Larry Brown Sports

Aside from writing books calling out steroids users from MLB, Jose Canseco has spent his retirement trying to earn money through celebrity fights. Canseco tried to set up a fight with Curt Schilling but it never happened. Instead, Canseco ended up with bouts against three other people, going 0-2-1. Canseco got knocked out by Vai Sikahema, lost to Hong Man Choi, and was able to score a draw with Danny Bonaduce.

Canseco’s latest act of shameless idiocy for money is a fight with former University of Arkansas Little Rock head baseball coach, Gary Hogan. Hogan is in good shape and says he’ll be well conditioned for the fight. Oh yeah, he’s also 60 years old. Good to see Canseco’s picking on someone who’s an equal match.

The bout is set to go down before the Arkansas Travelers minor league game on July 9th. It was actually the Travelers’ GM who came up with the idea for the promotion, citing Hogan’s “high-energy manic personality.” They’re scheduled to go four two-minute rounds. Let’s just hope nobody hurts himself.

Sources:
Ex-college coach to fight Canseco [MiLB.com]

If you haven’t heard of Washington Nationals pitching phenomenon Stephen Strasburg by now, you must be living under a rock. The 21-year-old right hander has been amazing in his first five games, posting a 2.27 ERA with 48 strikeouts. Regardless, I don’t think he should be placed on the All-Star team just yet.

Strasburg no doubt has All-Star quality stuff, but by the break he will only have pitched around seven games. Is it really fair to send someone to the All-Star Game who wasn’t even a major leaguer the first two months of the season? I don’t think it is. Granted it wasn’t up to Strasburg that he started out in the minors, but he will only have been in the majors for just over a month when the break comes and it doesn’t sit right with me to send him to Anaheim.

Like I said, Strasburg is only 21; it’s not like this will be his one and only shot at reaching the game if he doesn’t go this year. He’s got youth and talent on his side and I just know that he will be sporting an All-Star jersey for years to come, but it just shouldn’t be this year. I’m not saying he doesn’t have the talent to be there — because he does — I just feel like he should have a few more games on his resume before he joins the ranks of the other All-Star players.

As long as he stays healthy and doesn’t go into a sophomore slump next year, I can see Strasburg starting the 2011 All-Star Game. But for this year, let’s leave it to the guys who have been around the bases a little longer.

Jonathan Toews has been getting around lately. He made an appearance on the Jay Leno Show, had an extremely awkward interview with Miley Cyrus, and now he had the, erm … honor of meeting Jersey Shore’sSnooki.

Toews did an after party interview for the MuchMusic Awards even after the Miley mishap, and it was actually going quite well. Captain Serious was joking around and seemed a little less tense than usual … then Snooki was brought onto the set. Check out this video of Jonathan Toews and Snooki that a friend just passed along to me:

First off, Toews, I really hope you burned that suit when you got home. I also hope you took multiple showers.  I would never let Snooki sit next to me let alone touch me. Was anyone else disgusted by her horrible attempt to hit on the captain? Yeah, me too.

And Snooki … the Mets are baseball. She just made a fool out of herself as usual. I mean you’re from Jersey and you don’t know who the New Jersey Devils are? And as for Toews, I really hope you aren’t subjected to anymore interviews with ditsy girls anymore. But if you want to give the females of the world one more shot, I’d be happy to interview you.

Video Credit: YouTube user stephen8904

These pictures of Kenyon Martin’s lips tattoo being covered up, courtesy of Sports by Brooks, seem to indicate he has suffered a serious break-up with his former girlfriend — a rapper named Trina.  Brooks’ source sent him the photos that he had taken in a Miami night club called Lux Nightclub and said K-Mart was with a woman that night that was not Trina.  Here’s what Martin had to say about the tattoo when he got it back in 2008:

It’s just something that I wanted to get a while ago, but I’m not just gonna get it for anyone .. (someone) who is special to me, who means something to me.“

If breaking up with this woman means getting rid of arguably the most ridiculous tattoo a professional athlete has ever gotten, then I’d say it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to K-Mart.  That thing was tough to even look at.  Who wants to see a grown man playing basketball on national television with a red pair of lips tattooed on his neck?  Certainly not me.  Maybe I’ll be able to watch a few more Nuggets games now.  Probably not.

Source:
Photo: Kenyon Martin Covers Lips Tattoo On Neck [SPORTS by BROOKS]

Less than 24 hours after Paul Pierce‘s agent announced he would opt out of the final year of his contract with the Boston Celtics, word is surfacing that head coach Doc Rivers will return to the team and, at the very least, finish out his current contract.  For those of you who are interested in the Celtics and wondering what this means for their off-season plans, the answer is a lot.

The fact that Doc has chosen to return probably answers most of the questions that Boston had after the playoffs ended and is an indication that they plan on keeping their core in tact for at least another year.  Rivers has at times been given a bit too much credit as a coach when you consider the roster he was handed a few years ago, but there’s something to be said for being a players’ coach that a team responds to.  Let’s go over a few implications that the return of Rivers has for the reigning Eastern Conference champs.

1. Paul Pierce’s opt out doesn’t mean he’s leaving Boston.

The reason players have been opting out of the final years of their deals, regardless of where they want to play, has to do with the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.  The current CBA will expire after next season and it’s pretty much a certainty at this point that it will result in the league’s top players making less money.  The ceiling for a maximum contract players can sign is going to be lowered, therefore players are opting out (when able to) and seeking a long-term deal under the current CBA rather than waiting until next off-season.

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After Portugal was eliminated from the World Cup on Tuesday at the hands of a 1-0 defeat from Spain, their captain was understandably upset.  Cristiano Ronaldo — the highest-paid player in soccer who may or may not have dated a coke-dealing hooker at one point in his life — did not play exceptionally well throughout the tournament, scoring only one goal which was more or less a garbage goal to run up the score against North Korea.

A short video clip shows him spitting in the direction of a cameraman after the loss.  You can be the judge as to whether he was spitting on the person holding the camera or just looking directly into the lens at the time he chose to hock a loogie, but he makes it look pretty intentional.  Check out the video of Cristiano Ronaldo spitting toward or at a cameraman after Portugal lost to Spain:

Perhaps he was expressing his displeasure with the officiating throughout the World cup.  Maybe he was just clearing his throat.

Video Credit: YouTube user Ziesko69

As we all know, Tony Romo has had his fair share of high-profile, great-looking girlfriends.  That means he has taken them on plenty of dates, as any decent boyfriend who’s worth millions of dollars should.  However, he doesn’t stop there.  Romo must really like his latest girlfriend and supposed fiancee, Candice Crawford.  Why do I say that you ask?  Because the person he’s bro’ing out with at Six Flags in the pictures above is her brother, Chace Crawford.  This one must be serious if he and his better half’s siblings are going on man dates.

Way to go, Tony.  You’re in.  I don’t ever remember seeing Romo and the brothers of Carrie Underwood, Jessica Simpson, or Sophia Bush (if they have any) tearing it up at Six Flags.  As usual, we’ll leave you with a few pictures to remind you of Tony Romo’s lineup in case you’ve forgotten (a.k.a like looking at his current and ex-girlfriends as much as we do):

Source:
Soaking Wet Tony Romo Enjoys All Six Of The Six Flags [Deadspin via Dallas Observer]

Category: College Baskeball Coaches. Answer: John Wooden (1949-1975).

Question: Who are a bunch of dummies that haven’t picked up a Los Angeles Times within the last month? The clowns below:

Even if you’re not a sports fan I figure you heard about John Wooden dying earlier this month. These people don’t even belong on Jeopardy. At least Wooden got more respect from the game show than Bill Belichick. Thanks to Jeff Eisenberg at The Dagger for the video.

Sources:
Jeopardy-fail: John Wooden question stumps contestants [The Dagger]
Video Credit: YouTube user mdwivedi