Dirk Nowitzki shows up remarkably low in the new ?NBA 2K12? player ratings

Player ratings in video games are a status symbol. Because games are created for a large audience, most of whom aren't NBA diehards, the ratings represent a general sense of who plays best and matters most in the league.

Tuesday, many of the player rankings for "NBA 2K12" were reported by several outlets, including @PastaPadre and the YouTube user NBA2K12stuff. The top player is no surprise: LeBron James checks in with a 98. After that, things get a little weirder; the rest of the top 10 (via EOB) includes Dwyane Wade (96),�Kobe Bryant (94), Dwight Howard (93), Chris Paul (93), Kevin Durant (92), Derrick Rose (92), Carmelo Anthony (91), Deron Williams (90), and, in a tie for 10th, Russell Westbrook (88) and Amar'e Stoudemire (88). All were All-Stars last season, and it's certainly not controversial to suggest that they're among the best players in the league. Only Bryant seems wildly overrated -- he's still effective but not close to the third-best player in the NBA.

There is, however, one glaring omission from that list: reigning Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki. After last June's championship, Dirk was finally acknowledged as the legend he's been for quite some time now. For once, public opinion was on his side. Yet, in the 2K12 ratings, he comes in at an 85, tied with Andre Iguodala and Blake Griffin, behind Rudy Gay (who missed several months of last season and the Grizzlies' playoff run with injury), and only one point ahead of Josh Smith and Monta Ellis. If you asked any NBA observer to rank that batch of players, Dirk would come out on top by a wide margin. So what happened with his ranking?

The answer is fairly complicated. For one thing, these ratings are not determined by simple questions of which player is better; they operate according to a formula. I got in touch with the development team for "NBA 2K12," and they gave me this explanation of their system over email:

Our overall rating formulas are position specific, weighting attributes that are more relevant for that type of player.� For example, passing and speed are weighted more for point guards, where rebounding and shot blocking are factored heavily for centers.

Nowitzki was judged as a power forward, which is both his position on the court and an insufficient explanation of his role for the Mavs. While power forwards like Griffin, Pau Gasol and Zach Randolph play an interior game, Dirk prefers to play outside the paint and is arguably more of a tall shooting guard on offense than a classic four. As such, his post scoring may rank rather low, which would explain a relatively poor overall ranking. That said, if you play as Dirk you'll probably find that his style and game are approximated pretty well. Formulas don't always produce accurate results, especially when players as unorthodox as Nowitzki are involved.

On the other hand, there is something rather bizarre about Dirk's low rating when Bryant ranks so highly. Again, Kobe is a great player, but all advanced metrics and most expert eyewitness accounts suggest that he's on the downslope of his career. General public perception is clearly a factor here, so no one could blame 2K Sports for boosting Dirk's ratings a bit -- or at least rejiggering their formula -- to help his placement among the NBA elite. 2011 has been Dirk's year and he deserves some attention for it.

Of course, "NBA 2K12" still allows all gamers to edit rankings as they see fit (except in online play). So, you know, go ahead and make Dirk the best player in NBA history, if you like. Or do the same with Eddy Curry. The virtual world is your oyster.

Washington Redskins Golden State Warriors Derek Jeter Terrell Suggs New York Yankees

Puck Headlines: Calling out Doughty; NHL in Kansas City

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 Chive has a collection of images from Paul Bissonnette's yfrog account that feature candid photos, hilarious images and this great moment in hockey history. Thumbs up indeed. [The Chive]

? If you've not read it, a terrific piece by Helene Elliott on the Drew Doughty stalemate with the Los Angeles Kings that has a ton of candid observations by team president Tim Leiweke: "The difference of opinion here is that Drew may see this as disrespect, and it's not at all. We have offered to make him the fourth-highest-paid defenseman in the NHL and equal the highest-paid King in our history. When I look at that, I think there either has to be a miscommunication or Drew's a 21-year-old and probably hasn't done what he may need to do here, which is stand up and take charge of the decision." [LA Times]

? Hey, it's Kansas City night for the NHL! And the game is sold out, to "set the attendance mark for 2011 NHL pre-season games played at neutral site, non-NHL venues in North America." Against the Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins, no less. [Kings, KC Star]

? The Royal Half with a Kings-centric take on the KC game. [The Royal Half]

? Rich Hammond takes us inside Sprint Center. [LA Kings Insider]

? In which Jaromir Jagr calls Claude Giroux "a little Mario Lemieux." Just keep twisting the knife, Jags. [CSN Philly]

? How the Detroit Red Wings can show the Washington Capitals how to better preserve Mike Green for the postseason. [Japers' Rink]

? Singer Mac McCaughan of Superchunk: Celebrity puckhead. Read about his love of the Carolina Hurricanes. [Canes Country, via HMof2]

? Patrick Kane sounds very enthusiastic about moving to center for the Chicago Blackhawks: "I guess it's something they wanted to try, so hopefully we'll try it for a couple games and see how it goes." [Blackhawks]

? Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jan Hejda may be superhuman. [All Things Avs]

? Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora and Zach Parise on the same line for the Devils? Yes please. [Devils Advocate]

? Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner are new to the St. Louis Blues; what should be expected of them? [St. Louis Game Time]

? Ryan Kesler done Keslurked himself! [Pass It To Bulis]

? Also: Kesler isn't Canadian. Although reading this Grantland piece on why Toronto is the worst sports city in the world might convince you otherwise in an ill-conceived comparison with Tim Thomas. (The article also originally listed the Blue Jays as being owned by MLSE.) [Grantland]

? Anthony Perez explains why Kyle Turris needs to knock off the holdout and get his behind into Phoenix Coyotes camp. [Examiner]

? Stat nerd alert: Top 20 Seasons By Offensive Point Shares. [Kukla's Korner]

? David Shoalts on Wayne Simmonds: "While racial slurs have been thrown around by NHL players from time to time, it is far more common for homophobic remarks to be heard in heated situations on the ice. In the last couple of years, many hockey players have said they support gay rights or would support a player who decided to go public with his sexuality. But the fact is, many more, particularly the younger players like Simmonds, have a lot to learn." [Globe & Mail]

? A gay Vancouver Canucks blogger's take on the Simmonds/Sean Avery incident: "Do I think Simmonds deserves a suspension? To be honest, no. Maybe one game would be fine with me. But I do think he should be fined. The NHL needs to send a message that slurs, whether they're racist, sexist or homophobic are not tolerated." [Canucks Army]

? The San Jose Sharks travel a bit, but nearly as far as the Kings and the ? Florida Panthers? [Sharkspage]

? Ahead of his suspension, Tom Sestito has been placed on waivers by the Flyers. [Broad Street Hockey]

? In praise of Dennis Seidenberg. [Boston Globe]

? Finally, via reader Ryan Real, it's Geordi La Forge learning how to play hockey with the New York Islanders and goalie Kelly Hrudey in a 1987 episode of "Reading Rainbow." So much better than that time Rick DiPietro broke his hip on "The Electric Company."

Denver Broncos Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Royals Indiana Pacers New York Mets

Ozzie Guillen released from White Sox after contract fallout

After a wild eight seasons that included a World Series win in 2005, �Ozzie Guillen is leaving the city of Chicago.

As first reported by�columnist Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago White Sox and their motormouth manager finally split ways after a dispute over a contract extension past 2012 that never came. South Florida is Guillen's likely landing spot and general manager Kenny Williams said a deal for compensation is in place if Guillen ends up on a particular team, presumed to be the Florida Marlins.

Here's the team's official statement on the matter.

Guillen maintained in a postgame press conference that his next destination has yet to be decided but a blog post that has since been taken down from his website said he was going to the Marlins. He will not manage the White Sox for the season's final two games.

After Monday's win over the Toronto Blue Jays, Guillen's record as manager of the Pale Hose stands at 678-617 with two division titles, an AL pennant and the only World Series won in Chicago since 1917. Needless to say, the South Side will never be the same.

Pittsburgh Steelers Kobe Bryant Philip Rivers Ales Rodriquez Arizona Diamondbacks

Five moderately creepy, somewhat inaccurate NHL plush dolls

Bleacher Creatures are "toys that inspire love for sports teams and players" among young fans. We appreciate the clarification, because we were under the assumption this was just Patrick Kane's latest way to end up in your bed at the end of the night ...

Capitals Outsider wrote on Thursday that the Bleacher Creature line has been extended to the National Hockey League this year, with dolls retailing for about $20. The Alex Ovechkin doll they have posted other there isn't bad, although he's a little more Noel Gallagher than Russian Machine.

It is a slightly better likeness than the Chicago Blackhawks star shown above, a.k.a. the love child of Jane Lynch from "Glee" and Stretch Armstrong.

Coming up, four more examples of nightmare fuel from the otherwise adorable Bleacher Creatures line of NHL plush toys.

All images via the Bleacher Creatures NHL Series 1 Facebook page. And here ? we ? go.

Here is Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penuins, a.k.a.� Xander from "Buffy". Classic mistake here for the Sidney doll: For the likeness to work, you have to his mouth in a half-crooked smirk to accentuate his bee-stung lips. Also, arching his eyebrows in exasperation over (a) a non-call on a breakaway or (b) the NHL's player safety policy would have helped.

This is allegedly James van Riemsdyk of the Philadelphia Flyers, a.k.a. Canadian actor Tyler Labine and/or Zartan from "G.I. Joe." We know what you're thinking: How could James van Riemsdyk possibly be on the same pages as postseason trophy winners and legitimate superstars. For the answer, look up the mileage between Plymouth Meeting, Pa., where the company is headquartered, and Philadelphia. (This would also explain the presence of Danny Briere.)

Bottom line: We feel like this doll should come with a Monster Energy Drink for some reason.

Oh, c'mon, Bleacher Creatures: What part of "Captain Serious" didn't you understand about Jonathan Toews? Although this is a wonderful plush recreation of a young Hank Azaria. "Hiya Homer!"

"Tony Award-winning actor Alfred Molina literally transforms into Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the new off-Broadway comedy, 'Mama's Magic Borscht.'"

Or Ross Geller from "Friends." Or the creepy kid from "The Ring" all grow'd up. Or Geno just needs sleep.

But, in fairness, the Bleacher Creature people did nail a few of these dolls:

It's like some sinister wizard transformed Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins into a living doll!

Either that or he's, ahem, getting his tires pumped, based on his expression.

Visit the Facebook page to see the Danny Briere and Henrik Zetterberg dolls. Capitals Outsider reports that a second series is in the works with Nicklas Backstrom among the featured players.

Two words, Bleacher Creatures: Byfuglien plushie.

Do it.

Featuring the comedy stylings of Sean Leahy and Harrison Mooney.

Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans Baltimore Orioles Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers

Days of NBA Lives: Wherein Tyrus Thomas is E for Everyone

At this point, seemingly half the NBA is on Twitter. It's a wild world of training updates, questions as to which movies they should go see, and explanations of their Call of Duty prowess. Every so often, though, you also get a picture into the more interesting aspects of NBA life. This feature is your window into that world.

Stephen Curry: @jeremytyler3 looking like Bagger Vance in the front seat lolyfrog.com/h3vxbslj

Shawn Marion: I'm riding in my boy prius and he told me it's costs 28 bucks to fill it up and if he shake the car he can 30 lol it's gets 45mpg wow

Tyrus Thomas: Dude just asked me for my ID to show that I'm 17 to buy a video game.... I really didn't know how to respond... I just gave him this face

Samardo Samuels: I went too see JAY Z and his body guard was a a------ so I didn't get too meet him. Still play is music tho.

Danny Granger: To you people that liked Drive, get ur head examined and never comment on another movie please ? The only thing that stopped me from walking out was the 13.50 and the 25 bucks for a dam popcorn...#nbalockout

You can also follow Eric Freeman on Twitter at @freemaneric.

Torii Hunter Peyton Manning Philadelphia Phillies Atlanta Braves Philadelphia 76ers

Friday Morning Quarterback: Texas A&M?s final Big 12 push begins? now

A weekly primer.

GAME OF THE CENTURY OF THE WEEK
OKLAHOMA STATE at TEXAS A&M (-4�) ? 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2.
What's at stake: Neither the Cowboys nor Aggies are strangers to big games on a national stage, but they are strangers to winning them: OSU is 1-8 against top-10 opponents under Mike Gundy, all but one of the losses coming by at least two touchdowns; before last November's home upset over No. 9 Nebraska, A&M hadn't beaten a top-10 outfit since 2002. With both teams hovering in the upper echelons of the current polls, the winner Saturday instantly joins Oklahoma at the top of the Big 12 food chain, and noses into the lead "darkhorse" position in the national race.

Oklahoma State wants: Scorin' and more scorin'. The Big Change of the offseason ? the much-lamented transition from spread passing maestro Dana Holgorsen to new offensive coordinator Todd Monken ?�hasn't slowed the Cowboys' pace at all: Through three weeks, they're still running more plays per game than any other offense in the country, for more yards than anyone except Georgia Tech. It's a more balanced attack than they get credit for ? Joseph Randle has carried the ball more times than any other back in the Big 12 ?�but the pace is designed to give 27-year-old quarterback Brandon Weeden maximum opportunities with his arm, and he's yet to be denied.

In Weeden's 16 career starts, OSU has scored at least 33 points in all but one ? that one, coincidentally, happening to be the only one in which ace receiver Justin Blackmon wasn't on the field. That won't be the case here, and A&M is no better equipped to deal Blackmon than it was when he and Weeden hooked up ten times for 127 yards and a touchdown last year in Stillwater.

Texas A&M wants: A&M isn't exactly "conservative," by a long shot, but it is equipped to control the clock with a pair of between-the-tackles workhorses, Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael, thumping away behind a big, veteran line that's helped Gray over 100 yards rushing in nine consecutive games. More importantly, it's equipped to make Weeden feel a little heat: Seven different Aggies have combined for 11 sacks over the first two games, the best rate in the nation in the early going, from nearly every position on the field in the Aggies' 3-4 defense. (Even the starting cornerbacks, Coryell Judie and Terrence Frederick, each have one QB takedown apiece.) Obviously, A&M will have to move the ball and score in any case, but with no answer for Blackmon in the secondary short of leaving everyone else open, their best chance on defense is to limit Weeden's opportunities to get rid of the ball cleanly in the first place.

Constants: Points. ? Multiple big plays from Weeden to Blackmon. ? Points. ? Multiple sustained, balanced drives by the A&M offense. ? Points.
Variables: How often does A&M hit Weeden? ? How effectively do the Aggies establish the run? ? Who touches the ball last?

The Pick: In any standard-issue Big 12 shootout, Oklahoma State has the advantage of sauntering in with the biggest gun (Justin Blackmon) and a determination to fire every last round of ammunition. In this case, though, there's no reason Texas A&M can't match the Cowboys shot for shot offensively, and plenty of reasons ?�the raucous home crowd, the A&M pass rush, Weeden's six interceptions in just three games ?�to downgrade OSU's chances on leaving the kind of scorch marks it's capable of. The box score will say "shootout," but the victory will belong to the 12th Man and Tim DeRuyter's defense.

Onwards and upwards?

LSU (-6) at WEST VIRGINIA ? 8 p.m. ET, ABC.
Before the season, I might have been convinced that LSU's pedestrian offense ? operating in Morgantown, at night, after a full day of hype and heavy drinking on campus ? could be outgunned by the latest incarnation of Holgorsen's up-tempo spread attack. I might have bought that two weeks ago. But after watching LSU's defense dump the remains of Mississippi State's up-tempo spread attack in the same hole where it left Oregon's up-tempo spread attack after the opener, I'm sold on the Tiger D from front to back: Wherever they're playing, the secondary is fully capable of putting any passing game on lockdown until reinforcements arrive at the quarterback, and the offense is going to have the luxury to keep grinding until it eventually breaks through. Even an offensive mastermind can't out-scheme a defense his team can't block.

ARKANSAS at ALABAMA (-11) ? 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS.
It's impossible to say much about Arkansas' new personnel on offense based on wins over Missouri State, New Mexico and Troy, but there's no doubt what it's up against: As expected, the Alabama D is already among the top five nationally in every major category ? total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, passing defense, pass efficiency defense ?�and the Crimson Tide have outgained their first three opponents by more than 300 yards per game.

The Razorbacks certainly aren't short on firepower, but that was true last year, too, when they had an NFL-bound quarterback throwing against a depleted 'Bama defense and a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and still couldn't pull out the win at home. This time, with a new quarterback making his first road start against one of the most vicious, veteran units in the country, they'll be defying logic to keep it within reach that late.

MISSOURI at OKLAHOMA (-19�) ? 8 p.m. ET, FX.
Twenty points is a big spread for a serious challenger to the Sooners' supremacy at the top of the polls ? Mizzou ended Oklahoma's brief run at No. 1 last year, after all, and OU barely made it to 20 points in last week's slugfest at Florida State, period ? but the respect for any Bob Stoops-coached team in Norman is well-earned: Oklahoma hasn't lost a Big 12 home game in a decade, and hasn't won a Big 12 home game by fewer than 10 points since 2005. Missouri? well, Missouri was awfully impressive against Western Illinois.

FLORIDA STATE at CLEMSON (-2�) ? 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.
Two of the most obvious takeaways from last Saturday were the emergence of Florida State's young defense in a tough loss and Clemson's young offense in a shootout win. Naturally, the buzz surrounding the Seminoles' visit to Death Valley is all about the FSU offense, specifically: Is E.J. Manuel going to play, or what?

The lingering uncertainty over the 'Noles' QB situation has moved the line a full five points in Clemson's direction ?�Florida State opened the week as a three-point favorite ?�a good gauge of just how little faith Clint Trickett inspired after Manuel went down last week against Oklahoma. He'll fare better against Clemson, but based on last week's returns, not quite well enough to outduel his counterpart, Tajh Boyd.

USC at ARIZONA STATE (-2�) ? 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN.
The Trojans have spent a good portion of the last week talking about what a dirty team Arizona State is, which is probably not going to lead to the warmest reception in Sun Devil Stadium. The more relevant theme, though, is the ongoing disintegration of ASU's starting defense: With defensive end Junior Onyeali's decision to undergo season-ending knee surgery earlier this week, the Devils are down four defensive starters since the start of spring practice, three of them ? Onyeali, linebacker Brandon Magee and All-Pac-10 corner Omar Bolden ? to injuries and one (defensive end James Brooks) to a premature departure before his senior year. Generally speaking, that's not the kind of trend you want to bring into a game against a future first-round quarterback who's just starting to find a steady rapport with a young but very, very talented set of receivers.

NOTRE DAME (-7) at PITTSBURGH ? Noon ET, ABC.
Not that Notre Dame's killer instinct is anything to write home about, but Pitt's fourth quarter collapse at Iowa managed to one-up even the Irish's late flop at Michigan: Unlike Denard Robinson two weeks ago, Hawkeye quarterback James Vandenberg didn't appear to break a sweat in the process of leading four consecutive touchdown drives covering 60, 73, 64 and 64 yards in a span of 15 minutes. For a secondary that also allowed 337 yards and three touchdowns passing in a six-point win over Maine, dealing with Michael Floyd is a no-win proposition.

COLORADO at OHIO STATE (-16�) ? 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2.
This is a non-conference game, and the Buckeyes clearly aren't harboring any BCS ambitions after last week's debacle in Miami. But make no mistake: With true freshman Braxton Miller taking the reins at quarterback, this game sets the tone for the rest of Ohio State's season, which already appeared to be running on fumes in a to-the-wire struggle against Toledo two weeks ago. At this point, Miller is really the only card the Buckeyes have left to play. Another flop against a three-score dog, at home, with Michigan State, Nebraska, Illinois and Wisconsin looming as the first four games in Big Ten play, and it's strictly survival mode the rest of the way ? if it's not already.

GEORGIA (-10) at OLE MISS ? 12:20 p.m. ET, Regional.
Georgia may be enduring a bit of an existential crisis re: its head coach ?�and is pretty banged up on the offensive line, to boot ?�but the mounting frustration in Athens is nowhere near the naked desperation in Oxford, where every day Houston Nutt doesn't find himself facing a firing squad after nine consecutive SEC losses is a good day. Georgia, at least, is a team with some semblance of hope; if last week's no-show at Vanderbilt was the Rebels hitting rock bottom, they'd better get used to it down there.

VANDERBILT at SOUTH CAROLINA (-15�) ? 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2.
Meanwhile, Vandy is 3-0 and feeling kinda great about it. South Carolina is 3-0 and still trying to figure out where it's going wrong. Under no circumstances do the Commodores get the benefit of the doubt on the road where Marcus Lattimore is involved, much less the Gamecocks' many other first-rate talents. But the more competitive Vandy is, and the more USC has to rely on its workhorse in a game that realistically offer him a breather from the Herculean workload he's carried so far, the longer its chances of a legitimate run at the SEC title are going to look.

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

Oakland Athletics Florida Marlins Sacramento Kings Vince Carter Oakland Raiders

Fielder?s three homers move Brewers closer to home field in LDS

The likelihood of Prince Fielder not making Milwaukee his baseball home beyond 2011 wasn't weighing very heavily on Brewers fans' minds Tuesday night. They were way too busy waving their flags and cheering as Fielder's three-homerun, five-RBI eruption led them to a big�6-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Surprisingly, the three-homer game was the first of Fielder's already prolific career. And to make it more impressive, each swing took on a greater importance as the moved along.

He started with a solo homerun in the third that momentarily tied the score. Rickie Weeks then followed with a monster homerun of his own.�His second was a two-run moonshot in the fifth that gave Miwaukee a 4-3 lead. And then the third, final, and most decisive homerun was a two-run shot off Jared Hughes in the seventh that broke the 4-4 tie, and provided the difference in the game.

Watch Fielder's three bombs

The homers were Fielder's 36th, 37th and 38th of the season, tying him with Matt Kemp for National League lead.

And who knows? If not for Corey Hart getting picked off first in the bottom of the eighth with Ryan Braun at the plate, Fielder may have had the opportunity to not only overtake Kemp, but to become the 16th player to hit four home runs in a single game.

That would have made for quite the dramatic plate appearance.

As for Milwaukee, the win was their 95th of the season, which equals their franchise record. But much more importantly than that, it moved baseball's best home team (56-24) one step closer to hosting their LDS matchup against a yet to be determined opponent.

Now they turn their attention to Wednesday, where all they need to lock up home field is another win over Pittsburgh or an Arizona Diamondbacks loss. In the event neither occur, Milwaukee will be on the road come Saturday. That extra incentive, according to Fielder, is very much welcomed.

"There is no 'turning it back on,'" he said. "I'm actually glad we have this little extra incentive to play hard, just to keep it going. You never want to have to turn it back on when in the playoffs, at least I think so. I think you want to go in there playing hard, solid baseball. I think we're doing that, and hopefully it pays off."

It's apparent the Diamondbacks also subscribe to that theory based on their ridiculous 10th inning rally and victory last night. Their comeback, coupled with the importance of Milwaukee securing home field, helps set up another interesting storyline on what very well could be the most action packed final day of a baseball regular in recent memory.

Follow Mark on Twitter ? @Townie813 ? and engage the Stew on Facebook

College Basketball Philadelphia Eagles NBA Eli Manning New England Patriots

Metta World Peace donates $285K to mental health charities

Never one to dwell on bad news, Metta World Peace (the basketball player previously known as Ron Artest) has bounced back from Tuesday's early dismissal from "Dancing with the Stars" by spreading good cheer across this great nation. The man is a human positivity machine.

As he often does, World Peace just gave a very large sum of money to a variety of mental health charities. Mark Medina has the details for the Los Angeles Times:

Metta took some steps to bring World Peace on Wednesday by donating $285,000 to mental health charities across America.

He has pledged to give away more than $500,000 that he raised by raffling off his 2010 Lakers championship ring. [...]

"When I was a kid, I did see a counselor," he said. "My mom helped me out, she realized I was having problems when I was 13 years old. She realized I was going through a lot.

"We have a big problem right here in America with mental health, from little boys not understanding what it takes to be a good dad or be a good older brother or a role model -- to violence."

This cause has been a major passion for World Peace since at least the Lakers' championship in 2010, when he celebrated the Game 7 victory over the Celtics by thanking his therapist on national TV. In the past 15 months, he has raffled off his title ring and raised many more funds, all while making the argument that there's no shame in getting help for mental health issues. He has committed to this issue with the kind of dedication we usually only expect from basketball players on the court. World Peace doesn't just have charity interests -- it's arguably the biggest part of his life right now.

He deserves to be commended as much as possible. However, it bears noting that at some point World Peace himself may want to pay attention to his own finances, too. While this specific donation came from his ring raffle, he has his hand in lots of investments and interests, from music to reality TV to charity. Does he have enough money to sustain everything once his playing career is over?

I don't want to make it seem like I think MWP should stop giving to charity. But, at some point, it will be a massive problem if he can't continue to be an advocate for this cause because his bank account has taken a hit. People who support a cause this strenuously are rare. It would be a shame if World Peace had to stop helping those in need.

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Wetzel: Stop superconferences, start a football playoff
? Giants face grim reality of MLB postseason chances
? Soccer star David Beckham releasing own line of underwear

New York Knicks MLS NHL Darrius Heyward-Bey Tim Duncan

Do you know what they call ?Moneyball? in France?

As a feature in Friday's Los Angeles Times explains, "Moneyball" star Pitt is a huge draw overseas. His movies actually generate more box office in foreign markets ? over there, people actually went to see "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" ? and so it makes sense that "Moneyball" is also being released overseas.

It is not, however, being called "Moneyball" in Europe. �

In marketing American films to international audiences, we all know that translations sometimes have to be made. Titles routinely get lost in translation and they often also result in some extremely amusing substitutes. (For instance, "Boogie Nights" was changed to "His Great Device Makes Him Famous" in China. A bit literal, but it certainly explains the story.)

And that leads us to the posters shown above. In France, there is no "Moneyball." Instead, Brad Pitt is ... "The Strategist!" (Or "Le Stratege.") It actually sounds a bit more like something Matt Damon or George Clooney might star in. The "Ocean's 11" movies probably could've been called "The Strategists," now that I think about it.

France is not a hotbed for baseball, which is probably why they didn't just call the movie "boule d'argent," which is French for "money ball"? (Same goes for Rob Iracane's suggested tagline of "le commentateur Joe Morgan n'aime pas Le Stratege.")

Unfortunately, Google Translate can only tell us so much as I'm not sure how to use it to translate Japanese. However, lighting Brad Pitt up like the heavenly figure that he is for their "Moneyball" poster probably tells us all we really need to know.

Follow Ian on Twitter ?�@iancass ? and engage�The Stew on Facebook

New England Patriots Vernon Wells Denver Broncos Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Royals

Video: Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh on ?Law & Order: SVU?

A little more than a month ago, we brought you the news that NBA All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh would appear on an early season episode of the NBC mainstay "Law & Order: SVU." On Wednesday night, that episode aired, and it was quite the doozy.

The plot is as follows: A former high school basketball player and current junkie accuses a hugely successful coach (Dan Lauria of "The Wonder Years") of sexually abusing many of his players. An investigation follows, led by the usual "SVU" team, plus a new detective in place of the recently deposed Christopher Meloni. A bunch of really bizarre stuff happens, at which point it becomes clear that the coach also abused Prince Miller (Mehcad Brooks, aka Eggs from "True Blood"), an NBA star seemingly modeled after LeBron James, when he was a young boy. Miller eventually comes forward when he realizes that the coach is still abusing players and must be put away for good.

Melo and Bosh appear in only two scenes, and they couldn't be more different. In the first, they introduce Lauria at his Hall of Fame induction and praise his contributions to his players and the community. In the second (which you can watch here), they stand with Miller as he gives a tearful press conference about the horrors of sexual abuse. Bosh even puts his hand on his friend's shoulder as a show of support.

I have no idea what changed for Anthony and Bosh -- perhaps their personal journey will be an extra on the DVD. What I do know, though, is that Bosh seems to be a more natural actor than Anthony. Mock his reluctance to mix it up in the paint all you want, but don't ever say that he's uncomfortable in front of the camera.

(NBC video via EOB and PBT)

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Once troubled wide receiver giving back to Florida kids
? Video: Recovery odds for NFL's winless teams
? A 5-foot-3 former construction worker has a UFC title shot

Phil Mickelson Chicago Bulls Indianapolis Colts John Lackey Baltimore Ravens

Game Day Live Blog: On the road again

Last week, ESPN did this thing where they declared it "Road Test Saturday," or something along those lines, as if every Saturday in college football isn't about overcoming loud, hostile crowds and their various, glorious regional quirks. Five more ranked teams face serious tests today on another ranked team's turf, including LSU (at West Virginia), Oklahoma State (at Texas A&M), Florida State (at Clemson), Arkansas (at Alabama) and North Carolina (at Georgia Tech), not to mention USC (at Arizona State), Florida (at Kentucky), Notre Dame (at Pitt), Georgia (at Ole Miss) and Oregon (at Arizona).

It's not another "Road Test Saturday." It's just "Saturday." And it's why we're watching in the first place.

? What: Game day live blog, covering every game, all day long. All colors and comments welcome, though preference is always given to snark.
? When: First kicks are at noon ET on ABC, the Big Ten Network and various incarnations of ESPN. It goes till it goes ? at least through the primetime tilts in Morgantown and Norman, and possibly though a pair of midnight-oil tilts in Arizona.
? Who: You and all your rowdy friends, as long as they promise to limit fires to designated areas only.
? How: Hit "Watch Now," enter comments into the available box and do your part to accelerate the slow, agonizing death of conventional journalism.
? Why: Because it's another beautiful fall Saturday. What else could you possibly have to do?

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

New York Yankees New Orleans Saints Charlotte Bobcats NFL Rashard Lewis

Game Day Keys: Arkansas introduces its new gun in enemy territory

On the days most pivotal players.

? QB TYLER WILSON, Arkansas. Wilson has three starts under his belt now ?�easy Razorback wins over Missouri State, New Mexico State and Troy ? but where a living, breathing SEC defense is concerned, there's still only one entry: A 332-yard, four-touchdown, two-interception revival of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" last year at Auburn. As good as Wilson looked for most of that game in relief of starter Ryan Mallett, he ultimately wilted in the fourth quarter in the only hostile road environment he's faced ?�until today, when the combination of Alabama's defense and 100,000 Rammer-Jammering Crimson Tide fans present him with the most hostile road environment he'll ever face.

Forget the big numbers: If Wilson delivers a handful of big plays that keep the Razorbacks close without a repeat of last year's turnover festival on the Plains, he's going to be a force to be reckoned with for the rest of the SEC.

? LB VONTAZE BURFICT, Arizona State. Matt Barkley has barely been touched in USC's first three games, with predictable results: He has nine touchdown passes to just one interception in three Trojan wins, all but one of the scores going to a first or second-year receiver just beginning to find his place in the offense. On the other side, since spring practice, the Arizona State defense has lost its best cornerback, a starting linebacker, a starting defensive end and, as of this week, the conference's reigning Defensive Freshman of the Year, defensive tackle Junior Onyeali.

But the Devils still have their head-hunting middle linebacker, who is well-acquainted with Barkley since their high school days ?�Barkley minced no words about his old rival in the L.A. Times: "He's a dirty player. His switch is always on. And it's not a good switch." ? and ranks among the national leaders with four sacks in ASU's first three games. So far, Barkley's arm is accounting for a little over 70 percent of USC's total offense, but that number tonight is in direct proportion to just how reacquainted he gets with Mr. Burfict.

? DE Tony Jerod-Eddie, Texas A&M. The Aggies don't have much better hope of containing Oklahoma State star Justin Blackmon than they did last year, when Blackmon and quarterback Brandon Weeden hooked up ten times for 127 yards and a touchdown in a 38-35 Cowboy win in Stillwater ? at least, not without ignoring Weeden's other targets. But they do have an opportunity to disrupt Weeden with the nation's most sack-happy defense to date, led by Jerod-Eddie, who had three QB takedowns and two hurries in A&M's opening-day win over SMU alone. If Weeden has time, the Aggie secondary is toast.

? WR/KR Tavon Austin, West Virginia. LSU's defense has been the stuff of nightmares against very capable spread offenses from Oregon and Mississippi State ? the Tigers have only allowed three plays of 20 yards or longer, and none longer than 30 yards ?�and West Virginia is probably going to feel like it's banging its head against a brick wall most of the night, too. If the Mountaineers have any chance, they'll have to get a quick strike or two out of their most dynamic player, and the way the Tiger D is playing, it may have to come in the return game.

? DEs Quinton Coples and Donte Paige-Moss, North Carolina. No defense has ever shut down Paul Johnson's triple-option attack more effectively than Iowa in the 2009 Orange Bowl, largely due to the presence of a first-rate, havoc-wreaking defensive end, Adrian Clayborn, who snuffed out everything run in his direction. Today, Georgia Tech runs into two first-rate athletes ? Coples and Paige-Moss are both projected as high first-round draft picks ?�who will have to prove equally disruptive to prevent the Tar Heels from becoming the latest defense to leave Atlanta with tread marks down its back.

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

Chicago Cubs Tiger Woods Dwight Howard Chicago Bears Portland Trail Blazers

What We Learned: Can Brendan Shanahan handle tougher tests?

Hello, this is a feature that will run through the entire season and aims to recap the weekend's events and boils those events down to one admittedly superficial fact or stupid opinion about each team. Feel free to complain about it.

Brendan Shanahan, as the new wielder of justice for the National Hockey League, came out flying for his first shift.

Five games to Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond. TEN games to Jody Shelley. And while the majority of those games were in the preseason, it sent a very clear and obvious message: Brendan Shanahan isn't here to screw around.

Media and fans alike are sighing with appropriate happiness over the new enforcement official of the NHL, he of the shiny new badge and requisite air of seriousness. Finally, here is a guy who Gets It.

The league wants to take dangerous plays like this seriously? Great. Shanahan's suspending guys who have a history of disciplinary problems longer than those who do not? Even better. It wasn't the first time in the principal's office for either player.

And that trend will continue given the indefinite suspensions to both James Wisniewski and Brad Staubitz over the weekend. Staubitz was suspended one game for an illegal hit in 2009 and Wisniewski, apart from the whole pantomime thing last year, most recently got eight for this horrible hit at the end of the 2009-10 campaign.

But there are a few questions people should be asking here.

The first is whether those two hefty suspensions already handed out ? which would have been sixth and tied for second in the league, length-wise, last season ? would have been quite so weighty if they had not included wholly meaningless preseason games or been to guys who are essentially goons?

(Coming Up: Dean Lombardi turns to the Red Sox for Doughty help; Devils' ownership mess; Panthers spelling fail; Saad days for Chicago; the World Cup of Hockey's return; the Avs are already banged-up; Loui Eriksson, sans Richards; Derek Stepan's snipe; Kyle Turris is delusional; Blues ownership bid weirdness; San Jose's bonds issue; a man with too many Caps tats; Malkin in Beast Mode; �and does Nathan Horton know his teammates are texted apologies for hits?)

[Play Fantasy Hockey, now with Pro Leagues]

Let's be honest: Shelley and Letourneau-Leblond, who averaged 6:11 and 3:28 in ice time last year, respectively, aren't going to be especially missed by their teams, and certainly not before the season even starts. (The same will go for Staubitz, with his 6:31 TOI per game last year.)

While these five- and 10-game penalties sound really nice, people are not calling them what they were: one- and five-game suspensions. No one cares about guys missing preseason games. And yeah, five games is still a decent amount, but the long arm of the law may not have gone quite far enough in sending as firm a message as people are giving him credit for.

Was Shelley's hit really not as bad as when Tom Kostopoulos ran Brad Stuart last year (six games)? Was it only slightly worse than Raffi Torres elbowing Jordan Eberle in the head (four games)?

Plus, how are preseason games weighted versus those in the regular-season? Brad Boyes got a pretty good piece of Joe Colborne's noodle on Friday night and got two preseason games for it. Would it have been more or less or the same if this had happened in February instead of September? What about the playoffs?

Another issue is that having Shanahan stand in front of a camera and say, "Here's why this happened," is all well and good, but just reading from the rule book and sticking to the same language doesn't account for what the league often reminds us are nuanced, unique situations.

While we know that players' previous suspensions are now being taken into account, we also don't know what they count for. For example, would Wisniewski's two-gamer for the gesture at Sean Avery be considered the same type of discipline problem as Shelley's two-gamer for running Adam McQuaid? Do a pair of two-game suspensions count the same as one four-gamer? These are things we don't know, and need clarity on.

There should also be serious questions about what happens for Wisniewski or Boyes, well-paid players that are expected to contribute to their clubs. One thing they're not is off-brand cement-head intimidators like the other three guys. Wisniewski scored 10 goals and is expected to quarterback the Columbus power play.

Word of the Wisniewski hit was that it wasn't particularly pretty because it may or may not have been in retaliation for a clean hit on Fedor Tyutin (there's also talk of embellishment on Cal Clutterbuck's part). Of course, the general public is still not privy to video, but we do know that the hearing will be by phone, indicating that the suspension will likely be fewer than five games.

That's a little worrying given that we've seen the league drop the gavel hard on goons and lets star players skate with slaps on the wrist for similar offenses.

I understand we're still in the nascent stages of the new disciplinary system here, but if the guy people are now calling "Sheriff Shanahan" wants to carry around the big iron and clean up the town, he has to be ready to draw on anyone and act with the necessary amount of force. And then he has to be able to better articulate why.

The league needs a Seth Bullock. The Barney Fife days have to be over.

What We Learned

Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks dressed their big top line of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan against the Sharks on Friday and they still got buried 5-1. Randy Carlyle: not happy. Anaheim has lost its first two exhibition games 13-5 on aggregate.

Boston Bruins: Johnny Boychuk sent a text to Mason Raymond to apologize for breaking his back in the Stanley Cup Finals last year, and I'm sure Nathan Horton was A-OK with the decision.

Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres were still unbeaten in the preseason through Saturday night. Big-time W's over juggernauts like the Hurricanes, Habs B-team and Maple Leafs (twice). A fully staffed Columbus team dumped 'em 4-1 on Sunday, though.

Calgary Flames: If things stay as they are right now, your center for the line of Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay is Mikael Backlund. Adjust your fantasy draft ranking accordingly.

Carolina Hurricanes: It's getting crowded on the Carolina blue line. There are 14 D-men listed in the linked article. Maybe if they dress all of them every night they won't bleed goals like they did last year.

Chicago Blackhawks: Brandon Saad is making it awful difficult for the Blackhawks to send him down. Of course, they'll still do it because he's just 18, but still, strong showing from the kid.

Colorado Avalanche: Not a good start to the season for the Avs, who suffered through about a million injuries last year. Brandon Yip and the newly signed Jan Hejda are both out for multiple weeks.

Columbus Blue Jackets: The Blue Jackets really hope their power play will be better this year. You mean last year's 13.95 percent wasn't good enough?

Dallas Stars: Everyone likes Loui Eriksson, but now he's gotta carry the water that Brad Richards used to haul without help. Hey Jamie Benn is almost as good as Richards right? No?

Detroit Red Wings Presented by Amway: Don't throw that last shovel of dirt on Fabian Brunnstrom's NHL career just yet. He scored for Detroit on Friday night.

Edmonton Oilers: The Oil are probably in the market for a puck-moving No. 1 defenseman. Them and about 15 other teams in the league.

Florida Panthers: You would think the Panthers could spell Tomas Fleischmann's name right. You'd be wrong.

�

Los Angeles Kings: Dean Lombardi recently asked Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein for advice on how to sign Drew Doughty. Guess what: It's because baseball has sensible second contracts built into their CBA.

Minnesota Wild: Eric Nystrom got run into by Colton Gillies, his own teammate, in the neutral zone Saturday and in doing so gave up an odd-man rush that went for naught. So Nystrom got the puck, went down to the other end of the ice and scored on a rocket shot. If I'm Nystrom I start paying teammates to run me every shift and see if I can match 92 in a season.

�

Montreal Canadiens: Max Pacioretty scored twice in 2:17 in his second game back from breaking his neck and all that. But it was against the Senators so really that's only like 1.7 goals.

Nashville Predators: Might the Predators actually add players in the early stages of the season? Barry Trotz says it's possible.

New Jersey Devils: Hey, remember that whole "No, the Devils aren't in bad financial shape," stuff a little while back? Sure you do. So why is a guy that owns 47 percent of the team getting rid of his stake?

New York Islanders: Think the Islanders missed Mark Streit? In his first game in 17 months, he had a goal and two apples as the Isles routed New Jersey. This just a few days after he became the first Swiss captain in league history. Solid week.

New York Rangers: Beautiful snipe by Derek Stepan. That kid can play.

Ottawa Senators: The Sens blew a three-goal lead and lost to Montreal in a shootout. Not quite midseason form yet. If this were January they'd have coughed it up in regulation.

Philadelphia Flyers: You may or may not be able to buy tickets to the Winter Classic right now. It seems unlikely, but I guess the only way to find out is gamble thousands of dollars.

Phoenix Coyotes: Kyle Turris is, yes, still holding out because he still wants between $3 million and $4 million a year. You didn't read one word of that incorrectly. Said GM Don Maloney: "His position is just so illogical; from our standpoint, it makes absolutely no sense." Burn.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Evgeni Malkin looks terrifying so far in this preseason, two goals in as many games, and three assists. He's making it look very, very easy.

San Jose Sharks: The bail bonds company that has people in its shirts sit behind the Sharks' bench has been banned from doing so this upcoming season, and now the company is considering a lawsuit based on the ? get this ? constitutionality of the ban. Where's Bill Alfonso when you need him?

St. Louis Blues: Hey, so that guy that tried to buy the Blues for $167 million the other day, what's his deal? Turns out most people seem to have little if any idea. It all seems a little shady.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Steven Stamkos wants to take more of a leadership role this season. Kid's gonna be the captain in the 2017-18 season. Gotta start learning now.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Mike Komisarek is stuck in Toronto because he has a no-trade clause, right? Wrong, apparently. So now he's just stuck in Toronto because no one wants to acquire him.

Vancouver Canucks: The Canucks are so injury-phobic that they're keeping their veterans out of as many preseason games as possible. But now those vets are kinda starting to feel like they should be getting in at least a few, y'know? Through Sunday's game, the Sedins haven't made a preseason appearance.

Washington Capitals: Here's a guy who has 23 Capitals tattoos, but if he doesn't have the Alex Ovechkin lower back ink he's not a real fan.

Winnipeg Jets: Claude Noel is trying to teach the Jets how to have fun. That means puck possession. For a team on its third coach in as many years, gotta think they won't really have a huge handle on it in the early going.

Gold Star Award

This report says they might bring back the World Cup of Hockey, which is really awesome. That means more hockey in the summers sometimes. Who wouldn't love that?

Minus of the Weekend

Matt Cooke really has changed.

Before this season, he would have gotten the elbows up too.

Play of the Weekend

Holy mackinaw indeed.

Perfect HFBoards Trade Proposal of the Week

User "JayP812" is trying to shake things up for the Sharks' top line:

To Calgary:

C Logan Couture
D William Wrenn
2012 2nd round pick (from Minnesota)

To San Jose:

RW Jarome Iginla

Signoff

Barclay, Barry, Bert. ? Bort?

Ryan Lambert publishes hockey awesomeness rather infrequently over at The Two-Line Pass. Check it out, why don't you? Or you can email him here and follow him on Twitter if you so desire.

Ales Rodriquez Arizona Diamondbacks Denver Nuggets Washington Redskins Golden State Warriors