Where?s ZimBear?: Big League Stew sends the year?s best giveaway out into the big, bad world

Meet ZimBear. He's half-teddy bear, half-baseball lifer and 100 percent terradorable. Yes, that's a combination of the words "terrifying" and "adorable." You find a better way to describe someone melding Don Zimmer's likeness into a beloved children's toy.

As you might have heard, ZimBear will head home with the first 10,000 fans to spin the Tropicana Field turnstiles for the Tampa Bay Rays-Detroit Tigers game on Friday, June 29. The giveaway is just under two weeks away, but Big League Stew headquarters was lucky ? or is it unlucky? ? enough to have a ZimBear show up on its doorstep last Friday.

ZimBear's arrival, however, got us thinking. Why should we be the only ones to experience the singular pleasure of being creeped out by ZimBear's overeager stare during the workday? Shouldn't we share the joys of ZimBear caretaking with our loyal Stewies far and wide?

And then it hit us: We're going to send our ZimBear out into the big, bad world as a Flat Stanley-type experiment in community building. We know that the existence of the commenting maniacs has hampered the Stewies building a true identity in the space below, but we've always felt your love on Twitter, on Facebook, through our different contests�and through emails. We'd like to showcase our smart and creative readers by having some of you play host to ZimBear for a few days before you send him to another willing reader. Along the way, we'll learn a little about you, a little about your community and a lot about how you react when you wake up in a cold sweat to find ZimBear peering down from your headboard.

So email us at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com if you're interested in playing host to our ZimBear over the next few months (and maybe years if this thing really takes off). All we ask is that you're willing to write a post about your time with ZimBear, snap a few creative photos of him in your native city or town (if you want to take him to your local ballpark, all the better) and do not feed him after midnight, expose him to bright light or get him wet under any circumstances. (We have no idea if he has Gremlins-type tendencies but frankly, we're not taking any chances.)

If all goes well, this should be a really fun activity. In addition to your occasional posts on the Stew, we've set up a @WheresZimBear Twitter account and will be posting travel updates on our Facebook page as well.

But first things first: Who wants ZimBear? He's sitting nearby as we write this post and he's starting to twitch in a weird way. It's about time he hits the road.

Are you a loyal Stewie who wants to host ZimBear and be featured on BLS? Send an email to bigleaguestew@yahoo.com with a short explanation of why you want him sent your way and what you would do with him once he's there.

San Antonio Spurs Vince Carter Amare Stoudemire

Kendrick Perkins just doesn?t ?understand? why Oklahoma City goes away from the lineup featuring him at center

The last time Kendrick Perkins was in the NBA Finals, he wasn't in the NBA Finals. We're probably going to have to be mindful of that moving forward. Prior to last Tuesday's Game 1 ? a game that saw heaps of Twitter chatterers roundly criticizing the play of Kendrick Perkins both in game and following ? the last time we saw the man in front of that massive Finals logo he was sitting on the Boston Celtics bench after tearing knee ligaments in Game 6 of the 2010 NBA Finals. This means Perkins had to sit out Game 7. This means he had to watch, as Pau Gasol's crucial offensive rebound pushed the series' deciding game in Los Angeles' favor. This means he was as helpless as any one of the Boston rooters that weren't amongst the five on the floor at the time.

This means we'll have to take it easy on Perk, while he vents and complains, following yet another game that saw the Oklahoma City Thunder go away from him in the final minutes. The final 18 minutes of the contest, to be exact, a jaunt that saw the Miami Heat outscore the Thunder by two points while Perk watched from the sideline. Which had to be hard, considering the team was +11 with him on the court for the first nine minutes of the first quarter, even if we attempt to forget the fact that the team was -7 with Perkins on the court in that six-minute third-quarter turn. Whatever we remember, or forget, Perkins is a wee bit upset. From Daily Thunder:

"I just don't understand why we start out the first quarter the way we did, with the lineup that we had, and all of a sudden we change and adjust to what they had going on. So they won the last three quarters, and that's what happened."

This was a vent, after yet another close loss that could have gone either way, with Perkins again probably thinking that his presence on the floor may have swung the game. Kendrick has played just six minutes combined in each of the Finals' fourth quarters, with all but 12 seconds of that run coming in Game 3. And he doesn't like the pattern. And, because he cares, it's understandable and we should let him vent. Even if he'd modify his comments after toweling off during an off day between games.

The Thunder did "adjust to what they had going on," as you're supposed to when a team like Miami stops acting hesitant with its offense and making the sort of quick decisions that lead to nailed shots, as the Heat accomplished in coming back from an early deficit in Game 4. It's not as if the Thunder, in the midst of their fantastic start to Game 4, suddenly decided that it was time to start matching up with the smaller and quicker Heat; leading to the three-quarter failure. No, it's just that a very good and championship-worthy Heat team got its act together, and everything returned to the mean. A mean that, four games and 16 quarters in, means a very close game between two fantastic teams.

And, to continue on this thread, it's not as if Perk doesn't know this.

He thinks it can be modified, in a way that probably coincidentally hands him more minutes along the way, and he wouldn't be wrong in that assumption. Few players are. How it translates, though, is the problem. Because though we respect Perkins' best attributes and the luxury Oklahoma City has with their starting center, employing a master of low-post defense in a contest that features absolutely no centers or power forwards that are going to the low post means that the luxury should be wearing warm-ups.

It's at this point that most will recall one of the bigger upsets, I suppose, in NBA history. When the 67-win Dallas Mavericks, fully healthy, were upended by the eight-seeded Golden State Warriors in 2007. Mavericks center Erick Dampier started 73 of the 76 games he played in, that season, but by the time the first round rolled around the Mavericks decided to go small to match up with the apparently inferior Warriors. And it didn't work. And because the unsteady relationship between causation and correlation confuses some, observers took Dallas coach Avery Johnson's switch as both a sign of weakness, and a series-tilting maneuver that backfired.

That series wasn't decided because Dallas went small, though, and let Golden State define the terms of competition. It was decided because the Warriors had Dallas' number, because they matched up well and had the personnel needed to pull off the "upset."

It wasn't even decided because GSW coach Don Nelson had run those same Mavericks the year before, because during Warriors coach Mike Montgomery's turn with the team in 2005-06 the Warriors beat the Mavs three out of four times during the regular season. Golden State beat them in all three regular-season contests the following year, so a 4-2 Golden State postseason win following a 6-1 run against the Mavericks over two previous regular seasons shouldn't have come as much surprise.

And Dampier's inclusion or banishment (he did play well in that series, adding 17 rebounds and nine points in 38 total minutes of play) had absolutely nothing to do with the regular rollin' on.

To Perkins' credit, statistically at least, he has done the same. Twenty-two points and 30 rebounds in 96 minutes of play is sound work, borderline Dale Davis-y stuff if you give him a starter-level 33 minutes a night. He's not working the Joel Anthony or Jason Collins tip, here. There are tangible contributions, and he's had his moments defensively.

The team plays better, in this particular series, with him off the floor. Adjusting to matchup is not a weakness, and even if you do it to pair yourself off more equally with an underdog, it's still sound basketball smarts.

Some teams start two lumbering center-types. Some start two point guards. Some, like the Heat, are still determining both their rotation and starting lineup a year and a half into putting their team together. And while I don't want to act as if a heavy-minutes lineup featuring Nick Collison's quicker feet is a panacea, the stubborn sports writer in me is sticking with what he thought before the Finals ? that the Thunder were going to have to severely limit Perkins' minutes in order to keep up with a Heat team that is both formidable in the screen and roll, and able to start five guys who can all swing a game with their perimeter shooting.

Of course, this is a thousand-word column based off of one Perkins quote in the frustration of a sweaty locker room after yet another coin flip game landed on "Heat."

That's OK, though. Perkins has the right to rant, and we've got the right to answer. All while trying to figure out the right way to adjust to a Miami Heat team that appears to be doing absolutely everything right at the absolute right time.

Ales Rodriquez New York Mets Chicago White Sox

Brian Banks finally gets his NFL shot; impresses Seahawks enough for minicamp invite

Ten years ago, a 16-year-old linebacker from Long Beach Poly High made a verbal commitment to Pete Carroll's USC football team. That linebacker, Brian Banks, never found out what might have been, because he was wrongly accused and convicted of rape and spent five years in prison. The five years after that, which were spent on parole, saw him wearing an ankle bracelet and having to register as a sex offender wherever he went. Two weeks ago, Banks was finally exonerated, and on Thursday, he finally got to work out for Pete Carroll with an opportunity to make Carroll's team.

Only now, and with 10 years away from big-time football in the interim, Banks was trying out for the Seattle Seahawks. His story reached Carroll as it did the rest of the NFL, and of all the teams trying to get Banks into their facilities to see what might be, Carroll's got the first shot.

"When we first heard the story about Brian, I thought it was some remarkable circumstances and a guy up against all odds, extraordinary circumstances, but not until I talked to him on the telephone did I realize what kind of guy this guy is and that he deserved a chance," Carroll said after Banks' workout. "Given other circumstances, he would have earned it under our eyes, but this is a guy that just deserved it."

And it's not hard to create an alternate reality in which Banks would have gone on to star at USC as one of many linebackers Carroll developed, and even made a serious dent in the NFL. Banks can't think about that reality, though -- all he's got is the reality left in his 26-year-old body. He's taken off 50 pounds in the last year and has been running 4.6 and 4.7 40s on his own, and Thursday was his time to show what he could do. Just two weeks away from a different and much more restrictive world, the difference was overwhelming.

"This is by far the second best day of my life," Banks told the Seattle media. "May 24, my exoneration, and just today to be out on this field to work out with the Seahawks. To be given an opportunity to have a tryout. I really don't have words for it. This is a dream come true. I know a lot of people work hard to get to this point. I've also worked hard myself. I'm just thankful for the opportunity. I really am."

[Video: Top fantasy football picks for 2012 | Players to avoid]

Yes, it's a great story. But now that the rubber meets the road, how realistic is it to expect that a player who never had a junior or senior year in high school, much less any college experience, could actually make an NFL squad under any circumstances? As Carroll said, it was time to temper expectations.

"He looks like a guy who has not been schooled and worked out in the fashion that our guys are at this level. It's going to take him some time and I think our expectations need to be fitted to that. He's not had the upscale program and individual workouts and the kinds of things that guys do to get here. So to look as good as he did under those circumstances was worth noting."

Worth noting enough that Banks was invited back to Seattle's mandatory minicamp next week. Banks has other obligations in the meantime -- he's working out for the San Diego Chargers Friday, and there's talk about a trip to see the Redskins as well -- but the bond between Banks and Carroll went deeper than Carroll really knew. When Banks was going through that decade of pain, the USC offer was one of the things that kept him going. When the two men met again, Carroll was taken aback by how much Banks remembered.

"I was really impressed with the details. He really recalled every bit of it. I can see why to us, we've recruited a lot of kids -- but when our coaches were yelling in the background and hooting and hollering that we were excited about his future, he remembers every bit of it.� So it was kind of fun for me to recount with him how it all went down. It was a very short-lived relationship because soon after that one phone call we had in the springtime, he disappeared and he was unable to play his senior year so we lost track of him and didn't know his story. We had really just moved on. But to him, it was so meaningful and he remembers it verbatim. It's great that it stayed with him and helped him along the way."

Banks worked on basic position drills with the Seahawks' coaches, and he had the facility to himself from a player perspective after Seattle was docked two practices for too much OTA contact. In a way, that made the event bigger, but it still leaves the question unanswered: How will Banks do when he's up against the NFL's best? His trip to San Diego will answer that a bit, and he'll know more when he starts training with Travelle Gaines in Los Angeles later in June. As Gaines told me recently, Banks will be going up against running backs like Chris Johnson and LeSean McCoy down there, "and we'll find out pretty quickly" how much work needs to be done.

[Michael Silver: Players got cash incentives for hits during Saints playoff win]

It's not out of the question for a team to believe enough in Banks to take a long-term flyer on him -- there are some interesting precedents. In the early 1970s, the Pittsburgh Steelers monitored running back Rocky Bleier over two full seasons as he fought his way onto the active roster while recovering from injuries suffered in Vietnam. Bleier went on to star as a lead blocker for several Super Bowl-winning teams, and he ran for over 1,000� yards in 1976 -- back when it was a 14-game season and that was a notable landmark. Patience can sometimes be rewarded in situations like these. In Carroll's own case, he brought former USC receiver Mike Williams back from football purgatory after Williams ate his way out of the league, and helped Williams find a measure of professional redemption. Carroll believes in second chances -- he's the beneficiary of one himself right now -- and if you know his history, it becomes easier to see the Banks "experiment" as more than just PR.

"It's against all odds that he could get to this point, but we're going to support the chance and have a vision for what he could become more than what he is today and see where it goes," Carroll said. "It's going to happen quick. This is the highest level of competition you can find in the world of football and it's going to be very difficult, but he deserves a chance. He's a living testament to [the idea that] if you keep hanging and you're tough and you don't give up on what you believe in and your dreams, then you can make things come to life. He's done exactly that. I think that's the message of Brian Banks that will continue to go out, and he deserves every bit of that attention."

For Banks, it's the balance of living one dream (freedom) and trying to make another (football ) come true.� "It was overwhelming," he said, when asked about the fact that so may NFL teams are checking the tires. "There are really no words to express that. The offers that I received, the opportunities that I received ? men dream of those days. They get up every morning and they work hard for that type of offer. I just want to make sure that I'm prepared to?OK, I'll tell it to you like this. I told the coaches today coming out here ? and I absolutely mean it ? I feel more appreciative for the opportunity than I feel deserving. I'm honored to have all of these people, all of these coaches from different teams, give me this opportunity with not seeing me play for so long."

[Related: Troy Polamalu reflects on simplistic approach of Tim Tebow]

There are many opportunities in Brian Banks' future. If he isn't ready for the NFL now, there's the specter of the CFL or another "alternate league." He may have used up his NCAA eligibility by playing for Long Beach City College in 2007, but you'd think that even the NCAA might give him a pass on that one. Perhaps coaching or scouting could be in his future. He has no doubt that he wants to work with organizations like the California Innocence Project, which helped him get his life back. It's a big menu, but right now, Banks is just glad to have it all in front of him.

"It's taken some getting used to," he concluded. "Two weeks ago, I was a guy who was just sitting inside of his house trying to get through parole and deal with the situations that I've been through. Today, having all these cameras in front of me only shows that I have not only the support of my family, but support of people who are just finding out about this story who feel like there is an injustice within our system, flaws that need to be fixed, and I'm realizing that I'm giving people hope to overcome the situations they're also going through.

"And if that is my calling, I'm ready to answer."

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Oakland Athletics Paul Pierce Baltimore Ravens

Bronson Arroyo and Aroldis Chapman nail takeoff on Adam Sandler?s ?Red Hooded Sweatshirt?

The MLB FanCave has made some pretty funny videos in its year-plus of existence. There was David Ortiz hugging random Yankee fans on the streets of New York, an eye-patch wearing Miguel Cabrera staging his own telenovela and Cameron Maybin getting pranked by his Padres pals at a burger joint.

All of those skits, however, feel like one big lead-up to this video, which features Cincinnati Reds pitchers Bronson Arroyo and Aroldis Chapman singing a version of Adam Sandler's classic "Red Hooded Sweatshirt" song.

Yes, all the money and time Major League Baseball has poured into the FanCave seems entirely worth it the moment you see Chapman doing his best Kevin Nealon.

Fantastic. I will now sit, pray and wait patiently for Joey Votto's version of "Lunchlady Land."

Want more baseball fun all season long?
Follow @bigleaguestew,�@KevinKaduk and the BLS Facebook page!

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Showtime Sports Launches New Mobile Boxing Scoring Game

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Filip Forsberg, Teuvo Teravainen upbeat after Draft day falls

PITTSBURGH --�Every year there's at least one. This year, Filip Forsberg and�Teuvo Teravainen were the two top-rated players who had to wait a little longer than expected to be taken in the first round.

The No. 1 and No. 2 ranked European skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Forsberg landed with the Washington Capitals at No. 11, while Teravainen was selected No. 18 by the Chicago Blackhawks.

According to scouts, Forsberg was one of the better developed forwards in this draft class having played a big role in Sweden's performances at the 2012 World Juniors, 2011 U-18 Worlds and 2011 Ivan Hlinka tournament.

"I would lie if I said I wasn't nervous," Forsberg admitted. "It was a D-man draft this year," he said as eight of the top 10 picks were blueliners.

Teravainen said he will spend next season with Jokerit in Finland and will look to bulk up his 5-foot-11 frame. The 17-year old has dominated playing against those of similar age, and while his production dropped off a bit moving up against men while with Jokerit, another year of developing will help him in the long run.

"Next season is very big for me," he said.�"I have always dreamed to get to [the] Draft and now it's true. But I just know that my work has just begun and it's a lot of work I have to do."

One of Teravainen's favorite players to watch is Patrick Kane. After Blackhawks 2011 No. 2 pick and Pittsburgh native Brandon Saad announced the selection, Teravainen received an endorsement from a possible future teammate:

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mathew Safford Phoenix Suns

Chinese NBA movie starring Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony sounds, looks even better than we?d dreamed (VIDEO)

It's not new information that Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony are going to star in a feature film titled "Amazing," a joint production between the NBA and the Shanghai Film Group (SFG) that's been billed as "the first NBA-themed motion picture outside of North America." The NBA and SFG announced the film project in August 2010, and we promptly noted how fascinating it sounded, how excited we were for it, and how big an opportunity it appeared to present for sheer filmic disaster.

But you'd be forgiven if you forgot about "Amazing," because things have been pretty quiet on the development front since that initial announcement.�The scheduled summer 2011 release date came and went, as the league and its players tended to other, more pressing business. 'Melo moved from Denver to Manhattan and appeared on "Nurse Jackie," while Dwight seemingly tried to move from Orlando before hemming/hawing his way into a one-year extension with the Magic, and appeared in "The Three Stooges." And in the absence of updates, it seemed like the project had been, at the very least, de-emphasized. Film buffs the world over began to fear that the film would never see the light of day.

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This last weekend, though, roundball-loving cineastes received some long overdue good news. Not only is "Amazing" back, on its way to global cineplexes�and sounding bigger and better than ever, but thanks to the magic of The Basketball Jones' Trey Kerby, we now know what it looks like. And oh, man, does it look even more insane and great than we'd hoped.

Li Anlan of the Shanghai Daily has some details on the film:

For the first time, the NBA is partnering with a non-US film studio to release a major film overseas, the producers announced at a global press conference [...]

"Amazing," a production by the Shanghai Film Group, tells the story of a fictional world known as "The Sixth Sense." It uses basketball imagery to combine the visual elements of a video game with a movie, akin to the 2010 American science fiction film "Tron: Legacy."

Stop drilling, NBA, Shanghai Film Group and acclaimed director Sherwood Hu, because holy cow, have you struck oil. Yes. Yes, yes, yes.�More basketball movies that are, to any degree and in any capacity, like "Tron: Legacy," please.

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Like, no disrespect to Kevin Durant's�upcoming "Thunderstruck," but I think we can all agree that we as a society need�more basketball movies that take place in chaotic, neon-soaked, CGI-dominated landscapes, and if we can get Dwight�on a 7-foot-long light cycle, so much the better. More movies that take the NBA and its players out of reality and puts them into "a fictional world known as 'The Sixth Sense,'" which seems like an especially weird name for a world in a movie considering there already is a movie called "The Sixth Sense" that had a world in it that involved ghosts and things, but anyway: Yes, more of that, please.

More movies that star not only Anthony and Howard, but also Yi Jianlian and Scottie Pippen, whom the Shanghai Daily's Anlan reported were both attached to appear and who are there for your viewing pleasure in the trailer. More reported appearances in movies by Yao Ming and Wang Zhi-Zhi, too. More of literally everything this is about.

But wait: There's even more.

SportsGrid's Matt Rudnitsky did some search-sleuthing and found an entry for "Amazing" on a Chinese film site that, run through a translator, offers this synopsis of the film:

"The movie ? is intended to show a few urban white-collar basketball fans realized the truth of life in basketball the face of temptations. The hero of the film played by Huang Xiaoming is a game tester, testing a new 'virtual reality' basketball game, this virtual world is not so simple, even accidentally involved in some thrilling adventure."

This jives with the initial one-line descriptor offered by the NBA and SFG way back when, when they called the film "a basketball-themed movie about young people achieving their dreams through hard work." Except for, you know, the whole virtual reality component, which is obviously a pretty big component.

If Rudnitsky is correct and "Amazing" is, ostensibly, "like Chinese 'Space Jam,' but for adults," it's going to be one of the most unbelievable things ever committed to film/digital video. Actually, scratch that ? it is already that. This is, in every sense of the word, pretty unbelievable to me. I can't wait to illegally download it off the Internet travel to China to cover the premiere this summer.

Related NBA news from Yahoo! Sports:

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Oklahoma City Thunder Dallas Cowboys Utah Jazz

Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel can still spin a basketball on a toothbrush (VIDEO)

After the Indiana Pacers were eliminated by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs last spring, video surfaced (thanks to Pacers Digest) of an eager, smiling 13-year-old named Frank Vogel appearing on "Late Night with David Letterman" to show off a unique skill ? the ability to spin a basketball on the tip of a toothbrush, then brush his teeth as the ball continued to spin ? as part of Letterman's popular "Stupid Human Tricks" segment. Unfortunately, the portrait of a future Pacers coach as a young talk-show star has since been yanked from YouTube, so it seemed like we would never, ever, ever again see Frank Vogel spin a basketball on the tip of a toothbrush, then brush his teeth as the ball continues to spin.

And then, Wednesday night happened.

Vogel was asked the all-important "can you still?" question at "The Big Why?," an event benefiting the Indianapolis youth leadership organization Y-Press, where young Indianan journalists got the chance to practice their craft on Vogel and new Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano. Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star was on hand to cover the session and ? saints be praised ? he had a video camera:

Now that, friends, is the triumph of the human spirit and American ingenuity. U-S-A! U-S-A!

More from Keefer at the Star:

The biggest cheers came at the end, when the students surprised Vogel on stage with a basketball and a toothbrush. A telling sign they did their homework, the students reminded the Pacers head coach that as a child he appeared on the "Late Night with David Letterman" because he was able to spin a basketball on the end of a toothbrush while brushing his teeth.

They were eager to find out if he could still pull it off.

"Who told you I could still do it?" Vogel quipped with a smile.

He was happy to oblige. Showing no signs of rust, Vogel flipped the ball on the brush and had it spinning on his first try.

Of course he did. We've all heard the famous old saying: "Flipping a ball onto a toothbrush, spinning it and then brushing your teeth while the ball continues to spin is just like riding a bicycle." A tale as old as time; a song as old as rhyme; now you have nice teeth.

Hat-tip to SportsPickle.

Brett Favre San Francisco 49ers Peyton Manning

Ronny Turiaf reminds us that this is all just fun, that he is great

Excited for the NBA Finals? Join the BDL crew for a live Finals Chat on Twitter during Thursday night's Game 2. We'll be cracking jokes, sharing observations and talking about the game with NBA fans like you. Participate by using the hashtag�#FinalsChat, and don't forget to follow�@YahooBDL for your daily NBA fix.

Barring injury, Ronny Turiaf probably won't play a lot in the NBA Finals.

He's seen 118 total minutes of action in 11 appearances off the bench for the Miami Heat this postseason, with the lion's share of it coming in a second-round win over the Indiana Pacers in which Erik Spoelstra needed big bodies to match up with a strong, gifted Indy frontline headed by Roy Hibbert and David West, especially after starting center and All-Star Chris Bosh went down with an abdominal injury in Game 1. Since Bosh came back late in the Heat's Eastern Conference finals win over the Boston Celtics, though, Turiaf's mostly stayed sidelined. With Miami favoring a starter-heavy lineup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Bosh, Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony all ahead of him on the depth chart, it seems likely that Turiaf's biggest contribution will be cheering his teammates from the sideline.

While he'd certainly rather be playing, that's still pretty OK by Turiaf, for two reasons. For one thing, he's really good at that. (Like, really good at it.)

Mostly, though, as he told "Zorgon" from Thunder blog Welcome to Loud City, it's because he never forgets that he nearly missed out on the chance to do even that much:

[...] You're known as one of the league's most energetic bench players. You sit on your bench and really cheer for your team. Are you normally that excited, or do you just do it to kinda support your team?

RT: Uh, I'm always excited. I'm either excited or not excited. So whenever I play ... I escaped death one time. And basketball was almost taken away from me, so to be able to live my life and be able to play basketball is definitely fun. I enjoy my time out there, and sometimes I can't control myself.

In case you don't remember how Turiaf's NBA career started, the Los Angeles Lakers selected him out of Gonzaga in the second round of the 2005 NBA draft and signed him to a two-year rookie contract. But one month after the draft, a routine physical revealed a heart problem ? a portion of his aorta was enlarged ? that required open-heart surgery, resulting in the Lakers voiding Turiaf's contract and briefly casting his professional future in doubt. Thankfully, he recovered quickly, was pronounced fit to play, and made his debut with L.A. in January 2006.

Since then, he has carved out a seven-year career as an energetic reserve defender, rebounder and shot-blocker with the Lakers, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards and, now, Miami. It's not a bad life, and he knows it. He appreciates it. And so, he celebrates it. He has fun, which is why he's one of the league's more uniformly beloved figures, a brilliant bit of Cheshire Cat-smiling curiosity that makes it worth your while to keep one eye on the bench when LeBron James or Dwyane Wade get out on the break.

As we wade through off-day and afternoon-of stories about who needs to be more aggressive, who's coming up small in the big moments and who needs to Step Up Their Game to avoid eternal shame, let's instead take a moment to consider Turiaf's comments. Let's view his uncontrollable excitement at getting to do something he loves as an example worth emulating, and remember that all of this is ostensibly delicious, delicious candy we get to greedily gobble.

Let's remind ourselves to have more fun than should be allowed by law over the next two weeks. It seems like way more fun than all that yelling, doesn't it?

Indianapolis Colts Oakland Raiders Buffalo Bills

Wisconsin will distrubute old Camp Randall turf ? eventually

Last week, Wisconsin finished installing new Field Turf in Camp Randall Stadium. And while the new field looks great, the university now has to figure out what to do with the old stuff.

And this is where Wisconsin fans can win in this renovation.

Justin Doherty, the associate athletic director for external affairs at the University of Wisconsin, told Madison.com that the university is still trying to sort out distribution of the old turf, but that it could give it to those who make contributions to the new Student-Athlete Performance Center. Now there's a way to cover the $86.1 million cost of the new facility.

Of course, an auction or just giving it away to interested Wisconsin fans has not been ruled out. In any case. Wisconsin fans will have some sort of opportunity to get new carpeting for their living rooms.

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Orlando Magic Darrius Heyward-Bey Detroit Tigers

Warren Sapp dishes and blitzes in upcoming autobiography

In his new autobiography, "Sapp Attack: My Story," former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Warren Sapp goes off on a number of subjects. The book doesn't come out until August 21, but it's already gained some traction -- and a bit of controversy -- because the always-outspoken Sapp (now an analyst on the NFL Network) gets some pretty prominent people in his sights in the book -- former teammates like Trent Dilfer and Keyshawn Johnson, former Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, and others.

Sapp went on Wednesday's "Dan Patrick Show" to talk about the book, and as always, he was sufficiently incendiary in his delivery.

On Sapp pleading with Trent Dilfer to "stop throwing pick-sixes": "I ripped Trent Dilfer? What did I say about Trent Dilfer that you would consider a rip? Because when I rip, I really rip. When you leave the University of Miami -- that great place, Quarterback U, and your [NFL] quarterback throws four touchdowns and 18 picks, what are you going to say? It was what was being said at the front of the room by [Tony] Dungy. If we don't turn the ball over ... and it wasn't 'we,' it was him. It was that simple. When you're playing Buc Ball, the last thing you can do is turn it over."

On Keyshawn Johnson: "Listen, man -- it ain't no secret that me and Keyshawn didn't get along. It was more about his professionalism. When somebody follows you around the Pro Bowl for three or four days, and says, 'Listen, let's unite and we'll win the championship. I've got the offense, you've got the defense.' And you hear about him flying across the country for [former New York Jets head coach] Bill Parcells' OTAs ... but he won't come to Tony Dungy's offseason conditioning? Last time I checked, Florida's a lot nicer in the summer than New York."

The most controversial comments in the book will undoubtedly be about former Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, the coaching genius who furthered the Tampa-2 scheme that took the NFL by storm in the first decade of the new millennium. Kiffin is about as well-regarded, professionally and personally, as any coach can be, so stuff like this might go down a bit hard in some quarters:

On Monte Kiffin: "There was a certain game we were playing in the Trans-World dome in St. Louis -- the 1999 NFC championship game. It was third-and-12, and we called our famous 'check-with-me' blitz, and I'm pissed, I'm like, 'Just line up the four guys to rush, please?' We barely get a chance to go after the quarterback -- let's get one right here. [Kurt Warner] will throw a slant, we'll tackle him, they'll try a long field goal or punt or something like that. Kurt Warner sees the blitz and calls timeout. Now, there's a rule Monte Kiffin has. If we have this 'check-with-me' blitz on, and the quarterback audibles, we have to check to [Tampa-2]. There's nothing else we can do but check to 2, because he sees the blitz. The only reason I know this now is because Kurt Warner works with me [at the NFL Network], and I had a feeling he was changing the play.

"So, he goes over and pleads with Mike Martz, and Dick Vermeil sends Ricky Proehl on the takeoff instead of the hitch. If he goes with the hitch, and we pick it off or it goes back the other way, the game is over. [Linebacker Derrick] Brooks is going to the sideline, and I'm not going to the sideline. I tell Brooks, 'You tell [Kiffin] we've gotta go to [Cover-2], right?' and Brooks says, 'Yeah, yeah, I'll tell him.' He goes over to the sideline, comes back, and says, 'We're blitzing again.' Ricky Proehl catches the ball [for a touchdown], we lose 11-6, I lose my shot at the Super Bowl."

On the Jeremy Shockey "snitch" story that reportedly almost cost Sapp his NFL Network gig: "You'd have to ask the people who sat down and decided if I had a job or not, Dan. I regret that I put it out there with that word. That's the one thing -- I apologize to the man for calling him a snitch, because that's the wrong connotation at any point, at any time. It wasn't about [that Shockey wasn't the 'snitch'] -- it was about the connotation of the word and what it means."

On his financial situation: "I'll be all right. Damn -- your momma never told you to believe none of what you read?"

On whether he would let his son play football: "He loves lacrosse, Dan!"

And there you have it.

I'll say this about Sapp -- I've interviewed him before, and he's one of the quickest people, from an intellectual perspective, I've ever talked to. He comes to every interview at game speed, and if you're not keeping up, he'll simply pass you by. He's a very, very smart guy.

The only problem I have with the "rip jobs," alleged or otherwise, is when he takes off on Kiffin. Whether Sapp agrees with Kiffin's strategy or not, he's talking about one of the game's great strategists, and a coach who has influenced an entire generation of coaches -- everyone from Pete Carroll to Mike Tomlin to Raheem Morris to Leslie Frazier.�Kiffin may have cost Sapp a shot at one Super Bowl (at least in his mind), but Sapp conveniently forgets that it was the same Kiffin defense that beat the living crap out of the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVI and forced five picks from quarterback Rich Gannon.

Going off on Kiffin seems gratuitous and unfair in retrospect, but it's Sapp's book, and we're just waiting to read it.

AJ Burnett Jason Smith Miami Heat

Create-a-Caption: Jarrod Parker?s special talent

Oakland's Jarrod Parker conquered the Colorado Rockies and Coors Field on Thursday lowering his rookie year ERA to 2.82 over 10 starts in his rookie season. He also did one heck of an impersonation of a either a cherub in a fountain or a tiny fire hose.

So have at it, amateur copy editors of the world. How should this caption read?

Follow the jump for winners from our last C-a-C, featuring opposite attracting:

When Paula met Cholly

1st ? Pianow. "Have a heart, don't let MC Skat Kat know about this."

2nd ? Jimy. "Man, I know a lot of old people whose careers have imploded, but can someone tell me who this is, again?"

3rd ? SJ. "The Phillies call up another second baseman from their depleted minor league system."

HM ?�LetsGoTwins. "I love the Phillie Phanatic! But I always thought he was green!"

Want more baseball fun all season long?
Follow @bigleaguestew,�@KevinKaduk and the BLS Facebook page!

Orlando Magic Darrius Heyward-Bey Detroit Tigers

Justin Tuck?s new facemask has a Shredder vibe

Justin Tuck didn't like it last season when opponents jabbed their fingers into his helmet and yanked, presumably to aggravate his neck injury. (Can't imagine why. That sounds downright pleasant.) One way to prevent such ungentlemanly conduct is to make it impossible for anyone to stick their fingers through a facemask. And that's how we get Tuck's new 2012 helmet that's half hockey goalie, half Hannibal Lecter and all parts overprotective.

Via Uni Watch:

One can only assume the Subway commercial that portrays Tuck unsuccessfully trying to eat a five-dollar footlong while wearing his helmet is already in pre-production. (Michael Phelps will have a similar problem eating his meatball sub underwater. Cut to Jared from Subway, sitting under an umbrella, noshing happily.)

How will Tuck's helmet protection continue to evolve? Piranhas under his facemask? One of those dog collar fences for anyone who gets too close? Each bar comes equipped with a mini-guillotine? By 2015, Tuck will be playing defensive end from the Popemobile.

New England Patriots Charlotte Bobcats Tiger Woods

Famed L.A. Coliseum was once a stage for a porn shoot

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum has been used for many things ? two summer Olympics, John F. Kennedy's Democratic nomination acceptance speech, USC home football games and apparently the filming of pornographic films.

According to the Los Angeles Times, "The Gangbang Girl #32" was filmed at the Coliseum in 2001 and, according to the newspaper, "featured 40 minutes of group sex on the gridiron turf."

The plot of the movie involves a football team ? jerseys, pads and all ? and an eager cheerleader.

The filming at the taxpayer-owned stadium was done at night, with the Coliseum's towering lights blazing and its rows of distinctive red and white seats framing many of the scenes. The video also shows the stadium's signature tunnel, which the Trojan team charges through at the start of games, as well as a sliver of the iconic peristyle, the arched entrance to the Coliseum.

The film gets three out of five stars on Adult DVD Talk (I did an Internet search) and the reviewer does note that all of the actors put in "excellent performances" because you want to give 100 percent when you're filming a porn on such hallowed ground.

But, they couldn't have thought of a better name? Here's what some of my fellow Y! bloggers came up with:

USexC

Super Bowl XXX

More Cushing for the Pushing

Anything with Trojans (just go with the wordplay)

John, David and Booty

Reggie's Bu... Well, you get the idea.

The Los Angeles Times couldn't confirm how the production company, Anabolic Video, received permission to film in the stadium, which is jointly run by the city, county and state, but it didn't appear to be illegal to shoot pornography on state property.

And at least one of the film's actors was appreciative of the experience.

"I was just in awe that we were at the Coliseum," said a star of the film, who goes by the name Mr. Marcus. "I've made movies for about 20 years and I've done a lot of things, but that one really stands out.? I mean, who gets to have sex on the Coliseum floor?"

Hmmm, any former or current USC players/students care to take that one?

- - -
Video courtesy of the L.A. Times

"Like" Dr. Saturday on Facebook for football conversations and stuff you won't see on the blog. And follow Dr. Saturday at its new home on Twitter: @YahooDrSaturday

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kevin Garnett Memphis Grizzlies

Puck Bunny song; Canadiens, Jets name coaches; Goldwater vs. Glendale (Puck Headlines)

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

? The L.A. Kings Stanley Cup parade went right through Amateur Body Art-Con 2012.

? It's the great Montreal Canadiens assistant coach shuffle! Gerard Gallant, coach for the Saint John Sea Dogs and former NHLer, will assist Michel Therrien this season. [Gazette]

? Meanwhile, a former Montreal scapegoat resurfaces with the Winnipeg Jets: "The Winnipeg Jets are pleased to announce today the hiring of Perry Pearn as Assistant Coach. Pearn will join Head Coach Claude Noel and the rest of the Jets coaching staff which includes Charlie Huddy, Pascal Vincent, Wade Flaherty and Tony Borgford." [Jets]

? Detroit Red Wings blog's take on the Ryan Suter sweepstakes: "Hell, if I'm Kenny Holland, I'd be on the phone with David Polie trying to acquire Suter's rights right now. Personally, I'd offer up Jakub Kindl and a draft pick. Make it a 5th or 6th round pick and if Suter signs it gets upgraded to a 3rd or 4th." [Winging It]

? If Douglas Murray is available, Edmonton and about 28 other teams might be interested. [Oilers Nation]

? What arbitration means for Mason Raymond and the Vancouver Canucks. [Nucks Misconduct]

? Will Mats Sundin have to wait for the Hockey Hall of Fames? [Sun Media]

? The Goldwater Institute sues to block Glendale's deal with Greg Jamison for the Phoenix Coyotes: "Glendale and NHL officials have said they believe the lease agreement with Jamison is likely to go forward despite any lawsuit because it does not require a bond sale as the previous deal did. The lease agreement calls for all parties to bear the costs of contesting any court challenges." [AZ Central]

? From a Columbus Blue Jackets blog, why it's time for them to part ways with Rick Nash: "Unless you believe that the Jackets are ready to be perennial playoff participants RIGHT NOW, it's time to let Nash go." [The Cannon]

? Crossing Broad speculates as a house that may or may not be owned by Chris Pronger, who may or may not be living in it, is for sale. [Crossing Broad]

? The 10 best plays of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. [Backhand Shelf]

? The Tampa Bay Lightning have entered into a multi-year affiliation agreement with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League on Thursday, Lightning Assistant General Manager Julien BriseBois announced. Syracuse will serve as the Lightning's top affiliate starting with the 2012-13 regular season. Tampa Bay will provide the Crunch with its top prospects under both NHL and AHL contracts. [Lightning]

? Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray has a crazy idea: Signing Erik Karlsson should be a priority. [CP]

? Tom Gaglardi and the rebirth of the Dallas Stars: "You build through the draft. You develop. You coach. That's the philosophy I come with. I think there's been enough cases around the NHL to show that you cannot buy a winner. I believe in the old fashioned way of building from within." [Stars]

? The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced Thursday the appointment of David Quinn as the team's assistant coach.� Quinn will join Tim Army behind the bench as the two assistants under head coach Joe Sacco. [Avs]

? The Calgary Flames name Martin Gelinas as an assistant coach. And, hopefully, as an extra forward for their next game against the Lightning to settle the score ? [Flames]

? Scott Hockey ? not exactly a Michael Del Zotto guy. [Scotty Hockey]

? Good stuff on the draft with BD Gallof and Bob McKenzie. [CBS Sports]

? Finally, enjoy the country rock and casual misogyny of Tyler Hogben's "Puck Bunny Girl."

Michael Redd NBA Seattle Seahawks

The two Billy Hamiltons: Reds prospect eerily similar to speedy Hall of Famer

Assuming he reaches the major leagues (and that he can actually get on base once he's there), Cincinnati Reds prospect Billy Hamilton will be a unique force.�No one �in professional baseball runs faster than Hamilton, who has accumulated 236 stolen bases in 307 minor-league games since debuting in the middle of 2009.

Hamilton is currently playing with the Bakersfield Blaze of the advanced Class A California League right now, batting .315/.401/.438 and leading all of baseball with 72 stolen bases. One of his former managers, Delino DeShields, told reporter C. Trent Rosecrans of CBS Eye on Baseball that the Reds would be wise to promote Hamilton to the majors this season (probably when rosters expand in September) to be a pinch runner.

If he ever reaches the big leagues, he'll be the second Billy Hamilton to appear in a major-league game. A 19th century superstar, "Sliding Billy" Hamilton played in 14 major-league seasons, mostly with the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Beaneaters (now known as the Atlanta Braves), and was enshrined in Cooperstown in 1961. Like his baseball descendent, the first Billy Hamilton relied on speed; he led the league in steals five times. He also led the league five times in getting on base. He was a combination of Wade Boggs and Vince Coleman.

So, we have two Billy Hamiltons (Billy R. Hamiltons, actually) in baseball. Both speedy. But, as Jason Collette of Baseball Prospectus mentioned on Twitter, there is a particular, absolutely astonishing similarity between the Billys. It's mind-blowing, actually.

And here it is:

1st Billy Hamilton in 1888 had 72 steals in 61 games for Worchester Grays. Current Billy Hamilton now has 72 steals in 61 games for Blaze

? jasoncollette (@jasoncollette) June 12, 2012

Oh. My. God. And yours too. Is this what the Leakeys felt like* when they discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls*? How statistically trippy is that?

The first Billy Hamilton didn't see a 62nd game for Worcester, because he was promoted to the bigs and made his debut for the Kansas City Cowboys on July 31, 1888, the year he turned 22. Modern Billy Hamilton also turns 22 in September. Will we pick up the comparison then, when the Reds probably will be fighting it out for another NL Central title? Manager Dusty Baker might just look down his bench one night and call for Hamilton to run for the catcher.

Modern Billy came into the season ranked the No. 48 �prospect in the minors, according to Baseball America. A second-round pick in '09, Hamilton has to keep pushing to improve his batting average and on-base percentage if he wants a long career in the majors ? much less what Billy Hamilton did 120 years ago.

But what if he does?

*The Leakeys didn't really discover the Dead Sea Scrolls

Love baseball? Even like it a little?
Follow @AnswerDave, @bigleaguestew, @KevinKaduk on Twitter,
along with the BLS Facebook page!

Atlanta Hawks Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kevin Garnett

Pass or Fail: Los Angeles Kings official 2012 Stanley Cup champions hats

Mere seconds after the Los Angeles Kings were crowned champions on Monday night, waves of Stanley Cup winner swag hit online retailers and stores around LA.

That included the one piece of gear that's our annual obsession here at Puck Daddy: The official Stanley Cup champions hats.

This season's New Era hats ($32) aren't black, which is a understandable from a graphic standpoint but disappointing from a Los Angeles Kings standpoint. One imagines this was going to be a one-template-fits-all design for the New Jersey Devils or Los Angeles Kings, meaning that it would have been the second drab gray hat for a Devils' Cup champion. But thanks to Steve Bernier, that's immaterial now.

For a point of comparison, here are the last two Stanley Cup champs hats from the Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks:

At a minimum, the Kings' Cup hats are an improvement over the Bruins lids, which look like rejected designs from a corporate picnic.

Despite not being the slick black hats we pictured in our minds' eye, the 2012 lids are solid. The white threading, the "CHAMPIONS" font, the balance of the whole thing ? it's something every Los Angeles fan can wear with pride until the Lakers' next champions hat.

But what say you?

Pass or Fail: The Los Angeles Kings' 2012 Stanley Cup champions official hat.

Bonus question: Do you have a favorite Cup champs hat?

Related Stanley Cup playoffs video on Yahoo! Sports

Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? Johnny Ludden: LeBron James returns to NBA Finals with purpose and poise
? Dan Wetzel: Jerry Sandusky trial's first witness confidently testifies about abuse
? Martin Rogers: Samir Nasri's muted goal celebration in France's draw with England had subtext
? Y! Finance: Ex-Olympic champs: Where are they now?

San Francisco Giants MLS Mark Teixeira

Dwyane Wade says Kevin Durant would be a bigger star outside of OKC

As we learned during last summer's lockout, there's a division in the NBA between big market and small market franchises. The former have a theoretical competitive advantage because their local TV deals give them the chance to pay the luxury tax without as much of a financial hit, while their proximity to corporations and advertisers makes them attractive to free agents. In this situation, the small-market teams have to rely on boring stuff like effective management to succeed. It's asymmetric warfare, in a way.

The upshot of this situation is that even the best players in small markets, like Oklahoma City Thunder grandmaster Kevin Durant, aren't always judged on the merits. In fact, Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade ? who is pretty famous ? thinks that Durant would be a bigger star if he didn't play in OKC. From Ben Golliver for Eye on Basketball:

"Sometimes it's where you're at," Wade said at practice on Wednesday. "If he was in Los Angeles, Chicago, somewhere, it would be a little different. Being in Oklahoma kind of dims his light a little bit, not him on the basketball court but him off the court."

Oklahoma City is one of the NBA's smallest media markets -- ranking 28th or 29th, depending on the study -- alongside the likes of Memphis and New Orleans. The Thunder are Oklahoma's only professional sports franchise and are in just their fourth season in the city, after relocating from Seattle in 2008.

"There's not a lot of exciting things going on out here," Wade said Wednesday.

Wade has a point, because cities like New York and Los Angeles are in fact bigger than Oklahoma City. Players naturally get more attention there just because those teams have more fans and dominate TV schedules even during off-years. But Wade is also terribly wrong, because Durant is about as popular as a 23-year-old without a championship can be in today's NBA. He has multiple national endorsements, will star in a feature film this summer, and is about to become an even bigger presence for Nike given his success this postseason. In other words, Durant is already one of the five biggest basketball players in the world, and he'll only get more attention as time goes on. Winning tends to bring celebrity to any player willing to cultivate a media profile.

When Durant was in his second season and rapidly becoming one of the best offensive players in the league in relative anonymity, playing in OKC diminished his star power. With Thunder games only airing on League Pass nationally and few reasons for national writers to watch a bad team, he didn't get the attention his burgeoning star power deserved. But in this moment, with the Thunder becoming the darlings of the NBA, Durant is getting plenty of notice. He's undoubtedly a huge star, perhaps only behind LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in terms of widespread popularity. Now that the Thunder are a fixture on national broadcasts and Durant has several major endorsements, he's having no problems getting noticed.

Perhaps playing in a bigger market would add to his profile. But the same could be said of Wade, who plays in Miami as second banana to LeBron James. It's a new media landscape, one where it's easier to watch players in smaller markets and players can use the internet to build a large fan base. Wade is technically correct, but his comments seem out of touch or the mark of someone trying to start an argument for no reason.

Whatever the case, it seems like a poor choice of words for someone about to play a tough Game 2 in a hostile environment. Thunder fans don't need any more reason to get loud, but these comments will probably help motivate them.

Oklahoma City Thunder Dallas Cowboys Utah Jazz

When being an Ohio State fan goes horribly wrong

The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry has been a hot topic all week, but it hit an all-time low when Harrison Watson, an entrepreneur from Columbus, Ohio, posted a message on Twitter offering a $2,000 bounty to permanently injure Michigan commit Logan Tuley-Tillman.

"$2000 to whoever sidelines this kid permanently? Enjoy purgatory Logan."

Of course, the backlash started immediately and the tweet was deleted but not before it was recounted on several websites and retweeted by several fans.

On Thursday, Watson, a 22-year-old man, apologized via his work website claiming it was meant to be a joke among friends and then personally wished Tuley-Tillman, "nothing but the absolute best in your future as a collegiate athlete and more importantly as a student at the University of Michigan."

More importantly, Watson said he was going to take his $2,000 bounty and donate it to the University of Michigan.

OK. Let's just take a step back for a moment. Has it seriously gotten to this? It was one thing to hear Logan talk about people harassing him in the mall and fans sending him death threats, but now people want to end his career? And all because he doesn't like Ohio State? Are you kidding me?

Harry Watson should be ashamed of himself. He's a grown man and Tuley-Tillman is a child. I'm not going to pretend anyone has been reasonable during all of this ? Tuley-Tillman shouldn't have set the letter on fire, Ohio State fans should not have sent him death threats, a fellow recruit shouldn't have threatened them back, and Harry Watson shouldn't have offered up money to end Tuley-Tillman's career.

There is no right here, just a whole lot of wrong and a lot of very sad people who take the game of football ? yes, it's a game ? way too seriously and probably need to step back and examine their own lives and why that is the case.

Tuley-Tillman just finished his junior year of high school this week. High school. He won't even be on the Michigan campus until 2013 and who knows when he'll even see the field.

Watson may have apologized, but he also gave us insight into the sick mind of some when fanaticism goes too far. Watson should hope another crazy fan doesn't take him up on his offer.

- - -
"Like" Dr. Saturday on Facebook for football conversations and stuff you won't see on the blog. And follow Dr. Saturday at its new home on Twitter: @YahooDrSaturday

Philadelphia Phillies Tennessee Titans Arizona Cardinals

When being an Ohio State fan goes horribly wrong

The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry has been a hot topic all week, but it hit an all-time low when Harrison Watson, an entrepreneur from Columbus, Ohio, posted a message on Twitter offering a $2,000 bounty to permanently injure Michigan commit Logan Tuley-Tillman.

"$2000 to whoever sidelines this kid permanently? Enjoy purgatory Logan."

Of course, the backlash started immediately and the tweet was deleted but not before it was recounted on several websites and retweeted by several fans.

On Thursday, Watson, a 22-year-old man, apologized via his work website claiming it was meant to be a joke among friends and then personally wished Tuley-Tillman, "nothing but the absolute best in your future as a collegiate athlete and more importantly as a student at the University of Michigan."

More importantly, Watson said he was going to take his $2,000 bounty and donate it to the University of Michigan.

OK. Let's just take a step back for a moment. Has it seriously gotten to this? It was one thing to hear Logan talk about people harassing him in the mall and fans sending him death threats, but now people want to end his career? And all because he doesn't like Ohio State? Are you kidding me?

Harry Watson should be ashamed of himself. He's a grown man and Tuley-Tillman is a child. I'm not going to pretend anyone has been reasonable during all of this ? Tuley-Tillman shouldn't have set the letter on fire, Ohio State fans should not have sent him death threats, a fellow recruit shouldn't have threatened them back, and Harry Watson shouldn't have offered up money to end Tuley-Tillman's career.

There is no right here, just a whole lot of wrong and a lot of very sad people who take the game of football ? yes, it's a game ? way too seriously and probably need to step back and examine their own lives and why that is the case.

Tuley-Tillman just finished his junior year of high school this week. High school. He won't even be on the Michigan campus until 2013 and who knows when he'll even see the field.

Watson may have apologized, but he also gave us insight into the sick mind of some when fanaticism goes too far. Watson should hope another crazy fan doesn't take him up on his offer.

- - -
"Like" Dr. Saturday on Facebook for football conversations and stuff you won't see on the blog. And follow Dr. Saturday at its new home on Twitter: @YahooDrSaturday

Ryan Howard Washington Wizards New York Giants

Is selling the national championship to the highest bidder best for college football?

The college football national championship could be coming to your city ? for the right price.

A new wrinkle in the already not-so-ironed out potential playoff scenario would sell the national championship game to the highest-bidding city. That means Greenwich, Conn., one of the nation's wealthiest cities, has a chance (as long as it has an indoor stadium).

Both Matt Hayes of the Sporting News and Brett McMurphy of CBS Sports reported that the national championship venue will be separate from the semifinal venues and that the cities, not the venues, would be bidding for the rights for the game, much like the Olympics or World Cup or even the Super Bowl.

This is truly the next financial progression for college football and could net an unprecedented windfall for the conferences in the national championship and college football as a whole.

But there's a part of me that hates seeing college football being sold to the highest bidder. I feel like having the national championship in Dallas simply because Jerry Jones was the highest bidder would take away some of the history of the game.

I think we're all used to the game rotating around to the various BCS bowl sites and several of those sites have quite a bit of history. It's hard to watch that disappear for financial gain, especially ? and Steve Spurrier would back me on this ? when the student-athletes aren't reaping any of those financial benefits.

But that's a discussion for another time.

I do find it funny that when the college football commissioners and Notre Dame started talking about a college football playoff, some were adamant about not wanting a NFL-like scenario where a 9-6 team wins it all, yet now they want the final destination to be just like the Super Bowl.

Am I wrong in my feelings about giving the national championship to the highest bidder or is this the right thing for college football? The further we go along this path to change college football, the more it becomes about the money and less about the games, teams and athletes.

- - -
"Like" Dr. Saturday on Facebook for football conversations and stuff you won't see on the blog. And follow Dr. Saturday at its new home on Twitter: @YahooDrSaturday

Los Angeles Dodgers Tyson Jackson New Orleans Saints

Two former Auburn players killed, one player injured in shooting

The Auburn community is mourning after former Auburn football players Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips were shot and killed during an off-campus party Saturday night. Offensive lineman Eric Mack also was injured in the shooting, but his injuries are not considered life-threatening. A third person, who was not a football player, also died in the shooting.

"This is a sad, sad day for everyone associated with the entire Auburn family," coach Gene Chizik said in a statement released by the university. "I am devastated by the passing of three young men, including two that I personally knew in Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips and my heart goes out to their families. My thoughts and prayers are with their families and all of the victims involved in this tragic incident. Nobody should ever have to endure such unimaginable grief, and we will love and support the victims' families during this terribly difficult time.

"We have a lot of people on our football team that are hurting right now and we're going to do everything we can to help them get through this. We are relieved that Eric Mack, who was also a victim in this incident, is expected to make a full recovery. This is a very trying time for everyone involved, and I would just ask that you lift up the victims and their families in your prayers."

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the fight broke out between several men over a woman, but no other details were given. Two of the men left the fight and returned to the apartment complex clubhouse where the party was being held with a gun and started shooting indiscriminately. One witness said the alleged gunman, Desmonte Leonard, blocked the only exit to the clubhouse before he started firing. Leonard is still at large and wanted on three counts of capital murder.

Police said that the shootings were random and not specifically directed toward Auburn football players.

In 2010, three Southern Miss football players ? Martez Smith, Tim Green and Deddrick Jones ? were shot during a fight outside of a nightclub. All three lived, but Smith was paralyzed from the waist down.

[Related: Three killed, three more wounded in shooting]

Earlier that year, Florida International running back Kendall Berry was fatally stabbed outside of the campus rec center during a verbal altercation.

In April, Western Kentucky defensive lineman Tevin Holliman and defensive back Ricardo Singh were shot outside of a bar, but neither had life-threatening injuries.

- - -

"Like" Dr. Saturday on Facebook for football conversations and stuff you won't see on the blog. And follow Dr. Saturday at its new home on Twitter: @YahooDrSaturday

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
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? Marc J. Spears: NBA coach Doc Rivers pulls unusual double duty to help son
? USC quarterback Matt Barkley leads early Heisman Trophy talk

Philadelphia Eagles CC Sabathia DeMarcus Ware

Pass or Fail: Los Angeles Kings official 2012 Stanley Cup champions hats

Mere seconds after the Los Angeles Kings were crowned champions on Monday night, waves of Stanley Cup winner swag hit online retailers and stores around LA.

That included the one piece of gear that's our annual obsession here at Puck Daddy: The official Stanley Cup champions hats.

This season's New Era hats ($32) aren't black, which is a understandable from a graphic standpoint but disappointing from a Los Angeles Kings standpoint. One imagines this was going to be a one-template-fits-all design for the New Jersey Devils or Los Angeles Kings, meaning that it would have been the second drab gray hat for a Devils' Cup champion. But thanks to Steve Bernier, that's immaterial now.

For a point of comparison, here are the last two Stanley Cup champs hats from the Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks:

At a minimum, the Kings' Cup hats are an improvement over the Bruins lids, which look like rejected designs from a corporate picnic.

Despite not being the slick black hats we pictured in our minds' eye, the 2012 lids are solid. The white threading, the "CHAMPIONS" font, the balance of the whole thing ? it's something every Los Angeles fan can wear with pride until the Lakers' next champions hat.

But what say you?

Pass or Fail: The Los Angeles Kings' 2012 Stanley Cup champions official hat.

Bonus question: Do you have a favorite Cup champs hat?

Related Stanley Cup playoffs video on Yahoo! Sports

Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? Johnny Ludden: LeBron James returns to NBA Finals with purpose and poise
? Dan Wetzel: Jerry Sandusky trial's first witness confidently testifies about abuse
? Martin Rogers: Samir Nasri's muted goal celebration in France's draw with England had subtext
? Y! Finance: Ex-Olympic champs: Where are they now?

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SEC approves 6-1-1 scheduling and LSU still has to keep playing Florida

Looks like LSU's protests to do away with its cross-divisional game against Florida fell on deaf ears.

The SEC announced Friday that it approved the 6-1-1 playoff format, which means each SEC team will play six divisional games, one cross-divisional game and one rotating cross-divisional game. In simple terms, it means that Les Miles' Tigers will continue to face the Gators for the foreseeable future.

And much to the chagrin of LSU, Alabama will continue to play Tennessee while Arkansas will get newcomer Missouri. Other permanent rivalry games will include South Carolina-Texas A&M, Auburn-Georgia, Kentucky-Mississippi State and Ole Miss-Vanderbilt.

While the length of the 6-1-1 scheduling format has yet to be determined, commissioner Mike Slive said it will be around at least three or four years, which opens a future door for a nine-game conference schedule.

Unfortunately, Auburn president Jay Gogue said the nonconference rivalry games for South Carolina, Florida and Georgia prohibited a ninth conference game at this time.

The approval of the 6-1-1 doesn't come as a great surprise, but LSU did do its best to upset the apple cart in favor of its own self-preservation. Miles and several LSU officials have been on a crusade to get it's game against Florida squashed because it was more or less unfair. The Tigers had to play Florida, a team that has won more East titles than any other, in addition to playing Alabama and Arkansas. The West's other two powerhouse schools had relatively easy cross-divisional opponents.

But in the end, the SEC told LSU to suck it up and play the game, which was the right move both for the conference and for college football.

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Rob Gronkowski shaves his head for cancer awareness

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is known for a great many things. We know him as the man who set a record for touchdown catches at his position in 2011 with 17. We know him as the man who freaked out on YouTube when attempting to get his face on the cover of Madden '13. We know him as the man who was willing to sacrifice Tim Tebow's virginity, and we know him as the man who has spent time with a certain member of the adult film industry.

As teammate Wes Welker recently told Shutdown Corner about Gronk, "He's just one of those guys -- he's funny, and he's just being himself. We always tell him, 'Dude, don't change for anything.' It's pretty comical to watch. I encourage it a little too much, I must admit. Believe it or not, he's a pretty intelligent guy. He does a good job of being in the plays for the coaches, and he's so physically gifted, that he's able to make some plays for us."

One thing we'd like to encourage is what Gronk recently did for the One Mission's Buzz For Kids event -- he had his head shaved at Gillette Stadium on Sunday morning to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer, and to help families deal with the issue. The event raised about $500,000, and 450 people volunteered to get buzzed.

As you would expect, Gronk had the crowd going the whole time. "I thought I was getting a number two," he said while the buzz was happening. Then, when appraising the new cut on its conclusion, he said, "It looks better than Tom Brady's."

"It's a great foundation,"�Gronkowski told the Boston Herald.�"The least is buzzing off my hair, that's all I can do to help out. That's no problem. That's easy to do.

"I saw many of the kids already. They're all having a blast. They're all having a lot of fun, too. It's cool seeing that. It makes you cherish your life more when you see little kids that are age 5, age 10, and they have cancer right now, going through a tough time. It's great to put a smile on their face being out here with them. It puts a smile on your face, too, seeing them smile. I'm having a real blast out here."

In football news, Gronkowski said that the ankle he had surgery on four months ago is coming along very well. You may remember that he had to answer a few questions about that during the Super Bowl's media day, and he was a bit generic in his answers at the time.

"Just taking it day by day,"�Gronkowski said on Sunday, which is exactly what he said back in February.�"Everything is going well, just feeling better every single week."

We're with Welker on this one -- Grock should never change. Especially when he's interested in helping others.

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