Fish Tank on the Field

The Florida Marlins will open up a new ballpark in 2012 with several very unique features. The most fascinating feature is the fish tanks they will have (picture above) behind home plate.

"The twin custom-made saltwater aquariums will flank both sides of home plate while encompassing fish and coral-reef ecosystems at the new ballpark, which will open at the start of the 2012 season.

The aquarium on the right side of home plate -- when looking from the pitcher's mound -- will measure 34 feet in length and 36 inches high while holding 600 gallons of seawater. The one on the left will be 24 feet long and hold 450 gallons.

Each aquarium will be constructed using a durable fiberglass structure, and white crystal-clear acrylic panels 1.5 inches thick will be used for the viewing windows. To safeguard it from impact, Lexan -- the material used for bulletproof windows -- will be installed in front and in back of the acrylic panels."

Big TFC Signings

You don't have to be a fan of Toronto F.C. to get excited about Toronto's two newest signings.

German international midfielder Torsten Frings.



Dutch international forward Danny Koevermans.

Jurco Has Some Skills

Above is a video of Tomas Jurco showing off his ridiculous hands.

Detroit drafted Jurco with the 35th overall selection in Saturday’s second round of the NHL draft.

The Real Shaquille

There is nothing I like more than watching a high school mixtape video of highly touted basketball player. These are some of the best dunks I have ever seen a high school player pull off.

Shaquille Johnson is a highschool Junior who is verbally commited to Auburn for 2012.

Lightning Strikes

The North Korean women's World Cup soccer team lost to the USA 2-0 a few days ago. After the game the North Korean coach had a very strange excuse for losing.

"When we stayed in Pyongyang during training our players were hit by lightning, and more than five of them were hospitalised," said coach Kim.

"Some stayed in hospital and then came to Germany later than the rest of us. The goalkeeper and the four defenders were most affected, and some midfielders as well. The physicians said the players were not capable of participating in the tournament.

"But World Cup football is the most important and significant event for a footballer, so they don't want to think about anything but football.

"The fact that they played could be called abnormal, the result of very strong will."

That is How You Throw A First Pitch

A few weeks ago we saw John Wall with a pathetic ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals game. A performer with the Cirque du Soleil shows John how it is done.

NBA Draft

Video of the Raptors first pick (fifth overall) in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Colangelo took a lot of heat for drafting Valanciunas over impressive prospects like Kemba Walker, Brandon Knight and Bismack Biyombo. Valanciunas has a buyout issue with his current contract in Europe so it is likely he will not come over to the NBA for at least one full year. Raptors fans are impatient, but with a lock out looming perhaps it is best we let Valanciunas stay in Europe and continue to develop his game.

Valanciunas addresses our most pressing needs for a big body who is not afraid to rebound and block shots. A few days ago Valanciunas put up 23 points and 11 rebounds playing for the U19 Lithuanian team against the USA U19 team. Very impressive numbers for the Raptors draft choice.

Tyler Biggs

Videos of the Toronto Maple Leafs first pick in the 2011 NHL entry draft.

Goalie Goal

The Canadian U-17 national team tied England last night in a U17 world cup group match. TFC academy goalkeeper Quillan Roberts scored a strange goal in the 87th minute to tie the game.

The full match highlights.

Mavs and Bruins Still Celebrating

Video of the Mavericks on the airplane home from winning the championship.



Pictures of Seguin and Marchand celebrating the Stanley Cup.

Broken Trophy

Daniel Sedin won the Ted Lindsay award last night for most outstanding player as voted on by the players in the NHL. The trophy looked a little different than it usually does.

Notice the hockey stick is taped up and not straight.

Here is Ovechkin last year with the trophy in one piece.

Basketball on Water

The ship that carried Osama Bin Laden's dead body to sea is going to be used for a major sporting event.

"Officials from the Navy, the NCAA and Morale Entertainment met on Tuesday to discuss plans on making a major college basketball game on aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

The Carl Vinson played a key role ever since the September 11th attack targeting al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. It was also the ship that was on site when Osama bin Laden was buried at sea.

If the “Carrier Classic” is approved the Carl Vinson will be first carrier to host a NCAA basketball game. It will also be the first televised basketball game of the season for ESPN, who agreed to air the game if negotiations are finalized.

The game would potentially host Michigan State and University of North Carolina on Veterans Day, November 11. The game would be held on the top deck of the Carl Vinson at the U.S. Naval Base in San Diego at about 4 p.m. PT."

Jagr to Return

Jagr wants to bring that mullet back to North America.

Jaromir Jagr wants to return to the NHL at age 39. Rumours are that it is a three team race to sign him. Pittsburgh, Montreal and Detroit are the favorites to sign him.

Jagr's Top 10.

Franchise Rankings

ESPN recently ranked every North American Sports Franchise in the MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL (122 teams total) and it is official, Toronto has the worst professional sports teams in North America!

The Blue Jays ranked # 63
The Raptors ranked # 116
The Maple Leafs ranked #120

Neymar the Rapper

Brazilian soccer star Neymar celebrated his goal by putting on a hat and pretending to rap.

Little Rory

Rory McIlroy celebrating his US Open Victory.

Rory McIlroy just destroyed the US Open field and won by 8 strokes. Many are hoping he will be the next big superstar in golf.

Both Tiger and Rory appeared on television shows when they were much younger.

Rory


Tiger

Weird Free Kick

It is not the greatest quality video but I had to post this free kick. When the player on the red team approaches the ball he drops down on his stomach and heads the ball forward for his teammate to strike. The defense reacts slowly and the free kick works perfectly.

John Wall Should Stick to Basketball

John Wall tossed the ceremonial first pitch at a Washington Nationals game the other night. Amazing how someone who can be so athletic and very good with his hands, can throw a baseball like that.

Bruins Time to Party

Here are some pictures from the Bruins celebration on Saturday night. The team managed to spend over $ 150 000. The biggest purchase from the bill was an $ 100 000 dollar of champagne. I didn't know it was possible to spend that much money on a bottle of champagne but apparently it is possible. The bottle was a 30 liter bottle of Ace of Spades “Midas” champagne that was double the size of the bottle Cuban purchased for the Mavericks.

Oops...Marcelo Makes Big Mistake

Many people wondered why Brazil and Real Madrid left-back Marcelo was left off of Brazil's roster for the upcoming Copa America. Well now Marcelo's absence seems much more reasonable. Marcelo accidentally sent out an email to the Brazilian national team head coach Mano Menezes explaining why he did not play in a friendly against Scotland in March. The email was intended to be sent to a friend because Marcelo reveals in the email that he lied about a fake injury to get out of Brazil’s friendly against Scotland back in late March.

Mano Menezes exaplins,

"I have my defects, but I'm not unfair or stupid,” Menezes said. “It would be irresponsible from me not to call up a player ever again because, accidentally, he committed a red-card offense.”

Let's hope Marcelo is a little more careful next time.

Sam Stout Knockout

London, Ontario's Sam Stout won knockout of the night at UFC 131 over the weekend.

NBA Finals

Here are a few of my favourite pictures and stories from the NBA Finals.

Owner of the Mavericks Mark Cuban is in love..

"this will sound weird. Im laying in bed. with the trophy next me.#dreamcometrue"

DeShawn Stevenson's creative t-shirt.

Macy's put out an advertisement in a Florida newspaper that they probably regret.

Ohio Governor John Kasish named the Dallas Mavericks organization, friends, family and fans as honorary Ohioans.

The Mavericks party in Miami at club Liv after winning the championship. Mark Cuban spent $ 110 000 that night in the club.

Dirk sipping on an $ 80 000 bottle of champagne.

Big surprise here, but Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is one happy man.

"Congrats to Mark C.&entire Mavs org. Mavs NEVER stopped & now entire franchise gets rings. Old Lesson for all:There are NO SHORTCUTS. NONE."

Owner Mark Cuban says he will pay for the championship celebration in Dallas and he doesn't want to give his players championship rings, but something much bigger.

It's Not Clean it's Messi

Lionel Messi and Barcelona proved to the rest of Europe this year that they are unstoppable. Messi can not be contained. He is quick, creative, intelligent, skillful and one of, if not the best finisher in the world.

Below is a video of all 53 goals Messi scored in competition this year.

Durantula

Kevin Durant just loves basketball. Every time he steps on to the court you can see his passion and you get the impression that he would play for free, which is exactly what he is doing this summer. Durant was born and raised in Washington DC and in the summer he comes home and plays in a competitive summer outdoor basketball league. Watch the highlights from his first game this summer. Durant finished the game with 41 points.

Artest and Kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel is back with another brilliant video. This time Kimmel punks the always entertaining Ron Artest.

Kimmel convinces Ron Ron to shoot a video "promoting animal adoption".

Goal of The European Season

The Guardian in England, ran a poll to see what fans thought was the European goal of the year. The winner was scored by Fredy Guarin of F.C. Porto.

Give Lebron a Break

After last night's game five Mavericks win, Lebron James and the Heat are one loss away from ending their season in disappointment. Lebron continues to be criticized for his lack of scoring, especially in crunch time. In the NBA Finals, Lebron is averaging just over 17 points a game, which is significantly down from the 27 points a game he averaged in the regular season. Lebron has scored just 11 points combined in the fourth quarter, during the first five games of the series.

Despite losing 112-103 last night, Lebron put up a triple double, finishing with 17 points 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Am I missing something here? Lebron finishes the game with a triple double and still he gets criticized? Would analysts be more satisfied if he scored 35 points a game and finished with far fewer assists? Lebron's unselfishness is also very evident in his commitment to defense. I would argue that Lebron is the best one on one defender in the entire NBA.

This series is far from over. Game 6 and 7 (if needed) will be played in Miami. We all need to let the series finish before we unfairly judge Lebron. I have a feeling Lebron will show everyone just how 'clutch' he is and have big performances in games 6 and 7.

Clearly the referees feel the excitement in this series too. Check out the video of the referee making a blocking call last night.

Ochocinco

NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco formerly known as Chad Johnson, has made the most out of the NFL lockout. He tried out for Sporting KC in the MLS, rode a bull and now is planning to have a rap battle with one of the most successful rappers ever.

"My rap career is official now,battling Lil Wayne on ustream in a few days.I won't lose!!!"

You have to love that Ochocinco is always entertaining.

'Bolt'ing to Manchester

Usain Bolt (the fastest man in the world) has decided that after he retires from track and field he will play in the EPL with Manchester United. Bolt was quoted as saying,

"I really think I want to try soccer after I retire because I've watched football over the years and I think I could be a good contender and I'm looking forward to it...Yes I definitely think I'm good enough to play for Manchester United because I'm quick, and I have a little skills, I have to refine it a little bit but I should be good enough."

So there you have it folks, Bolt has decided that he will take his "little skills" to Old Trafford and play soccer with one of the best teams in the world.

Good luck to you Mr. Bolt!

Crain Takes it off the Chest

Above is an image of pitcher Jesse Crain showing off a line drive he took to the midsection earlier in the week off the bat of Adrian Gonzalez.

Ouch.

Lebron's Kryptonite

What are Delonte West and Rashard Lewis rumoured to have in common? They are both the punchlines of jokes that Lebron James doesn't want to hear.

The biggest rumour floating around the internet today is that Lebron's long time girlfriend Savannah Brinson recently slept with Washington Wizards forward Rashard Lewis. This comes after Lebron's uninspired Game 4 performance, which drew him criticism for passing up opportunities and disappearing in crunch time. There are obvious parallels to be made between Lebron's performance on Tuesday and his meltdown against the Celtics in last year's playoffs (when rumours arose that Lebron's mother, Gloria James, had slept with then teammate Delonte West).

Is this the only way to stop Lebron? It certainly seems to be working.

Too Naked to be a Mascot?

A soccer team in England have fired their mascot because she posed for pictures in her underwear while holding the mascot's head. The Doncaster Rovers fired the woman despite the team participating in a naked calendar shoot just weeks before. The woman planned to donate the money she made from the lingerie shoot to charity. Her dismissal doesn't seem fair at all, especially considering many of the top soccer players in the world constantly appear in underwear advertisements.

“I have been to hospitals, schools, and visited disabled children as Donny Dog, representing the club. I’ve cut down on my hairdressing work to fit appointments in as Donny Dog...I can’t believe that after all the work I have put in for them as Donny Dog they are treating me like this.”

That's some serious passion right there. Let's hope she gets her job back.

Here are a few of the pictures from the shoot.

High-five for the NBA Finals

North American sports fans are always trying to put a statistic on something. We are obsessed with numbers and we are always craving new statistical information so that we can more “accurately” judge our favorite team or players performance.

Well, The Wall Street Journal is apparently keenly aware of this fact. They recently recorded every high-five in the first three games of the NBA Finals. Although the statistic is ridiculous, the disparity between the two teams totals is telling.

The Mavs play much more team-oriented basketball while the Heat win with individual performances. I am in no way saying that the amount of high-fives is a determinant of who will win the series, but it is very interesting to see the results so far. Unfortunately for the Mavs, I have always believed that the NBA is the only league where two or three superstars can carry a whole team to a championship. This same strategy does not work in baseball, hockey, football or soccer.

Although the Mavs lost two of the first three games in the series, they recorded many more high-fives and appear to have the momentum after a crucial game 4 victory. It will be interesting to see if the high-fiving friendly Mavs can keep winning by playing team basketball.

GOOOOAAAAAAL

I have no idea how an 11 year old even thinks about scoring like this.

"According to his DT reading coach, Kieran has been trying to pull this off in practice for a while and finally just did it in a match."

I love how the coach tries to take some responsibility for Kieran's goal.

We Won the Game?

Nyjer Morgan drove in the winning run yesterday in the bottom of the 9th inning and was very surprised to see his Milwaukee Brewers teammates running out from the dugout to celebrate with him.

"I thought it was the bottom of the eighth...It's probably a good thing that I thought it was the bottom of the eighth because I didn't feel as much pressure...I guess it worked out as a good thing for us."

I am actually not that surprised by Morgans lack of attentiveness. In an 162 game season, players are bound to lose concentration often. Seasons are too long. In an 162 games season, players are injured too often and games are too meaningless. My suggestion (which is slightly biased because the Jays play in the loaded AL East with the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays), would be to shorten the seasons and include more teams in the playoffs. Currently only 8 out of the 30 teams in baseball make the playoffs. If there were more teams in the playoffs, there would be greater fan interest, especially in some of the smaller markets.

Here is Morgan's post game interview.

Rugby Knockout

Hockey is not the only sport fighting to protect it's players from head shots. Rugby players take the field helmet-less and are extremely vulnerable. Earlier this week rugby player Digby Ioane was felled by a serious blow to his head. The player responsible for the hit was suspended for one week.


The hit occurs right at the beginning of the video.

In It to Win It

I have to admit that I don't usually watch Jimmy Kimmel. After finding this clip of Guillermo, Jimmy Kimmel's sidekick and NBA reporter, I might have to tune in a little more often.

Check out Guillermo asking ridiculous questions to players on the Heat and Mavs.

USA - CANADA Soccer

Last night the USA soccer team effortlessly beat Canada 2-0 in the opening game of Group C in the Gold Cup. Canada played much better in the second half and actually had a few good scoring chances. Ultimately, Canada conceded a very soft goal in the 15th minute and it was just too much to overcome.

Here are the highlights of the game, including Lars Hirschfeld's big mistake on the first American goal.



A big mistake indeed, but not one of the worst ever. Here is a video of some of the worst goalkeeping mistakes ever made.

Taking a Shot at Plaxico Burress

Former super bowl champion Plaxico Burress, just recently got released from prison after one and a half years behind bars. Plax spent time in jail, after pleading guilty to two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and a single count of reckless endangerment in the second degree. Plaxico served his time for accidentally shooting HIMSELF in a New York City nightclub.

The New York Post warmly welcomed Plaxico back like only the New York City media could...

Soccer Robot

At the RoboCup Japan Open 2011 in Osaka, engineers created one of the first robotic playing soccer players. They dressed it up like a cat, (don't ask me why) and revealed to the world it's powerful strike on goal (sort of).

Skip to about 35 second in to watch the pussy strike.

Brashear Enjoying Retirement

Recently retired NHL tough-man Donald Brashear decided to give his body a much needed break after a long 19 year career, by getting in the ring. This past weekend Brashear, who has the 15th most penalty minutes in NHL history, took part in his first professional MMA fight.

The fight lasted 21 seconds. Brashear is in the white shorts. Take a look to see how he did.

Bryce Harper is Not Not Cocky

It is impossible not to be impressed with the talent of Bryce Harper. The number one overall draft pick in the 2010 MLB draft signed a 10 million dollar contract last year before he even turned 18. The kid has talent. In 56 minor league games this year, Harper is batting, .342 / 15 / 42.

But it is hard to miss his giant ego. Check out Harper blowing the pitcher a kiss after hitting a homer last night. A part of me likes his competitiveness, but a big part of me thinks he is just a little bit too cocky for someone who hasn't even played one game in the big leagues yet.

Henrik Sedin Shows Just How Tough He Is

Not only did the 'Nucks get completely embarrassed on the score sheet last night 8-1, but Henrik Sedin showed just how tough he is by getting nailed by Tim Thomas. In honour of Tim Thomas laying out Henrik Sedin last night, below is a video of the top 10 NHL goalie fights of all time.

Here is the hit from last night.




Below is the video of the top 10 NHL fights of all time.

Longest Basketball Shot ever Made

The Raptors are in serious need of a legit scorer. We got to sign this Aussie up. The guy in this video hits a shot from 219 feet away. That's some serious range. Wow.

"World Record for the Highest Basketball Shot! How Ridiculous sinks a huge basket from the top of a light tower at the Western Australian Cricket Ground. Official measurements say 66.89m up and an official application to the Guinness World Records is being processed."

Catch of the Year

Another loss for the Jays and another brutal pitching performance form Frank Francisco. I liked him much better when he was injured and on the Disabled List to start the year. He was certainly much more of an effective pitcher.

Perhaps the most impressive play from last night occurred in the stands. A man caught a fly ball using his popcorn box. Catch of the year?

Click on the link to view the play.


http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=15609007

Blue Jays Draft Report

Earlier this afternoon the Toronto Blue Jays used their first draft selection (21st overall) on right-handed pitcher Tyler Beede. The 6'4, 200 pound 18 year old, not only throws his fastball in the mid 90's but has recently added a curveball to his repertoire.

Andrew Tannish, Toronto's amateur scouting director is very high on Beede.

"It's a really advanced delivery...He's a full wind-up guy, he's got great tempo, it's a high leg kick, it's a great stride, long stride down the mound with a real quality follow through."

One MAJOR problem is that Beede has already committed to play baseball next year at Vanderbilt. There are reports that he has no intention of signing a professional contract. If he attends Vanderbilt, the Jays will lose their rights to sign him in the future. If the Jays fail to sign him, they will receive the same draft pick in next year's draft.

It was an interesting risk the Jays GM Anthopoulos took this year. Either he was not satisfied with the talent left at 21 and decided to essentially forfeit the draft pick, in hope of a better draft crop next year. Or, Anthopoulos could be banking on Beede to give in and sign for big money. It is hard for many 18 year olds to turn down over a million dollar bonus to have a chance to play professional baseball. Last year the Minnesota Twins had the 21st pick in the MLB Draft and selected Alex Wimmers. Wimmers accepted a $1.33 million dollar bonus.

Here is a quick video of Beede in action. Skip to about 2 minutes in for game action.

Dirtiest Hit Ever in the Stanley Cup?

Aaron Rome completely blindsided Nathan Horton tonight during game three of the Stanley Cup Finals. I can't imagine he will not be suspended for at least the rest of the series. It will be interesting to see if this fires up the Bruins.

The hit occurs 12 seconds into the clip.

ROOOONEY

After helping Manchester United win the English Premier League, Rooney decided to celebrate by undergoing a hair transplant.

Rooney broke the news on his twitter.

"Hi all there's my head. It will take a few months to grow. Still a bit bloody to. But that's all normal. #hairwego"