All Hell Breaks Loose Postrace In Charlotte

((HT: NASCAR on ABC/ESPN))

First, the end of the race in Charlotte this evening gave Kevin Harvick a win to advance in the new version of The Chase...
But all hell broke loose after the fact...

Your finish


And a longer version with commentary from some rather intense, very young NASCAR fans (NSFW)...


Then, Kenseth jumped Keselowski between the haulers out back to express some severe displeasure


Expect Kenseth, Keselowski, and Hamlin to visit The Big Red Truck very soon- and to, perhaps, be a little lighter in the wallet...

Reminded the HQ of something like this


Doesn't it...???

Here's postgame with Doc and Brad and Vince and Denny...

When Being Out Of The Baseline Doesn't Mean You're Out

((HT: MLB.com))

The Pittsburgh Pirates Josh Harrison had a full evening last night...

But the biggest part was this activity on the base paths that angered Mets manager Terry Collins before it was over with...


Now, we know that when you run, you can take a little creative license in the base paths...

"That Is One Heck Of An Exit..."

((HT: Deadspin/Kevin Weinheimer))

This is the first time that the HQ has seen this after an ejection...

Last night, as Norfolk was playing Charlotte in triple-A, Quintin Berry for Norfolk gets a single to right, squares off with the first base umpire, and then completes his actions the only way a baseball player knows to at times...


No word from minor league baseball offices or the Tides themselves if anything else is happening to Berry after his creative display of eff-you to the guys dressed in black...

Balotelli Jousts With TV Guys After Sub And Loss

((HT: SkySports Italy))

The HQ warns you, the exchange is in Italian...

But the bottom line is that Mario Balotelli wasn't going to take any criticism lightly...

AC Milan lost to Roma 2-0 and the hosts decided that they were going after Balotelli for lack of movement and pressed on his exchange with manager Clarence Seedorf when he was taken off in the 69th minute...


The translation from the Canadian Press:

Balotelli said: "When Milan wins Mario is great, when it loses Mario is bad."

Told by one studio host that he doesn't move enough on the pitch, Balotelli responded: "You don't know anything about football. Trust me."

Balotelli even took to his 2.5-million Twitter followers to talk about it:

"Mamma mia divido l Italia in 2! Però! Mentre quasi tutto l Estero è unito con me! What a strange game:-)"

("Mamma mia I divide Italy in 2! Wow! While nearly everyone abroad is united with me!")

Nothing changes with enigmas, does it...???

T-Wolves Cunningham Arrested On Domestic Assault Charges

((HT: MyFoxTwinCities))

2nd year Minnesota Timberwolves forward Dante Cunningham was charged with assault after being accused of choking his girlfriend during an argument Thursday night.

The criminal complaint, filed in suburban Minneapolis, says Cunningham's girlfriend told police they got into an argument, Cunningham kicked down a locked bedroom door, grabbed her around the neck and slammed her against the wall, choking her to the point where she couldn't breathe.

Cunningham's girlfriend did not require medical treatment when police arrived.

Cunningham was charged with a felony count of domestic assault by strangulation with bail set at $40,000.

Here's the morning update
KMSP-TV

He is still in jail and didn't join the team for their weekend road trip in Florida.

The team issued a standard statement:

"We are aware of the matter involving Dante Cunningham and are in the process of gathering more information. Dante will not be traveling with the team to Miami this afternoon. The Minnesota Timberwolves organization takes the matter very seriously and does not condone the type of behavior that is associated with this situation. However, we need to let the legal process run its course, and will have further comment at the appropriate time."

Cunningham will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
The team exercised their $2.1-million option after last season.

Spurs Boss Not A Fan Of Benfica Boss

((HT: SkySports))

Benfica was better than Spurs in the first leg of their Europa League Round-of-16 match-up at White Hart Lane...

Not in dispute...

But what is up in conversation are the antics of Benfica manager Jorge Jesus during the match itself...
Like this exchange after the third Benfica goal...


Current Spurs caretaker manager Tim Sherwood was not happy post-match as he told Sky:

"I thought his team were very good and showed a lot of class - it's just a shame he didn't," Sherwood said.

"In the first two minutes, he was coming over to the fourth official saying I was stepping in his box.

"He doesn't mind himself, does he, to be fair? Waving goodbye like that [with three fingers]? It lacks class. Why would anyone do that?

"He's got a good side, of course he has, but, nah, not for me thank you. I have no intention of speaking to him."

Jesus, when asked said he was referring to his goal scorer Luisao- even if his player wears the number 4...

Sherwood may still have his locker room, if you believe what Sandro said this week, but he may only have it for another nine Premier League games or so...

Patrick Roy's Fire Exists Even In Game 1 (UPDATED With Fine And Reax)

So, you win your first game as Colorado Avalanche head coach fairly easily, but the game doesn't just "end" with players skating off the ice to their respective locker rooms...

This happens...
((HT: Prime Ticket/Fred Murtz))


Roy thought that, just before the goal, Nathan MacKinnon was knocked down by Ducks defenseman Ben Lovejoy with what Roy said was a knee-on-knee hit. No penalty was called.

"I was not very happy," Roy said. "First of all, I mean, to see a defenseman knee our guy. I mean, that was a knee-on-knee hit. That should have been a penalty in my opinion, and I certainly didn't like that. When it's 6-0, I don't think this game needs that type of cheap shot. But after that there was some talk from the coaches, I guess. But at the same time, what should I do? He put his fourth line on the ice. I'm not going to go with my first line. I went with my fourth line and, that's it. I was matching all night long, by the way."

Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau disagreed... of course...

"It was a little trip and maybe they should have called it, but they let it go because of the score," Boudreau said. "He was barking at me because I was yelling at him to quit yelling at our players. I didn't notice it as much as I noticed it then. The last game we were in here [for a preseason game] it was a big thing by the referees telling him it's going to be a long year if he's going to be yelling at everyone like that. There was no need for it.

"He's not 25 anymore; he's watched every NHL game I'm sure since he retired. He played for some of the greatest coaches and even though he was in the net and didn't hear a lot of them, I'm sure he knew what was going on."

Remember... they play three more times... and it looks like Roy's time behind the bench will be a trip...

So to speak...

PM UPDATE: Roy was fined $10-grand for his plexiglass shove-fest...

Here's Roy's response- and other coaches as well...
((HT: Sportsnet))

Buck Showalter Wants None Of Joe Girardi's Shenanigans

((HT: MLB/YES/MASN))

The Yankees, in order to win 90 games and maybe make the playoffs, have to go 14-4 the rest of the way...

And, as a manager, you're going to do anything to throw anyone off their game...
Like this...


Orioles Manager Buck Showalter didn't want Girardi to chirp at the third base coach, Bobby Dickerson. He wanted any discussion or disagreement to go through him.

And you saw the hotness of Showalter... he's taking no crap from nobody...

Brandon Phillips Vents Pregame At Local Beat Writer

((HT: CBS Sports/101Sports))

Matt Snyder lets us know that Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips is a little mad at Cincinnati Enquirer beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans. Phillips got moved from clean-up to second in the line up and Rosecrans thought Tweeting the ten point difference in on base percentage was a good idea...

Phillips didn't think so...

He told him so before the game...


So, of course, in his first game post-rant Phillips was building on a 2-for-3 evening as the Reds were up 9-0 after 5 innings in St. Louis...

Ah, all of this verbal jousting... even if the Reds are in the second wild card spot at present...

And safely so... but...

Cincinnati.com offered us this statement of not backing off their Reds coverage that ended...

While we are disappointed in Phillips' reaction, we understand it is a pennant race and emotions are high during a crucial series with a heated rival. This isn't the first time a player has lost his temper in response to a reporters questions and it won't be the last. It is part of covering the team day-in day-out.

This will not effect our coverage of the team or Phillips. We plan on moving on from and we hope Phillips does to.