John Cortes: July 2011

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Reebok: Building a CrossFit Community

Sevan Matossian recently toured Reebok World Headquarters in Canton, Mass., to meet the new members of the CrossFit community. One of the executives is Chris Gallo, director of performance apparel, who shows off the breadth of Reebok’s commitment to sports with the company’s multiple courts, tracks, fields and exercise facilities, including Reebok CrossFit One.

Gallo says he is impressed with CrossFitters as multifaceted athletes.

“They do everything,” he says. “They’re just great athletes.”

And Reebok employees are becoming great athletes, just like other CrossFitters around the world.

“I’m a CrossFitter,” says Chris Froio, the VP/head of Reebok fitness and training. “It became very obvious to me very quickly that CrossFit was exactly what I needed.”

In just six months, Froio has seen benefits to his health and fitness and is back to his college weight.

According to Bill Holmes, the VP/head of Reebok human resources, CrossFit is changing Reebok’s culture.

“I think what’s been amazing for us here at Reebok is that it’s really been a huge energizer for our organization, and it’s really been something that employees have rallied around in a big way.”

23min 29sec

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Additional reading: If the Shoe Fits … by Kevin Daigle, published Feb. 07, 2011.

Penélope Cruz Kristen Bell The Pussycat Dolls Isla Fisher Sophia Bush

Monday, July 18, 2011

Preparing for Masters: Jacinto Bonilla

Join reporter Jennifer Hunter as she shares the story of Jacinto Bonilla of CrossFit NYC.

Bonilla is a 72-year-old trainer at his gym. After finding CrossFit at age 67, Bonilla decided to give a second career a try and retired from radiography to become a coach. Even with an athletic background in competitive running, bodybuilding and circuit training, he says, “CrossFit really humbled me. ... I thought I was in shape.”

Now Bonilla is definitely in shape as he prepares for the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games.

Bonilla competed in the 2008 CrossFit Games and had planned on competing in regionals last year, but an injury took him out of the competition. This year, he finished seventh overall in the masters 60-plus division and looks forward to the main event at the Home Depot Center this July.

When asked about how aging affects him as a CrossFitter, Bonilla replies, “You slow down, but that’s about it, you know. I still feel as strong as I was, and I still feel that I could do a lot of things.”

Bonilla concludes: “I wish … that every 70-year-old could do the things I do.”

8min 27sec

Additional reading: CrossFit After 40 by Dr. Allison Belger, published Jan. 30, 2010.

Zooey Deschanel Tara Reid Coco Lee Katy Perry Vinessa Shaw

Plaxico Burress released from prison after serving time for gun crime

? Wide receiver served 20 months of sentence
? Burress pleaded guilty after shooting himself in thigh

The former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress has been released from prison after serving 20 months on gun charges and the 2008 Super Bowl hero hopes to return to play in the NFL.

Burress, 33, left Oneida Correctional Facility in upstate New York three months early for good behaviour after pleading guilty to gun possession charges from a Manhattan nightclub incident in which he accidentally shot himself in the thigh.

"I just want to thank God for bringing me through one of the most trying times in my life," Burress said as he left the prison. "It's a beautiful day, it's a beautiful day to be reunited with my family and go home for some quality time with them."

Burress caught the game-winning pass in the last minute of New York's 17-14 upset of the unbeaten New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. But he was was released by the Giants following the November 2008 shooting incident and is now an NFL free agent.

The tall receiver, who began his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, must wait for the labour dispute between NFL owners and players to be resolved before he can market his talents, which his agent has made plain he intends to do.

Taken in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft with the eighth overall pick by the Steelers out of Michigan State University, Burress has 55 touchdown catches on his NFL resume.

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Lauren Conrad Arielle Kebbel Jessica Paré Leelee Sobieski Teri Hatcher

Gravity, Speed and Acceleration

Continuing our discussion series, Pose Method creator Dr. Nicholas Romanov discusses gravity, speed and acceleration and how these concepts relate to Pose, a method of teaching sport-specific techniques.

Through mathematics, Romanov has determined that the body is falling at its maximum acceleration when tilted at an angle of 22.5 degrees. This is the point at which the “vertical direction of (the) body-weight vector becomes dominating.” He defines the terms “acceleration” and “speed” and explains their interactions.

“Gravity gives us (an) incredible amount of acceleration,” he says; however, the doctor believes we still don’t fully comprehend it or utilize it.

“In classical biomechanics, running was understood like rotation is a consequence of horizontal movement. In Pose concept, it’s opposite: rotation is creating horizontal velocity,” Romanov says.

According to the doctor, gravity is the only force that can increase rotational movement, and the only way to increase rotational speed is by increasing the magnitude of the angle of your fall to a maximum of 22.5 degrees while moving.

6min 56sec

Additional reading: The Basics of Pose Running Techniques by Brian MacKenzie, published Dec. 1, 2007.

Shiri Appleby Kelly Hu Michelle Rodriguez Mena Suvari Georgina Grenville

CrossFit Verve: The Best Shape of My Life Nutrition Challenge

For their latest nutrition challenge, CrossFit Verve owner Matt Chan says he and his wife Cherie chose the most successful elements from their previous challenges.

“We’ve had more success with this one than we’ve had with any of the other ones,” he says.

The nine-week Best Shape of My Life challenge was based on points won or lost during the challenge. Points were earned through Paleo and Zone meals, with bonus points for meal frequency, workout frequency, adequate water and sleep, and eating of vegetables. Points were lost for cheat meals, not having post-workout meals, not supplementing with fish oil, drinking alcohol and working out less than three times a week.

At the beginning of the challenge, participants bought in with $100, half of which went toward blood-work testing before and after the challenge. The participants tested their performance on the workout Cindy and retested again at the end of the challenge.

Prizes were awarded for the men and women with the best changes in body composition, best improvement in performance and best overall finish. Depending upon their point total at the end of the challenge, participants could win back their money and receive a T-shirt.

“It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s something that I really recommend that any gym do,” Chan says.

9min 10sec

Additional audio: CrossFit Radio Episode 121 by Justin Judkins, published May 26, 2010.

Maria Sharapova Lindsay Price Zoe Saldana Rachel Perry Mary Elizabeth Winstead

U.S. Women Lose, But ESPN Wins Over Viewers For World Cup Finals

To the surprise of few who have been following the 2011 FIFA Women?s World Cup, ESPN on July 17 continued to attract big ratings for its coverage of the two-week event.

Hilary Swank Whitney Port Minka Kelly Carol Grow Erika Christensen

NFL draft 2011: The first-round picks ? in pictures

As this season's draft takes place we give you a rundown of who has been selected by whom

Uma Thurman Alice Dodd Kate Walsh Autumn Reeser Camilla Belle

My Reebok Opportunity

Old-school CrossFit star Josh Everett talks about why he believes the CrossFit-Reebok partnership is a great thing for both parties—and fitness.

Skeptical about the Reebok-CrossFit partnership? You’re not alone.

I travel the country working CrossFit’s Level 1 and Olympic-lifting courses, and I hear and feel the uneasiness about a big multinational company buying its way into the CrossFit community. I also hear the whispers of “sell-out” in regards to CrossFit’s role in the deal.

I answer questions and have conversations about this partnership weekly and thought the community might be interested in why I joined Reebok as an endorsed athlete—and why I’m thrilled with the partnership. To make a long story short, I was impressed with the company’s commitment and sincerity, and I signed a contract. In this article, I’m going to explain exactly why I signed that contract.

Amber Heard Veronica Kay Mýa Natalie Imbruglia Patricia Velásquez

Gravity, Speed and Acceleration

“Gravity gives us (an) incredible amount of acceleration,” he says; however, the doctor believes we still don’t fully comprehend it or utilize it.

6min 56sec

Additional reading: The Basics of Pose Running Techniques by Brian MacKenzie, published Dec. 1, 2007.

Katie Cassidy Estella Warren Cinthia Moura Monica Potter Brittany Snow

Sunday, July 17, 2011

fri, jan 7, 2011

Maria Sharapova Lindsay Price Zoe Saldana Rachel Perry Mary Elizabeth Winstead

I Am CrossFit Challenge

Jennifer Reed of Atlas CrossFit in Chicago provides her athletes with a motivational program to help them make improvement. Her I Am CrossFit Challenge holds athletes accountable to their coaches for their workouts and nutrition plan for eight weeks.

Athletes sign up and choose their coach, then record their starting weight, body fat and measurements, complete with pictures. The incentive for athletes is a free month of membership, T-shirts and recognition, in addition to the positive changes they make in themselves and their performance.

“The goal is obviously some body-composition changes, but then also we do a performance aspect, so the other half of the competition is based on strength and endurance,” Reed says.

This year the endurance component was a rowing Helen and the strength components were a max squat and max press. The athletes performed these workouts at the beginning of the competition. Each week the athletes submitted food logs based on the Zone Diet and performed four workouts.

At the end of the competition, the athletes were retested on the workouts and photographed and measured for body-composition changes.

“I think for a lot of people they just need that accountability in their lives, and they’re happy about it,” Reed says.

6min 23sec

Additional video: It Changed My Life: Deborah Scarborough by Deborah Scarborough, published Nov. 17, 2010.

Eva Green Lauren Conrad Arielle Kebbel Jessica Paré Leelee Sobieski

Pitino half-jokingly claims Big East schedule set ?with a ouija board?

Rick Pitino is apparently pretty confused about how his Louisville team wound up with its specific 2011-12 Big East hoops schedule.

And, as per usual, Pitino felt no need to not express his opinion. He did so, though, in a pretty interesting forum.

"We have one of the premier commissioners in athletics, but whoever's doing our scheduling must be doing it with a Ouija board," he said.

This quote wasn't given to a pool of reporters, but rather to the Louisville sports information department for their official release on the schedule being announced. Those releases are typically known for containing the most vanilla, politically correct quotes that a coach can sit down for a minute and craft.

Pitino's biggest beef, which he also expressed later in the quote, is that two of the three opponents that Louisville faces twice are Pitt and Syracuse, who both will likely be joining UL in the preseason Top 25 rankings. The third is DePaul. However, wouldn't you consider those three being of equal difficulty as the trio Louisville double-dipped against last year (West Virginia, UConn and Providence)?

His other qualm, which is a bit more understandable and valid, is that the Cards' lone game against regional rival Cincinnati will be held on the road for a second consecutive year. They lost to the Bearcats last season, 63-54.

"It just doesn't make any sense to me," he continued. "West Virginia has a similar argument. They must be doing it with a Ouija board."

The three league foes West Virginia draws twice are Pitt, Notre Dame and Rutgers.

Pitino's frustration, though, is probably rooted in the fact that the Cards have a pretty tough non-conference road to cross first. They have games at Kentucky and at home against Memphis and Vanderbilt, and last month requested to postponed a running series with UNLV for two years to provide a bit of relief. They would have traveled to Las Vegas this December for that game. They lost their first road game in that series back in 2009-10, but now it will continue in 2013-14 instead.

A look at Louisville's league schedule, though, won't likely cause outrage across the board, as it's going to be tough no matter which way you slice it in a 16-team league that's competitive almost all the way from the top to the bottom every season.

In other words, it's going to be nearly impossible to make everyone happy.

Ryan Greene also covers UNLV and the Mountain West Conference for the Las Vegas Sun. Read his Rebels coverage and follow him on Twitter.

Ashley Scott Michelle Behennah Julie Benz Saira Mohan Brittny Gastineau

Troll Column Of The Week: Soccer Is Killing Football

Every once in a while a column so stupid is written that you have to sit back and say, "Hey, buddy. That's some solid trolling." It's OK. Sometimes a writer just wants to get a reaction. Today's example of Troll Columnry comes from John Kass of the Chicago Tribune who argues that soccer finally has [...]

Katy Perry Vinessa Shaw Rebecca Romijn Nadine Velazquez Pink

The 2011 Europe Regional: Part 1

What was it like to experience the Europe Regional? Join Sevan Matossian on a journey through Reebok Stadium to witness the crowds, the athletes and the battle to get to the Home Depot Center in California.

In Part 1, Matossian interviews the athletes and organizers, catching the set-up and first day of competition.

Annie Thorisdottir is among the competitors although she is pre-qualified for the Games.

“You always gain something from a competition,” she says. “Of course, I’m hoping that nothing will surprise me, but better to get the surprise here than at the Games.”

Thorisdottir says she prepared for the competition as she would a weekend of tough workouts, without any tapering or working toward peak performance.

“I’m of course going to peak at the Games,” she says.

The early leaders among the women include Thorisdottir and Samantha Briggs. Among the men, Tuomas Vainio and Mikko Aronpää both vie for first and second.

Of course, the other Mikko, an organizer at the regional, will also be a fierce competitor at the Games. Says his coach and mentor Juha Kangasniemi, “I still think that he’s the most powerful engine in the world—nobody can beat him in the long, heavy met-cons … and that’s CrossFit.”

26min 10sec

HD file size: 952 MB
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Additional audio: CrossFit Radio Episode 171 by Justin Judkins, published May 11, 2011.

Saira Mohan Brittny Gastineau Ashley Tisdale Rachel Blanchard Sienna Guillory

NFL draft 2011: Cam Newton focused on proving worth as No1 pick

? 21-year-old quarterback chosen in draft by Carolina Panthers
? College career dogged by rumours of academic cheating

It was hardly surprising after the turbulent year he has endured that Cam Newton would be greeted by both cheers and jeers when he was named as the NFL's first pick in Thursday's annual draft.

The 21-year-old quarterback, from Auburn University, may well have been the outstanding college player last year but he remains a controversial figure that has travelled a bumpy road to the top. His ability as a player, however, is unquestioned and it was no surprise that the Carolina Panthers opted for him as the No1 choice.

"It's a great responsibility and I'm willing to take that," Newton said about leading the Panthers offense, who finished an NFL worst 2-14 last season.

Newton started his college football career at Florida but after being found with a stolen laptop and dogged by rumours of academic cheating he transferred to a junior college. At Blinn College, he led the football team to a national junior college title before transferring back into big-time US college football at Auburn. That process led to another crisis for Newton.

In the midst of Auburn's brilliant 2010 campaign, it was revealed that Newton's father, Cecil Newton, who played two seasons for the Dallas Cowboys as a safety, had tried to solicit payments from another university for his son's services, in violation of strict amateur rules. Newton was briefly declared ineligible to play but reinstated after no evidence was found proving he had any knowledge of his father's activities.

In the end, the quarterback threw 30 touchdown passes and was intercepted only seven times. He was a runaway winner of the Heisman Trophy as the best player in Colle and showed his ability to overcome criticism when the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, announced at Radio City Hall on Thursday that he was the No1 pick.

"Man, am I happy. I'm glad for it to be over. There's been some sleepless nights," he said. "Oh, man, I'm relieved. What I really want to do, I can't do it. I just want to scream."

Newton was asked if his selection made all his travails worthwhile. He said: "To some degree it does. But at the same time, when I wake up in the morning, it's another goal or a task at hand that I need to tackle. You know, it's transforming an organisation that was worst and try to progress to be the first.

"I'm really not focused on endorsements and money. That's something that's going to take care of itself. The one thing I'm focused on, my No1 priority, is getting in this organisation and make steps as far as me becoming a better player."

He added: "I'm not trying to prove nothing to no one that I'm not trying to prove to myself, and I understand that I'm my biggest critic."

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June 2011 Collected Articles

Here are the individual PDF articles published in June 2011, collected together in a single download.

The video and audio articles are not contained in the PDF.

The articles included here are:

World of WODs No. 5: Sacramento Calif. - Morrison
Grassroots Games - Goodson
Work or Work Out? - Belger
Springtime Smoothie - Brown/Dazet
Rhabdomyolysis Revisted - Wright
“You Die Slower If U Work Out” - Jordan
My Reebok Opportunity - Everett
CrossFit Kids Ice-Cream Truck - Martin
“No Water, No Way Out” - South
More Than Scores - Warkentin
Shake Hands With the Fat Boys - Hersee
Lift-Off! - Brown/Dazet
The Westside Conjugate System - Simmons
A Brief Letter From a Representative of the Silent Masses - Carr

Thalía Brooke Burke Thandie Newton Liz Phair Aaliyah

Weekly Top Five: World Cup, Bruce Feldman, James Harrison & Golf!

Ian Darke has once again made the World Cup a pleasurable watch. The flawless Emmanuelle Chriqui is also a pleasurable watch.

Victoria Beckham Missy Peregrym Sarah Gellman Eliza Dushku Bonnie Jill Laflin

CrossFit Kids Goes to Middle School

Dan Strametz and Debbie Rakos take the CrossFit Kids program out of the box and into the education system.

It’s raining in Ramona, Calif.

Used to be not so common an occurrence. Used to be tinderbox dry for months on end. And then the Santa Ana winds would kick up, a spark would be struck and the county would burn.

At Olive Pierce Middle School (OPMS), such musings are far from the minds of the kids working the machines packed inside the Body Shop, the campus’ weight room. Trainers Debbie Rakos and Dan Strametz ensure proper usage of the machines and bide their time because in just about a decent Fran time, a familiar hue and cry is raised: “We’re bored. We wanna do CrossFit!”

Neither Rakos nor Strametz is particularly surprised. After all, the program is called “CrossFit Kids in the Body Shop.” And this pilot program’s success bodes well for CrossFit Kids’ expansion into school districts elsewhere.

Kate Bosworth Tamala Jones Yamila Diaz Alicia Keys Tyra Banks

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Actor Doug Hutchison and His 16-Year-Old Wife, Courtney Stodden

Remember when that 16-year-old married the guy from LOST? Well, ABC News sat down with the happy couple with the 35-year age difference and it is every bit as creepy and weird as you could imagine. Just watch the way this girl looks at Hutchison. She looks like she's ready to jump him through the [...]

Norah Jones Nicky Hilton Garcelle Beauvais Kristy Swanson Ali Campoverdi

High-Performance Gear

What does Reebok have in the works for CrossFitters? Find out from Reebok apparel director Chris Gallo, as HQ’s Tony Budding visits Reebok World Headquarters in Canton, Mass. for some answers.

Reebok has an entirely new line of gear called Reebok Delta CrossFit, and it’s specifically for CrossFitters.

“It’ll be built for CrossFitters by CrossFitters, and it’s going to be the pinnacle of our training product for Reebok,” Gallo says.

According to Gallo, “It’s not just going to be moisture management; it’s going to be antimicrobial, it’s going to be the best branded yarns in the marketplace, and we’re working with our advanced-concepts group to develop new technologies.”

Gallo continues: “It’s going to be all about fit and comfort first.”

Reebok is equipping the CrossFit athlete with everything from boxers to outer layers—and everything in between. Gallo says Reebok is engineering clothing to manage temperature, odor and moisture, and to block UV radiation. With “cold black” technology, Reebok can even make heat-resistant dark-colored garments.

“Our philosophy’s always, ‘Whatever we put on the best athletes, we bring to the community,’” Gallo says.

7min 52sec

Additional reading: If the Shoe Fits … by Kevin Daigle, published Feb. 7, 2011.

Vanessa Marcil Rachel McAdams Kristin Cavallari Brittany Murphy Britney Spears

sun, jan 30, 2011

Adrianne Palicki Amanda Righetti Michelle Branch Melissa Howard Samantha Mumba

Alabama recruit spearheads tornado relief efforts in Tuscaloosa

Unlike most high school prospects who visit their chosen colleges to tour campus or get to know their future coaches and teammates, Alabama-bound guard Jaren Sina had a less traditional purpose for his trip to Tuscaloosa last week.

Sina and a group of close to 30 others from his high school in New Jersey spent five days in the tornado-ravaged city assisting with relief efforts.

They folded and sorted clothes by size so the garments could be distributed to the needy. They cleared the debris-ridden plot of land where a Brookwood man's house once stood. And they helped a displaced Tuscaloosa family move recently donated furniture and appliances into its new apartment.

"Once you're there, it's completely different than what you see on TV," said Sina, one of the top point guards in the Class of 2013. "There's so much destroyed and so much work left to be done, so we as a group tried to do what could just to make this place a little better."

Participating in tornado relief efforts only solidified Sina's fondness for the Alabama program and the Tuscaloosa community. Whereas other prospects who select a college three years before they can enroll often renege on that commitment if a more appealing offer comes along or their relationship with the coach sours, Sina cannot envision playing anywhere else besides Alabama.

"The trip strengthened the tie between him and the school," said his father, Mergen Sina. "A lot of people question early commitments and whether Jaren might change his mind, but now Jaren has an even stronger personal connection with the school. He can't wait to get down there."

The idea for the community service trip popped into the minds of Mergen and Jaren when St. Bernard's School received an invitation to attend Alabama's team camp in mid-June. They had watched on TV in disbelief the afternoon of April 27 as a deadly mile-wide tornado ripped through the community Jaren hoped to one day call home, so they decided to arrive in Tuscaloosa a few days early to help in any way they could.

Only Sina and his teammates on the St. Bernard's basketball team may have made the trip were it not for the school's community outreach coordinator Peter Schmidt suggesting they invite other students to participate. The students raised more than $12,000 to finance the trip via a "Baskets for 'Bama" shoot-a-thon fundraiser in which each of the kids sought out sponsors willing to shell out a few dollars for every 3-point shot they could make one Sunday afternoon.

If any students were previously unaware of the extent of the damage in Tuscaloosa County, it hit them as they stared out the window at debris-strewn residential blocks and shops reduced to rubble during a bus tour of some of the most devastated regions. Later, the group had the chance to meet some of the families who lost property or loved ones while working on projects given to them by several of the Tuscaloosa-based tornado relief organizations.

"It meant an awful lot to the kids to see how gracious the people were," Schmidt said. "Everywhere we went in Tuscaloosa, shopkeepers would come up to them and thank them for what they were doing. I think it made a tremendous impact on all of the kids that they left with a feeling of camaraderie with people who live 1,000 miles away from where they do."

No student felt more of a bond with the Tuscaloosa community than Sina, who two years from now intends to be taking his first summer session classes at Alabama.

Last January, Sina selected the Crimson Tide over Big East programs Seton Hall, Rutgers and St. John's because he believed his affinity for the campus and the coaching staff outweighed Tuscaloosa's distance from his New Jersey home. Now that he's spent another week helping the community rebuild after the tornado, he's all the more certain of his choice.

"I was 100 percent on going to Alabama before but this puts me over the top," he said. "Not even in terms of basketball but in terms of the people I've met down there in the city alone. I know it's the right place for me."

Christina Applegate Shana Hiatt Tara Conner Drea de Matteo Trista Rehn

NFL draft to go ahead despite ongoing labour dispute

? Draft formed part of previous bargaining agreement
? Teams to begin making college picks from 1am BST

The NFL plans to go ahead with its annual player draft as scheduled on Thursday while it appeals against a federal judge's ruling to lift the league's lockout of the players. The draft will begin at 8pm local time (1am BST) in New York.

"This draft was part of the expired CBA [collective bargaining agreement]," said a spokesman, while confirming the draft would proceed as planned.

The NFL is seeking a stay from the eighth US circuit court of appeals after Judge Susan Richard Nelson's decision to lift the lockout. It also wants the court to rule on the league's appeal of her rulings. Nelson, a Minnesota-based district court judge, on Wednesday denied the NFL's request for a stay of her Monday ruling that lifted the lockout.

"The NFL has not met its burden for obtaining a stay pending appeal ... The league has not made a sufficient showing that it is likely to succeed on the merits," she wrote.

While the court proceedings continue, the NFL has told its 32 clubs to follow current rules and practices until otherwise advised by the league. But confusion continued other whether players could use training facilities.

"The doors are still closed and, as I understand it, they will remain closed until the appeals process is completed," said the Washington Redskins defensive end Vonnie Holliday, after he and others tried to enter the team's facilities.

But lawyers representing NFL players in their antitrust lawsuit said the league should be open for business.

"The clubs must open their facilities to allow players to work out, meet with coaches and otherwise perform their jobs; and the NFL and the clubs cannot collectively continue to refuse to deal with players," wrote the attorneys James Quinn and Jeffrey Kessler in a letter addressed to NFL players and agents.

"It is our view that the NFL and the clubs will be in contempt of court if they do not comply with the order unless and until they hear differently from the eighth circuit."

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Chyler Leigh Julie Berry Lori Heuring Nicole Scherzinger Jill Arrington

Garage Gym With Dan Bailey

Winner of the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games Open, Dan Bailey splits his time between CrossFit Legacy and his own garage gym. Get a peek into Bailey’s personal gym at his family’s home in Uniontown, Ohio.

One of the bald patches on Bailey’s lawn is where he has trained long hours with a heavy kettlebell. Bailey admits the kettlebell was a weakness coming out of regionals last year, so he bought the 70-lb. bell and told himself, “Now that’s all you get to use.”

Bailey’s backyard training ground also includes a wooden pull-up bar complete with exposed nails to test “the accuracy component of CrossFit.” Using what he has on hand, Bailey’s outdoor “plyo boxes” are stacked landscaping beams.

Inside the garage, Bailey shows off his equipment, including a Rogue yoke. But it’s his homemade gear that shows how important functionality is to the former sprinter. He constructed a plyo box with his father, hung a plumber’s pipe for pull-ups and rings, and bound together wooden planks lined with scavenged tire rubber to protect the concrete floor during Olympic Lifting. He also created his own bumpers using spare tires filled with sand, and he filled a basketball with sand for his wall-ball.

8min 57sec

Additional reading: Smart Shopping for Your Home Gym by Matthew Hall, published Sept. 9, 2009.

Ashley Greene April Scott Mia Kirshner Elisabeth Röhm Lily Allen

Jordan Hamilton blames Rick Barnes for his NBA stock slipping

Frustrated by his slide from the late lottery to one of the final picks in the first round on Thursday night, former Texas guard Jordan Hamilton offered an unlikely theory for why so many teams passed on him.

Hamilton told Denver-based NBA writer Chris Tomasson that Longhorns coach Rick Barnes was partially to blame for him still being on the board when the Nuggets plucked him with the 26th pick.

"[Barnes] called some teams and said that I probably wasn't coachable and things like that. But I feel like I can be coachable," Hamilton said. He added that he "got some feedback" when asked how he knew Barnes had been critical of him, though he wouldn't name those who shared that information with him.

It's impossible to know for sure whether Barnes indeed bad-mouthed Hamilton to NBA teams, but it seems unlikely for several reasons.

Once Hamilton declared for the draft and signed with an agent two months ago, Barnes had nothing to gain by seeing one of his former players' stock fall. Plus, all an NBA scout would need is game film to find evidence that Hamilton was sometimes difficult to coach.

It's certainly no secret that Hamilton has a reputation as a volume shooter sometimes prone to taking ill-advised shots rather than looking for his teammates. In fact, one reason those close to Arizona star Derrick Williams believe he went under-the-radar until college was because he played on Hamilton's AAU team in high school and rarely got the ball.

Later in the same interview with Tomasson, Hamilton was more complimentary of Barnes, referring to him as "a great coach" and insisting he still loved Texas. And in a draft night release issued by Texas, Barnes praised Hamilton for the maturity he showed staying in school after his freshman year.

"I will always respect Jordan for the way he honestly sat down and evaluated himself following his freshman season here," Barnes said. "He realized there was a lot that he needed to learn. Jordan worked so hard at the game but more importantly, he grew as a person. When we think about Jordan as a person from the time he arrived on campus as a freshman, he has really grown."

Natalie Zea Brody Dalle Taryn Manning Nikki Cox Carla Gugino

Former Mountaineer back in jail after second robbery arrest

Former West Virginia linebacker Branko Busick is back in jail -- again -- after a second arrest for armed robbery in a little under 96 hours.

Busick was arrested earlier this week for armed robbery, which ultimately led to his dismissal from the West Virginia football team. Apparently that arrest led to another victim coming forward and accusing Busick of a second crime stemming from a June 23 incident.

The victim in the second case told police he was hit in the face and knocked down as he walked home from work June 23. This week, he identified Busick as the man who stole his iPhone and a wallet containing about $70.

Gilmore said that victim was treated for his injuries at Ruby Memorial Hospital.

Busick was first arrested Monday after another victim told police a man had pointed a gun at him and two others, demanding money. When the victim said he had none, the man began hitting him with the weapon.

Busick's father, a former WWF wrestler named Big Bully Busick, posted the first $25,000 bond, but now Busick is being held on a $250,000 bond in Northern Central Regional Jail.

If Busick is convicted, he faces up to 10 years in jail for each count.

Joss Stone Majandra Delfino Maria Bello Jennifer Gareis Ashlee Simpson

Reebok: Building a CrossFit Community

Gallo says he is impressed with CrossFitters as multifaceted athletes.

“They do everything,” he says. “They’re just great athletes.”

And Reebok employees are becoming great athletes, just like other CrossFitters around the world.

“I’m a CrossFitter,” says Chris Froio, the VP/head of Reebok fitness and training. “It became very obvious to me very quickly that CrossFit was exactly what I needed.”

In just six months, Froio has seen benefits to his health and fitness and is back to his college weight.

According to Bill Holmes, the VP/head of Reebok human resources, CrossFit is changing Reebok’s culture.

23min 29sec

HD file size: 858 MB
SD wmv file size: 292 MB
SD mov file size: 246 MB

Additional reading: If the Shoe Fits … by Kevin Daigle, published Feb. 07, 2011.

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Mike Leach memoir: ?My biggest regret was not cutting Adam James?

Mike Leach, love him or hate him, has never been afraid to say what's on his mind.

That's why his new book, "Swing Your Sword: Leading the charge in football and life" is one of the most anticipated sports genre releases this year.

And Leach, the former coach of Texas Tech, doesn't disappoint.

He gave Sports Illustrated a taste of the book to whet the whistle of those who want to know what really went down with receiver Adam James, who was responsible for getting Leach fired from Tech and basically blacklisted from the college football head coaching ranks.

Leach talked about James' recruitment and how several assistant coaches disagreed with offering him a scholarship. He talked about how James, who is still at Tech, rode the coattails of his father's influence and thought that was enough to get him playing time.

"My biggest regret was not cutting Adam James," Leach wrote. "I kept hoping he'd develop a work ethic."

James didn't get along with two position coaches -- Dana Holgorsen and Lincoln Riley -- and often would lollygag through practice and laughed at punishments.

But it was James' final punishment that ended up costing Leach his job. In initial reports, James said Leach locked him in an electrical closet as punishment for coming to practice in street clothes. James complained of a concussion and wore sunglasses because he said he was sensitive to light. Leach told team trainer Steve Pincock to place him somewhere dark.

Three days later, on December 17, Adam James again displayed his contempt for team rules and the coaching staff. He arrived at practice twenty minutes late, in street clothes, wearing sunglasses. He said he had a concussion. The team physician acknowledged that James had a mild concussion and limited him from physical activity until he was symptom free. The team policy dictated that all players, including injured players, attend practice in practice attire and participate in the manner permissible given the nature of their injury.

According to Steve Pincock, the team trainer, James was "walking the field" in an indifferent way. James was wearing street clothes and had a baseball cap on backwards, which, injured or not, he knew was against team rules. I asked Pincock why Adam wasn't dressed appropriately for practice. Pincock said he didn't know. This was the first he'd seen him because Adam was late. I asked him why Adam was wearing sunglasses. Pincock said Adam's eyes were sensitive to light because he had a concussion. I told Pincock to remove James from the field since he wasn't dressed properly, was late, and had a bad attitude while the rest of the team was practicing hard. I told Pincock to put him somewhere dark and have him do something.

At no point did I say to lock him in a room. I never told Pincock what he should do with Adam beyond getting him off the field and putting him somewhere dark since his eyes were sensitive to light.

Months later, when Adam James was deposed under oath, he said he found the incident "funny" and that he did not believe that I should have been fired. In fact, he texted his father about the incident while in the equipment garage because he thought he would "like" it, since they both have the same sense of humor.

Leach goes on to explain that James' father, Craig James, an ESPN analyst, called multiple people on the Texas Tech food chain claiming that his son had been locked in the electrical closet for three hours. He demanded Leach be fired.

According to Pincock's statement, he specifically told James not to go into the electrical closet by the media room. James admitted under oath that he ignored Pincock's instructions. He admitted that he let himself into that closet and that he shot a video -- a video that would start a firestorm of allegations -- because he thought it was funny.

Leach said he refused to sign a letter admitting wrongdoing and was ultimately fired despite assurances that that would not be the case.

While the Adam James section is one of the more compelling parts of the book, it isn't the entire book. The story chronicles Leach's path to coaching through law school, his unorthodox coaching traits and a look at his Texas Tech career outside of the scandal that ended it.

Since the Adam James incident, Leach has had little luck securing another head coaching position. Maryland interviewed him, but former Connecticut coach Randy Edsall got the job. Leach is living in Key West waiting for that next head coaching position.

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Running Drills With Brian MacKenzie: Part 1

In this series on improving running performance, Brian MacKenzie and Doug Katona demonstrate drills utilizing the Pose Method of running.

MacKenzie says many problems he sees coming out of his CrossFit Endurance seminars are related to calves, feet and ankles. One of the issues is not allowing the heel to “kiss” the ground.

To utilize proper ankle flexion and muscle elasticity from your knee to your foot, MacKenzie’s drill is to jump rope in place while allowing the heel to kiss the ground. If you try to jump only on the balls of your feet, you will immediately notice that your calves seize up, MacKenzie says. The next progression is alternating feet while jumping rope.

To use the hamstrings and not the hip flexors, MacKenzie’s fix is having his athlete pull his leg up into the Pose position, then resist a downward pressure MacKenzie exerts on that foot. The retest is running place before returning to the jump rope and progressing to interval running.

10min 26sec

Video by Again Faster.

Additional reading: The Basics of Pose Running Techniques by Brian MacKenzie, published Dec. 1, 2007.

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Trick Or Tweet: Upton?s Bikini, Shaq?s Woofers

Big Lead Sports is keeping track of what athletes are saying on Twitter. Based on some of these, it's apparent that stars need to think before they tweet.

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Friday, July 15, 2011

fri, jan 28, 2011

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A List of 94 Twitter Things

Here's a list of Twitter guidelines and 50 of my favorite Twitterers.

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Bubba Starling is coming to Nebraska, but ?Huskers are still on hold

First, the good news for Nebraska fans: As promised, 2011 signee Bubba Starling is still on track to his much-anticipated arrival on campus this weekend, to join "voluntary" workouts with the football team. The bad news? With a contract offer and fat signing bonus from the hometown Kansas City Royals staring him the face, the K.C. Star reports Starling still isn't ready to enroll in classes yet, either, and never will if his newest suitor has anything to say about it:

Down one path is a dream of helping his hometown team win a World Series, but the other is equally tempting ? leading the storied Nebraska football program into the Big Ten era, chasing BCS titles and Rose Bowl berths.

"We've come a few steps closer to making a decision, but I haven't made a final choice yet," Starling said.

The Royals, of course, would prefer to sign Starling early, before the Aug. 15 deadline, and get his development under way.

Starling will not enroll in classes at Nebraska, but he will begin workouts at quarterback and practice drills with the offense.

"I don't think the Royals want to see me up there," Starling said.

If this was the "love triangle" episode of a bad sitcom, this would be the point in the point in the script where the shallow best friend reminds our protagonist to think about the money, man. As a high first-round draft pick with options, Starling could likely command a signing bonus from the club in the neighborhood of $7 million over several years, and will likely ask for even more. Beyond the money, the Royals also offer him a chance to play in his hometown, for his favorite team, with which he's forged a few compelling connections. If he doesn't sign by the Aug. 15 deadline, it will be three years until he's eligible to enter the draft again in 2014. The money, the location and the long-term forecasts for Starling's future all point to baseball.

In the same analogy (and only in this analogy), Nebraska is the Manic Pixie Dream Girl who reminds the hero to forget the money and follow his heart. Starling is also one of the most promising quarterbacks of the incoming 2011 recruiting class, and is certainly athletic enough to crack the Cornhuskers' depth chart�at another position this fall if he's not ready to push the incumbent, Taylor Martinez, who proved himself last year as a promising athlete in his own right as a redshirt freshman. Starling's father told the Lincoln Journal-Star in May that his son is "going to Nebraska to play football," and aside from the delayed enrollment ?�the second session of summer classes begins on Monday ?�he's remained on that path. If he does decide to turn down the money for at least another year on the gridiron, he wouldn't be the first.

Unlike a few of his dual-sport forebears ?�Jake Locker at Washington, for example ? there's no evidence that Starling's heart is primarily in Nebraska or football in general. If anything, considering he grew up a Royals fan and once called getting drafted by his favorite team his "dream scenario," it's probably the opposite. The 'Huskers still have a few weeks to change his mind, but if a three-to-five-year stint in Lincoln, Nebraska, beats out a few million for the chance to stay in Kansas City, it might go down as one of the biggest upsets in school history.

- - -
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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C-USA Forecast: Finally, SMU rides again

Twelve hyper-specific projections for Conference USA. Part of Mid-Major Week.

? Just three years removed from a 1-11 finish in its first season under June Jones, SMU will win the C-USA championship. The Mustangs have been in the hunt for the West Division title the past two seasons ? and won it last year ? and that should be the case again as the veteran defense has the ability to hold off the powerful offenses of division rivals Tulsa and Houston. The real challenge will be overcoming an unforgiving cross-division schedule: The Mustangs get East Division frontrunners UCF and Southern Miss in back-to-back weeks in October, which should give them a good gauge as to how far they need to come to get over the championship hump.

? Houston will become a more balanced team. Yeah, all-everything quarterback Case Keenum is back from injury and this is a pass-heavy offense. But the quarterback carousel last season put more emphasis on the running game, and now it might be the deepest position on the field: The Cougars' top two rushers, Bryce Beall and Michael Hayes, combined for nearly 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns. Keenum is not slouch with his legs, either.

? Marshall will lose at least five of its first six games against West Virginia, Southern Miss, Ohio U., Virginia Tech, Louisville and Central Florida, but will rebound to win four of the next five to pull within reach of .500 and a bowl game going into the season finale against East Carolina.

? Tulsa will lead the conference in total offense for the second year in a row but fail to match last year's 10-win mark thanks to a) A brutal non-conference schedule and b) A dramatic swing in turnover margin. The Golden Hurricane successfully covered up one of the most generous defenses anywhere in 2010 by also turning in one of stingiest turnover margins, finishing plus-2 or better in six of their ten wins. As that number regresses to the mean, so will the final record.

? Even with seven new starters, Central Florida will lead the league in total and scoring defense for the second year in a row despite allowing nearly a touchdown more per game than it gave up in 2010. The Knights yielded just over 17 points per game en route to the C-USA championship, eighth-best nationally and a full 8.5 points better than the second-best defense in the conference, SMU.

? Southern Miss will finally crack double-digit wins for the first time since 1988, when the Golden Eagles were quarterbacked by a guy named "Favre." USM has been the most consistent team in the country over the last decade-and-a-half, finishing with seven, eight or nine wins in 14 of the last 15 seasons since Conference USA's formation in 1996. (The only exception: A 6-5 finish in 2001.)

The Eagles were close in 2010, outgaining conference opponents by a league-high 94 yards per game and dropping three conference games by a combined eight points. This year, with an unusually forgiving non-conference slate ? the toughest test is an October trip to Navy ? a serious shot at the C-USA title game and even a little top-25 buzz, anything less than ten will be a sincere disappointment.

? Rice's defense might lead the league in arrests, but the Owls will continue to rank among C-USA's worst in total defense ? especially against the pass. Rice was one of two teams in the country last year to allow 300 yards per game through the air, and even with four returning starters in the secondary, there is no ready solution for the league's most anemic pass rush.

? East Carolina offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley will depart for another job at season's end after once again calling for more passes than any other play-caller in the country. Despite overtures to more "balance," ECU's rock-bottom defense will force quarterback Dominique Davis to put the ball in the air at least 50 times per game.

? UAB will fall short of a bowl game for the seventh year in a row, but will also pull a quiet midseason upset that eventually decides one of the division races. Championship hopefuls Central Florida, Houston and Southern Miss all visit Birmingham in a five-week span between Oct. 20 and Nov. 17.

? Tulane will fire head coach Bob Toledo after the season. It's been a long, hard road for Toledo, who has had to endure hurricanes, the H1N1 virus, the abrupt exit of his offensive coordinator for a high school job in the dead of the offseason and the persistent apathy of the program. But Tulane hasn't gotten any better during his four years ? he's 13-35 - and there's little hope things will change in Year Five. The Green Wave do have a couple dynamic weapons in quarterback Ryan Griffin and spectacularly named running back Orleans Darkwa, but the overall talent level is too far behind the curve to save Toledo from the chopping block.

? UTEP will go through three starting quarterbacks in its effort to replace four-year starter Trevor Vittatoe, without settling on a permanent replacement by season's end. The massively overhauled offensive line ? returnees up front have combined for seven career starts going into the season, fewest in the nation except for Arizona ?�will make Miner QBs the most vulnerable targets in the conference.

? Memphis will go winless in conference play for the second consecutive season, extending its C-USA skid to 21 games dating back to October 2009. On the bright side, the Tigers will crack 20 points at least twice in the process, after failing to hit that mark in any one of its nine-game losing streak to close 2010.

- - -
Some predictions contributed by Graham Watson.

Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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Northwestern star says his career?s ?a failure? without NCAA bid

For a guy who plays for a star-crossed program that famously has never made the NCAA tournament and until recently had seldom even come close, Northwestern star John Shurna isn't lacking for bravado.

Shurna told the Chicago Tribune his goals for his upcoming senior season recently, and to say the least he's not leaving himself or his teammates much wiggle room.

"It's tournament or bust," he said. "If we don't make it, I'll feel like my career here would be a failure."

Few Northwestern players have made proclamations in such strong words in the past, but Shurna has more reason to be confident than most. In addition to making the NIT in each of Shurna's first three seasons in Evanston, the Wildcats return four starters next season including Shurna, wing Drew Crawford and center Luka Mirkovic.

The biggest question facing Northwestern is how they will replace point guard Michael "Juice" Thompson, the Wildcats' second-leading scorer and the maestro of their Princeton offense. Veteran 3-point marksman Alex Marcotullio is the most likely choice, but promising sophomore JerShon Cobb could see some playing time at point guard, as could incoming freshmen David Sobolewski and Tre Demps.

Shurna bypassed the chance to be a second-round pick in last month's draft to return to Northwestern and take one final shot at being part of the team that ended the school's NCAA tournament drought.

The ankle injury that hampered him much of last season is gone. The Big Ten appears a bit weaker behind Ohio State than it did a year ago at this time. And Shurna is focused on becoming more aggressive than he's been his first three years.

Will that be enough? Early mock brackets have the Wildcats among the field of 68, but we'll have to wait until March to see if they can make that goal a reality.

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Iowa Shelled Out a School-Record $1.05 Million So it Could Beat Louisiana-Monroe This September

When you think of college football, the first thing you think of: money, money, money! TV deals, bowl games, and now, scheduling!

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Ex-Alabama, Auburn players will play flag football for tornado relief

An Auburn-Alabama tornado relief game was proposed back in May and somewhat pooh-poohed, but two months later both school's football alumni are taking up the cause.

Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com proposed an August scrimmage between Alabama and Auburn in an effort to raise funds for the damage cause by a major tornado that ravaged the state back in May. To do this, the school's had to get permission from the NCAA.

So to skirt all the red tape, former football players from both schools have agreed to play in a flag football game next month in Hoover, Ala. The HeartinDixie Alumni Day Flag Football Game will be Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. at Spain Park High School.

Among the past athletes and coaches attending the weekend's events will be Bo Jackson, Cornelius Bennett, Pat Dye, Ray Perkins, Al Del Greco, Bobby Humphrey, Stan White, Gene Stallings, Joe Cribbs and Lee Roy Jordan.

Names of participating players in the flag football game have not been announced. Players must be out of college or the NFL for at least two years. Sanderson said the idea came from "A" Club members as they helped clean up tornado damage in Holt.

"A bunch of us said we ought to play a football game against Auburn," Sanderson said. "(Former Alabama linebacker) Darryl Fuhrman wouldn't let it go. He put together a group of guys and it suddenly became, 'Who knows someone at Auburn?'"

The game was initially planned for this weekend, which would have allowed Alabama coach Nick Saban and Auburn coach Gene Chizik to possibly attend. Richardson said they won't be present in August because of practices.

Tickets are $20 (plus $5 for parking) and about 40 former players will be on hand to sign autographs. All of the proceeds will go toward the HeartinDixie Foundation, which helps victims of the tornadoes.

The flag football game actually kicks off a weekend of events, which also included a benefit golf tournament and a golf pro-am.

The group that put this fundraiser together is considering making it a yearly event depending on how well it goes next month.

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Ohio State AD admits asking for Tressel?s resignation

No one ever thought it was Jim Tressel's idea to leave the Ohio State program on May 31, despite the fact that during his farewell press conference he said it was for the "greater good of the university."

He reaffirmed that notion in his resignation letter to Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith.

Dear Gene:

After meeting with university officials, we agreed that it is in the best interest of Ohio State that I resign as head football coach.

The recent situation has been a distraction for our great university and I make this decision for the greater good of our school.

The appreciation that Ellen and I have for the Buckeye Nation is immeasurable. We have been blessed to work with the finest group of young men in America and we love them dearly. In addition, we cannot thank you enough. ... the high school coaches we have worked with over these many years.

We know that God has a plan for us and we will be fine. We will be Buckeyes forever.

Jim Tressel

Only now we're learning that Smith was the one who asked Tressel to resign in the first place.

In an article in the Columbus Dispatch on Friday, Smith admits he asked Tressel to resign a day before the official announcement was made. He also said his confidence in the head coach started wavering days before the resignation happened.

Smith would not answer questions directly related to the NCAA case, but he did acknowledge for the first time that, on May 29, he asked Jim Tressel to resign as football coach. Tressel stepped down the next day.

OSU officials publicly supported Tressel long after the revelation in March that he had failed to forward to anyone at the university emails warning him that players had sold memorabilia and received tattoo discounts - an NCAA violation. But Smith admitted that his support had wavered "long before" he asked for Tressel's resignation. Asked if that meant weeks or days, Smith replied: "Days."

The admission is interesting because at the Big Ten meetings in Chicago, just 13 days prior, Smith was adamant about his support for Tressel.

"Oh, definitely, no question," Smith said when asked if he was still supporting Tressel. "I haven't changed, I haven't changed."

Perhaps, it was the dreaded vote of confidence that actually did Tressel in.

Now it's Smith's turn to face the pressure of resigning. In the months since Tressel left, more and more information has surfaced about Ohio State's lack of institutional control and Smith and university president E. Gordon Gee have come under scrutiny. But Smith is steadfast that he will not be walking away from Ohio State any time soon.

"Oh, heck no," he said. "There's never been a point in my life in (this) business when I've considered resigning.

"When you know that what you do every day is right and you've done nothing wrong, you've got to stay the course and make sure we continue to get better and help our current student-athletes and coaches. So I've never thought about that at all."

Funny, Tressel took the same stance in March, stating that he had no intention of resigning either.

"That wouldn't be something that would jump in my mind unless there came that point in time where I said, 'You know what? The best thing to do for those kids [OSU players] is if I do.'"

We'll see if what goes around comes around.

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Planet Sport: Conspiracy theory tweets land NFL player in hot water

? Rashard Mendenhall questions what happened on 9/11
? And is subsequently dropped by sponsors, Champion

The death of Osama bin Laden has been greeted with almost universal joy by America's sporting establishment, so the thoughts of running back Rashard Mendenhall have stood out.

The Pittsburgh Steelers star began by tweeting "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side ..." A sentiment that may have been defensible, but when followed with conspiracy theory ramblings was always bound to land him in hot water. "We'll never know what really happened [on 9/11]. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style," read Mendenhall's subsequent missive to followers.

Amid a storm of public and media backlash the Steelers were quick to distance themselves from their player, issuing a statement that "the entire Steelers' organisation is very proud of the job our military personnel have done". But it's Mendenhall's bank balance that will be hit hardest, with USA Today reporting that sponsors Champion have dropped the star with immediate effect, as he can no longer "appropriately represent Champion".

New Zealand: Waihopai not over the moon at penalty decision

Sir Alex Ferguson may have got all in a lather last weekend over Chris Foy's failure to award a penalty to Manchester United, but he should count himself lucky he needn't rely on the officials of the Southland Premier league. The Southland Times has reported on a penalty howler from referee Phil Bulling's in a match between Queens Park and Waihopai.

Bulling awarded Queens Park a last minute spot-kick to level the game, changed his mind after protests from the Waihopai before blowing for full time and allowing the "victorious" Waihopai team to leave the pitch. Only then did he reverse his decision for a second time and allow Queens Park to score a penalty into an empty net.

Understandably, Waihopai are unhappy with events, having seen a 1-0 win transform into a 1-1 draw while they were in the changing room celebrating, and called Bulling's actions "one of the most bizarre refereeing decisions this side of the moon". Queens Park's manager, Scott Morton, was equally bemused. "It's probably the weirdest thing I've ever seen ... it was a schoolboy error," he said.

Waihopai have put in a complaint, but are declining to comment further, while Morton is understandably hoping the result will stand after the Southland Premier league completes its investigation to establish "the full truth of what happened". However, with Bulling also in charge of recruiting and developing new refs for the division more questionable decisions are to be expected.

Canada: No fun in NHL as killjoys ban handstands

The NHL has come under fire from Toronto's Globe and Mail for removing the 'fun' from ice hockey after banning the Vancouver Canucks's "Green Men" fans from their usual antics. The pair, known only as Force and Sully, dress-up in all-in-one green body suits and perform pranks by the visiting team's penalty box. Now the league has asked the duo to cut down on their act and "stop touching the glass and doing handstands". Whether the ban will be enforceable remains to be seen, with the pair enjoying huge support from both home and visiting fans.

Toby Moses

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