Larry Brown Sports

If Michael Phelps wanted to, he could return to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio and pad his own records. The 18-time gold medal winner could probably snag a few more if he took the time to train properly, but at this point he has not given us any reason to believe that is going to happen.

During a trip to Brazil to receive the Exceptional Achievement Award at the Laureus World Sports Awards last week, Phelps reiterated that his competitive swimming career is over.

“It has been an amazing career and it is crazy to think that it is over,” Phelps said according to United Press International. “But I’ve done everything that I wanted to do in sport. I wanted to change swimming and take it to a level, and I have. But I will continue to be a part of sport and help grow sports. That is a goal and a passion of mine”

Phelps said he is planning to attend the 2016 Olympics as a spectator, but at this point it appears Ryan Lochte’s prediction about Phelps’ future is unlikely to fruition.

“I am having fun,” Phelps said of enjoying his time off. “I love being retired, I can’t stress it enough. I am happy, smiling, and more relaxed. It’s something that I have wanted for a long time and now I’m happy that I can make the most of it.”

Is it completely out of the question? Phelps is only 27 years old, so it’s not like he would be unable to handle the physical demands of training for another Olympic Games. That being said, he needed an NFL superstar to convince him to compete in London last summer. That probably says all we need to know.

Photo credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

The evidence seems to be piling up against South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius. Over the weekend, a report surfaced that indicates a bloodied cricket bat has been found in “Blade Runner’s” home and has become a central piece of evidence in the murder investigation. The City Press reports that police are investigating a number of possible scenarios involving the bat, one of which is that Pistorius used it to brutally beat 30-year-old Reeva Steenkamp.

The police are also looking into the possibility that Steenkamp used the bat in self defense or that Pistorius used it to break down the bathroom door that she was reportedly hiding behind. A source told the City Press that there was “lots of blood” on the bat and that forensic tests will reveal who it belongs to. Steenkamp’s skull was reportedly “crushed” when police arrived on the scene at Pistorius’ home.

As we know, South African prosecutors are accusing Pistorius of the premeditated murder of Steenkamp. The City Press reportedly interviewed three sources close to the investigation, all of who have ruled out the possibility that Pistorius could have mistaken Steenkamp for a intruder. Police found no evidence of forced entry into the home.

In addition, police say Steenkamp was wearing a nightgown at the time she was murdered. They also found an overnight bag that belonged to her on the floor in Pistorius’ bedroom. The sheets and blankets on the bed were reportedly ruffled, with a police source saying that it was “clear” both Steenkamp and Pistorius had slept in the bed.

“The suspicion is that the first shot, in the bedroom, hit her in the hip,” a source said of the theory surrounding the case. “She then ran and locked herself in the toilet. She was doubled over because of the pain. He fired three more shots. She probably covered her head, which is why the bullet also went through her hand.”

Last week, neighbors revealed that Pistorius had had previous “domestic incidents” at his home. Oscar’s team of lawyers are working to prove that the shooting was an accident, but the evidence for the contrary is piling up rapidly.

Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius appeared in South African court on Friday, where he is being accused of the “premeditated” murder of his girlfriend. Early Thursday morning, Pistorius shot and killed 30-year-old model Reeva Steenkamp during what he claims was a tragic accident. Pistorius said he mistakenly thought Steenkamp was an intruder in his home.

Prosecutors are trying to prove that the shooting was no accident, while Pistorius’ agent says that the murder is being disputed in “the strongest terms.”

According to NBCNews.com, police say neighbors heard noises before the shots were fired. The fact that Pistorius reportedly fired the shots through a bathroom door seems to support the claim that he believed Steenkamp was an intruder. For what it’s worth, police also said neighbors claim there had been previous “domestic” incidents at the house.

On Thursday, Steenkamp’s publicist told TODAY that there was no sign of discord between Oscar and Reeva and described Pistorius as a “charming, great guy.”

It’s clearly far too early to know what happened, but as expected there is no shortage of theories. Most people seem to want to believe that Pistorius would never intentionally murder his girlfriend. I’m one of those people, but I’m not going to form an opinion until more details emerge.

Oscar Pistorius is a hero in South Africa. The man they call “Blade Runner” is an Olympic legend and has served as an inspiration for thousands of people in his home country and around the world. As you can imagine, Pistorius’ arrest and murder charge has led to sadness and confusion for many South Africans. The country’s major newspaper publications have been dealing with the task of trying to put the incident into words.

Below you will see the way a third South African paper, The Witness, summed up the incident, in addition to the hard-hitting cover that The Sun decided to run in Great Britain.

Read The Rest of the Story…

Talk about an unfortunate coincidence.

Early Thursday morning, South Afrian sprinter Oscar Pistorius, who is known in the sports world as “Blade Runner” because of his prosthetic legs, allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend after mistaking her for an intruder in his home. Pistorius has been arrested in connection with the case. Multiple sources reported that Pistorius’ girlfriend, 30-year-old model Reeva Steenkamp, is believed to have been delivering a Valentine’s Day surprise for Oscar.

The advertisement you see above appeared on Pistorius’ website before the incident occurred and has since been pulled. As you can see, it said “I am the bullet in the chamber” alongside a picture of the world famous sprinter. Of all the analogies that can be made to describe Pistorius’ remarkable story, this has to be one of the worst that Nike could have come up with. Of course, they had no way of knowing what would occur. That doesn’t make the banner any less eery.

H/T Deadspin

Oscar Pistorius appears to have been at the center of a tragedy Thursday.

Multiple reports indicate that Pistorius, who is known in the sports world as “Blade Runner,” shot and killed his girlfriend inside his South Africa home after mistaking her for an intruder early Thursday morning.

South African news outlet Beeld first reported the news. A police captain reportedly told Beeld that Pistorius shot his girlfriend in the hand and head, and that she died at the scene. News 24 in South Africa says the woman was shot four times.

One reporter says Pistorius’ girlfriend was trying to deliver a Valentine’s Day present when Pistorius mistook her for a burglar.

Pistorius was arrested in connection with the case and reportedly is expected to appear in Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.

Pistorius is affectionately called “the fastest man on no legs.” The South African sprinter had his legs amputated between the knees and ankles when he was 11 months old because of a condition called fibular hemimelia. Pistorius has competed in three Paralympic Games where he has won six gold medals. The 26-year-old became the first double-leg amputee to participate in the Olympics, competing in the men’s 400-meter and 4 x 400 meter relay at the 2012 London Games.

On Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee made the decision to drop the sport of wrestling from the Olympics, effective in 2020. As you might expect, current and past Olympic medalists in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling are infuriated by the news. So is Chael Sonnen.

Sonnen, as you likely know, is currently a UFC star who holds a 27-12 record in his mixed martial arts career. What you may not know is that Sonnen was an All-American wrestler in college at Oregon. He was also an alternate on the US Olympic team in Greco-Roman wrestling. On Fuel TV’s “UFC Tonight” earlier this week, Sonnen blasted the IOC for its decision to drop wrestling from the Olympics.

“How do you get rid of wrestling?” Sonnen asked to begin his rant. “It is the oldest sport in existence. In no walk of society can you tell me seniority does not matter. Nothing can date itself back as far as wrestling. They didn’t have bikes, they didn’t have balls and they didn’t have bats — they were pushing and pulling on one another.

“We have an idiocracy known as FILA that has ruined the sport. We have two knuckleheads that you couldn’t trust to run your local donut shop regulating our sport of wrestling. Wrestling has cannibalized itself from 10 spots on the world and Olympic team to nine, to eight, to seven. This is where they’re at it. It’s basic science, the number one rule in biology, you either evolve or you become extinct.”

Sonnen has shown that he is certifiably insane with interviews like this in the past, but it’s tough to disagree with him here. Wrestling dates back to the ancient Olympic Games in 708 BC and was the focus of the Olympics when the modern era began in Athens in 1896. The fact that sports like badminton and table tennis will survive and wrestling has been axed has to drive wrestling enthusiasts up a wall.