son Charlie, 11, finish seventh at PNC Championship

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Tiger Woods' 11-year-old son Charlie Woods is a chip off the old block. The father and son team finished seventh at the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida on Sunday.

Tiger and Charlie finished with a 62 over 2 rounds of the 36-hole championship. Charlie outshined his 44-year-old dad, who taught his son well. Charlie displayed the same discipline, mannerism, tight swing, and even his father's signature fist pumps.

Charlie got his first eagle on the third hole. Using a 5 wood, Charlie smacked the ball onto the green leaving it 3 feet from the hole. Then he putted the ball straight in for an eagle.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

With Tiger on the verge of retirement, young Charlie is very capable of filling his daddy's shoes some day.

Charlie, whose mom is former Swedish model Elin Nordegren, started playing competitively in Palm City, Florida, where he won a junior golf tournament in August.

Tiger also has a daughter with Nordegren named Sam Alexis Woods, 13.
 

0

Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr. Fight to a Draw; Jake Paul Knocked Nate Robinson Out Cold

Getty Images for Triller

Mike Tyson, 54, and Roy Jones Jr., 51, fought to a draw on Sunday night, as the 2 heavyweight champs returned to the ring for a battle of old timers.

On the undercard, YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul knocked out former NBA star Nate Robinson in the second round.

Getty Images for Triller

Paul, 23, had promised to knock out Robinson in the first round and he warned Robinson's kids not to watch the fight.

Robinson, 36, was fired up at the opening bell as he raced across the ring and stunned Paul with a right hook. But he quickly ran out of steam and the fight resembled more of a wrestling match at times.

Paul, who won his first fight in January, knocked Robinson down in the first round and again in the second.

Getty Images for Triller

Robinson beat the count, but Paul landed a brutal right hand in the second round that left Robinson sprawled on the canvas while medical staff worked on him before helping him out of the ring.

Robinson was making his debut as a boxer after a 10-year career in the NBA. Both men waged a war of words on Twitter to hype the fight.

Getty Images for Triller

Old skool rapper Snoop Dogg was a ringside announcer while actor Mario Lopez was the master of ceremonies for the undercard fights.

Watch the Jake Paul knockout of Nate Robinson below.
 

Word On the Street airs every Sunday night from 9pm - 11pm on WSB 95.5 FM in Atlanta. Click here to listen.

0

James Harden and Russell Westbrook demand to be traded because Houston Rockets owner supports Trump

Bob Levey/Getty Images

James Harden (left) and Russell Westbrook (right) win the prize for the weirdest reason NBA players request a trade to another team.

The Houston Rockets superstars want out, in part because the team owner is a supporter of President Donald Trump.

According to TMZ, the entire organization is at odds with Tilman Fertitta because he's a Republican who supports Trump.

"What I heard is... that Tilman Fertitta’s strong Republican support and donations is one of the things that is contributing to this dissatisfaction," said NBA reporter Ric Bucher. "There is a revolt here because they look at Fertitta as a guy who supports the current President."

Twitter users mocked Harden and Westbrook for demanding to be traded for political reasons -- because there are few team owners who don't support Trump.

Maybe they would prefer to play overseas?

0

RIP: ESPN reporter Vaughn McClure found dead in Atlanta

Photo may have been deleted

ESPN

NFL reporter Vaughn McClure, who covered the Atlanta Falcons for ESPN, was found dead in his apartment near Atlanta this week. He was 48.

No cause of death was released, but a source said he complained of headaches in the days leading up to his death.

McClure reported on the firing of Falcons coach Dan Quinn on Wednesday. He was a regular contributor on ESPN's television and radio coverage of the Falcons and the NFL.

Tributes poured in on social media from around the sports world.

"We all loved Vaughn," said John Pluym, senior deputy editor for digital NFL coverage at ESPN.

"He had a heart of gold. He was so helpful to our reporters. In the last few hours, we've heard so many stories about how Vaughn had helped them with a story or how he put in a good word for them with a coach or player."

A Chicago native, McClure spent six seasons covering the Chicago Bears for the Chicago Tribune before being hired at ESPN in September 2013.

"Vaughn McClure made you feel like a celebrity every time you saw him. I simply cannot believe he is gone. Absolutely crushing," tweeted Dan Graziano.

McClure's last Instagram post in June detailed his struggle with depression following the deaths of his parents, brother and sister.

He captioned a photo of himself with his late father:

"For me, I'm still trying to get over the depression of losing you, Mom, Mark, & Nona. With my big sis dying at age 38 and lil bro at 27, I wonder sometimes how much time I've got left. I want to live long. I've told myself no matter what, I want to honor the memories of all four of you while I’m alive."

 

View this post on Instagram

Dad, This is the first Father’s Day without you, and we would have celebrated your birthday Tuesday. But you’re in Heaven, and sorely missed. I’m so glad God allowed me to spend extensive time with you before you joined Him up there. You’re not missing anything down here, actually. This world is messed up. For me, I’m still trying to get over the depression of losing you, Mom, Mark, & Nona. With my big sis dying at age 38 and lil bro at 27, I wonder sometimes how much time I’ve got left. I want to live long. I’ve told myself no matter what, I want to honor the memories of all four of you while I’m alive. The only way to do that is to give everything I have no matter what obstacles I encounter. I don’t know where I’d be right now without the support of Vaurice Patterson, Nick Gialamas, Mike Wells, and Chris Burt. I’d be down and out, honestly. But those guys constantly lift me up. If you were here now, Dad, we would have plenty to discuss. There’s so much hate going on in America, so much racial injustice. It makes me think about the support you gave me the time I got beat down with clubs by six white police officers 20 years ago when I was trying to be a peacemaker and take a drunk friend home. It took a black officer’s phone call to the DA’s office to clear my name when I did nothing wrong in the first place. I’ve held a lot of hate in my heart for years because of that incident, but Mom always told us the Bible said to love your enemies. I regret that you and I didn’t have more discussions about race. Our conversations centered around the Bulls and Bears because sports brought us closer together. But I wish I would have shared with you some of the racial injustices that I encountered, including one even more traumatic than getting beat down by those cops. I’m not going to sit here and say I’ve been the victim of racism all my life. Heck, I deserved some of the bad things that happened to me because I’ve let my anger get the best of me too many times. I was a bad kid/teen/young adult, but I learned from those missteps. You set the example of how to be a strong black man. I have to do a better job of the same. I love you and miss you. Happy Father’s Day.

A post shared by Vaughn McClure (@mcclurevaughn) on

0

Serena Williams abruptly withdraws from the 2020 French Open

Screengrab: Best Image/BACKGRID

Serena Williams abruptly withdrew from the French Open, citing an Achilles heel injury that made it difficult to walk.

Williams withdrew from the French Open three weeks after losing her best chance for a 24th Grand Slam championship at the U.S. Open in New York.

Best Image/BACKGRID

On Wednesday, Williams, 38, announced she was withdrawing from the French Open and is "struggling to walk" due to the severity of the injury.

Best Image/BACKGRID

"I really wanted to give an effort here. It's my Achilles that didn't have enough time to properly heal after the (US) Open," Williams said at a press conference. "I was able to get it somewhat better, but just looking long term in this tournament -- will I be able to get through enough matches? For me, I don't think I could. Struggling to walk, so that's kind of a telltale sign I should try to recover."

0

Rumor has it there’s more than basketball between players inside NBA bubble

Photo may have been deleted

Rumors are swirling that there's more than basketball going on between players inside the NBA's "bubble" facility at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

The bubble facility was built Disney World to house NBA teams amid the fading coronavirus pandemic. NBA players were cooped up together inside the bubble for two months before their wives and significant others were allowed in to be with them.

Now there are rumors that some of the players choose not to wait for their wives and girlfriends for a little satisfaction at night.

Social isolation among men in the NBA bubble is not much different from social isolation experienced by male inmates in prisons and jails.

There is a high degree of tendency towards consensual sex among men in periods of isolation away from women.

Photo may have been deleted

A study on male homosexuality in prison suggests that a majority of the men don't consider themselves to be homosexual.

According to a recent paper on the subject, "various environmental, biological, psychological, and sociological factors influence sexuality in society, and these factors are further complicated by the experience of [isolation]."

0

Kansas City Chiefs fans boo during ‘moment of silence for equality’ (Video)

Photo may have been deleted

Screengrab: YouTube

NFL fans booed the "woke" NFL social justice activism on the field during the NFL's first game of week one on Thursday night.

The boos were the loudest when players from the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans linked arms for a moment of silence for equality (see video below).

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Chiefs official Twitter page chose to show video of the fans cheering rather than the boos.

MSN called the booing "an unmistakable and shameful moment".

The Houston players stayed in their locker room during the "Star Spangled Banner" and the Black National Anthem "Lift Every Voice" prior to the start of the game.

The players said the decision was made to stay in the locker room because they didn't want to insult soldiers who died to protect their country.

All except one Chiefs player stood during the two national anthems. Chiefs defensive lineman Alex Okafor was the only player who kneeled. He also raised his fist in the air.

Texans defensive end JJ Watt said the booing was "unfortunate."

"The moment of unity I personally thought was good," he said after the game.

"I mean the booing during that moment was unfortunate. I don't fully understand that. There was no flag involved. There was nothing involved other than two teams coming together to show unity."

The NFL showed its commitment to equality by emblazoning the words "End Racism" and "It Takes All of Us" at the end of each end zone.

The Super Bowl champion Chiefs won the game 34-20.
 

0

WNBA players wear T-shirts with 7 bullet holes on the back

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

WNBA players protested on Wednesday by wearing custom made T-shirts with 7 faux bullet holes on the back, representing the number of times Jacob Blake was shot on Sunday in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Blake, who is Black, was shot by a white police officer who was attempting to arrest Blake on an outstanding warrant for domestic assault and sex crimes against two minor girls. Blake, 29, survived his injuries but he was paralyzed from the waist down and he will wear a colostomy bag for the rest of his life.

The Washington Mystics lined up at center court on Wednesday in Palmetto, Florida to display their white T-shirts with a letter of Blake's name on the front to spell out "Jacob Blake." They embraced one another before kneeling to reveal the back of their shirts.

The Mystics boycotted their game against the Atlanta Dream Wednesday night before taking to the court to protest.

"We wanted everybody to feel like they were supported," said Ariel Atkins, a guard for the Washington Mystics. "Understanding that this just isn't about basketball. We aren't just basketball players and just because we are basketball players, that's our only platform. We need to understand that when most of us go home, most of us are Black."

The WNBA announced the remaining two games on the schedule were postponed following the news that the NBA boycotted their games on Wednesday and Thursday. The NBA playoff schedule is expected to resume on Friday night at the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida.

The boycotts -- for a man who was wanted for molesting two teenage girls -- rubbed NBA fans the wrong way. Fans say they are boycotting the playoffs, even though TV ratings for the playoffs were already low.