Wrigley Field usher interrupts TV interview with Clint Hurdle’s father

Welcome to the not-so-friendly confines of Wrigley Field?

During the fifth inning of the Chicago Cubs 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Root Sports broadcaster Robby Incmikoski — not to be confused with former Pirates infielder Rob Mackowiak — conducted an in-game interview with the father of Pirates manager Clint Hurdle — also Clint Hurdle but doesn't go by the title Sr. — that ended in the most unusual manner. Check it out!

The interview took place with both men standing in an aisle way about halfway up the lower section of seats behind the first base dugout. Obviously not the most convenient place as the view of several fans was blocked, but Incmikoski was determined to talk to Mr. Hurdle — who actually traveled with the team to Wrigley Field as a part of their special fathers road trip — about the team's success this season.

The first 90 seconds or so went smoothly, then around the 1:45 mark of the video a little commotion can be overheard. When the camera returns, we see that a Wrigley Field usher had grown impatient, perhaps at the urging of some fans, and was putting the kabosh on the interview. And so it ended just strangely and just that awkwardly, because let me tell you something folks, those Wrigley Field ushers mean business.

Kobe Bryant reacts to Dwight Howard’s decision on Instagram (Photo)

Minutes after it became official that Dwight Howard had agreed to sign with the Houston Rockets on Friday evening, Los Angeles Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant reacted by posting this photo on his Instagram account: 

(Screenshot via Instagram)
The hashtags? "#vamos #juntos #lakercorazon #vino"
In light of a pretty rough year, I think we can all agree that Bryant and Pau Gasol's championship-winning relationship is pretty darn special. Sound, and classy move, Kobe. Oh yea! I forgot to mention Bryant unfollowed Howard on Twitter! #Ouch!
 

Snoop (Dogg) Lion gives a public show of support to Aaron Hernandez

(Instagram/snoopdogg)
Once upon a time, Snoop Dogg rapped "Murder Was the Case," so maybe it shouldn't be too surprising he's defending Aaron Hernandez, who is being held on a first-degree murder charge.
Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Lion, which we think he wants to be called now) also loves attention, so we really shouldn't be surprised he is one of the few people who has publicly sided with Hernandez.
Snoop posted a picture of himself and Hernandez on Instagram with the caption, "Keep ya head up !! We prayn 4 ya." (H/T to USA Today.)

The response has been mostly negative – also not surprising. Many comments (at least the ones that didn't confuse Hernandez with George Zimmerman) angrily criticized Snoop for defending someone who is being charged for murder. Let's just say we can't publish most of the comments here on a family friendly blog.
But at this point, Hernandez will likely take any support he can get.

One of the coolest first pitches you’ll ever see, thanks to a Korean gymnast

Holy hip replacement! Get a load of this first pitch thrown out at a Korean Baseball Organization game Friday. This amazing woman is Shin Soo-ji, a rhythmic gymnast, who did the first-pitch honors for the Doosan Bears before their game with the Samsung Lions. (Thanks to our pal Dan at MyKBO for the ID.)

I can't tell you what the announcers are saying, but I know this needs no translation: This video is crazy awesome. You'll probably watch it 15 times in a row.

Memo to Tiffany Hwang, the Korean pop star, who threw out the horrible first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game earlier this season: This is how you do it. In fact, this puts pretty much every MLB first pitch I've ever seen to shame. Even you, Colin Kaepernick.

I'm almost — ALMOST — willing to forgive Korea now for unleashing "Gangnam Style" on the rest of the world.

Mike Trout would love a do-over... gives up a home run

This is not how it's supposed to work. Mike Trout steals home runs, he doesn't push them over the fence with poorly timed and/or located jumps.

Alas, the top home run thief in Major League Baseball made a boo-boo Wednesday night, and it cost the Los Angeles Angels at least two runs. Or, if the glass is half-full in your universe, Trout helped comrade Jon Jay of the St. Louis Cardinals hit his fifth homer of the season.

With Team Fredbird already ahead by four runs in the second inning, Jay went the other way on what appeared to be a Jerome Williams change-up, driving it to deep left-center field. Trout tracked it to the fence — jumping, reaching and catching the ball — before dropping it over when the impact of crashing into the fence jarred it loose. Trout either had jumped too early or not quite high enough. The ball needed help to get over, just a nudge, and Trout had provided it.

D'oh! Instead of another robbery, it was the Angels who were six runs short against the Cardinals, who were cruising to a 12-2 victory at Angel Stadium. It was a good effort by Trout — just a little off on the execution, for once. It's OK. He'll probably make another mistake someday. And we'll be there to point it out. Boo, Big League Stew, boo!

Ray Lewis enjoying retirement by climbing 19,336-foot Mount Kilimanjaro

(USA Today Sports Images)We haven't heard too much from Ray Lewis since he retired after the Super Bowl (though that will change soon), but perhaps it's because he was training to climb the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.

Shuffleboard is apparently not Lewis' retirement thing.
As part of "TackleKili" to raise money and awareness for clean water projects in East Africa, the longtime Ravens linebacker is joining Doug Pitt, actor Brad's brother, and former Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris among others to climb 19,336-foot Mount Kilimanjaro. The ascent began Wednesday and the group is scheduled to reach the peak on Sunday.

While on the trip, Lewis and the rest of the group has also been helping to fit East African people with hearing aids.

 We probably should have known Lewis wasn't going to sit on his recliner in retirement. And he's giving his energy to a good cause.

Kids sing the National Anthem

HooplaHa - Life with a smile, collected the best of the best national anthems and found out that all of them were done by kids! This compilation shows off some of the nation's best talent as these kids of various ages, genders, and ethnicities showcase their vocal chops and their patriotism. Good job kids! Make sure to check out Hooplaha.com, the new website and brand dedicated to positive, inspirational Good News! To see more great videos HooplaHa.com!

The walk-off that wasn’t: Minor league team’s boneheaded blunder costs it a win

Chris Hawkins hit what would have been a walk-off single on Monday for the Single-A Lansing Lugnuts (a Blue Jays affiliate). It was the bottom of the ninth in a tied game and with Hawkins' single, the runner on third base scored easily. Teammate Santiago Nessy was the first to congratulate Hawkins. Problem was, Nessy had been on first base and instead of running to second, turned around and ran toward Hawkins.
Oops.

So the opposing Great Lakes Loons (a Dodgers affiliate), being head's up about things, fired the ball into second base for the force out. While the Lugnuts were celebrating, Nessy was declared out, thus negating the game-winning run that crossed the plate. Since it was a force-play at second, Nessy needed to be safe for the run to count. Santiago Nessy: From Lugnut to lughead.

Here's an amateur video capturing the end of the game. You'll need to skip to 1:17 for the crucial play and ensuing blunder:

Oh, but it gets worse for the Lugnuts. They went on to lose the game in ten innings.
We're hearing more and more grumpy complaints about the growingly excessive celebrations that follow walk-off wins in baseball. Teams celebrate like they've won a pennant when they've really only won a game. And here's a situation where a player was more interested in celebrating than completing the play.

How about we end this on a positive note? Let's all agree Minor League Baseball is wonderful for having teams named the Lugnuts and the Loons play against each other.

"Scandal" Star Kerry Washinton Secretly Weds San Francisco 49ers cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha!

Nnamdi Asomugha and Kerry Washington definitely knows how to keep a secret.

The "Scandal" star, 36, quietly married San Francisco 49ers cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha on June 24 in Blaine County, Idaho. While the remote location was sure to keep the paparazzi away, was it really necessary when no one even knew they were a couple in the first place?
[Related: See Kerry and Nnamdi's Marriage License]

According to TerezOwens.com, who first reported the nuptial news on Tuesday, Asomugha and Washington have been dating since last summer.

A 2003 graduate of UC Berkeley, Asomugha, 31, played for the Oakland Raiders for eight seasons and the Philadelphia Eagles for two before signing with the 49ers in April. (Though he's bounced around a bit when it comes to committing to a football team, it seems he wasn't afraid to commit to Kerry!) He's also dabbled in acting, with guest-starring gigs on "Friday Night Lights," "The Game," "Leverage," and "Kroll Show."

Another thing Asomugha and the stylish "Django Unchained" actress have in common? Giving back. The political activists are both involved in various philanthropic efforts. Asomugha has participated in the Clinton Global Initiative every year since 2009, while Washington addressed the crowd at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

This marks the first marriage for both. Washington was previously engaged to longtime boyfriend David Moscow (better known as the kid who turns into Tom Hanks in the 1988 flick "Big"), but called the wedding off in 2007. Since then, she's kept everyone in the dark about her personal life — but gave a little clue on Twitter Tuesday that she could be headed off on a honeymoon.

"Ok. Logging off! See u in a few weeks! SO excited 4 all u UK #Gladiators about 2 experience Season 2! Spread the word! July 4th @More4Tweets," she posted.

Dad drops foul ball, kid gets upset!

 

We've seen this movie before. Less than two weeks ago, a young San Franciso Giants fan gave his father the business for not coming up with a foul ball. But that was a line drive. The situation Tuesday night at a Tampa Bay Rays-Houston Astros game at Minute Maid Park was a little different. First, the souvenir a dad was trying to snag for his son was nothing more than a lazy pop-up. Second, the old man had a glove. One problem though: it was a catcher's mitt!

During the ninth inning of a game the Astros would eventually lose 8-0 in David Price's first game back since May 15, a father made a valiant, if futile, effort for a foul ball. When he dropped it, his kid started wailing on him, albeit in a playful fashion. Call it playling. But still. You have to make that play, pops!
Meanwhile in the NHL, the Phoenix Coyotes are not moving to Seattle after all. The Glendale City Council approved a deal by a 4-3 margin to keep the team in Arizona for the time being.
Finally, Sloane Stephens lost 6-4, 7-5 in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon to Marion Bartoli. She was the last American still alive in the tournament.

check out the video!

VIDEO OF THE DAY: Butler Bulldog's Adorable Training Regimen

Man who police wanted to talk to about Aaron Hernandez dies in car accident

(Getty Images)

If you don't think the Aaron Hernandez story can get any weirder, wait a few minutes, and it will.

The Hartford Courant has a story that is sure to get imaginations running. Thaddeus Singleton III, an associate of Hernandez's with whom police wanted to talk, died in a one-car accident. The report said the car shot through the air and hit the Farmington Country Club six feet off the ground. Hernandez is being held on a charge of first-degree murder, and police are also looking into any possible involvement the former New England Patriots tight end had in a 2012 double murder in Boston.

The Nissan Maxima in the accident involving Singleton was registered to Andres Valderrama, Hernandez's uncle. Singleton was married to Hernandez's cousin, the story said.

No matter whether this was a mere coincidental accident or not, the whole Hernandez plot is starting to seem like it came straight from "The Sopranos."
Singleton is from Bristol, where Hernandez grew up. The Hartford Courant said Massachusetts authorities have asked Bristol police for help in the investigation of the double murder.

Singleton was 33 years old. A female passenger, Tabitha Perry, was injured in the accident, the Courant said.

(Video) NFL: Dang!! Watch Chad Johnson Run 24 Miles Per Hour On Treadmill … At An Incline

Last week Cardinals rookie, Robert Gill, made headlines by running 25 MPH on a treadmill, so 35-year old Ochocinco thought he’d take that as a challenge.  He decided to run 24 mph on a treadmill from a standing start at a 2.5% incline!  Soooooo maybe someone needs to get this man a contract?! I would have fell straight on my face. LOL.
Check it out…

Here's video of Robert Gill running 25 mph on a treadmill. Which video is more impressive?

Watch Pirates mascot miss foul ball, fall down, go boom

The Pirate Parrot tried to corral a foul ball on Sunday, and ended up falling over the railing and onto the field. A totally Instagram’able moment for fans along the third-base line.

Russell Martin hit a pinch-hit single to score the winning run in the 14th inning and the Pirates beat Brewers 2-1 — their ninth straight victory.
It looks like the Parrot recovered.

Keith Srakocic, AP

(Thanks to Cut4 for spotting this GIF)

Jamaican runner won bronze in London while also dealing with breast cancer

Jamaican runner Novlene Williams-Mills ran in the 2012 Olympics with a secret. She took fifth in the 400m and won a bronze with the Jamaican 400m relay team with information that only she, her husband, and select close friends knew.

According to an interview with the Daily Mail, Williams-Mills was diagnosed with breast cancer a month before the Olympics. Days after her diagnosis, she won the 400m race at the Jamaican Championships and made their Olympic team. Three days after the end of a successful Olympics, she had a lumpectomy.

Since then, she's had a full mastectomy to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back. Williams-Mills' sister died from ovarian cancer at 38. At 31, she didn't want to take any chances.

Not even her teammates on the relay knew what she was dealing with.

"That’s everybody’s dream, to run at the Olympics. But I was thinking about my hurdles that I have to come back to fight. I was thinking: “Am I going to survive this?, " Williams-Mills said. "My team-mates in the relay did not know. But I was standing on the podium and I didn’t know if I would ever run another race."

But she did run again. In late June, she won the 400m at the Jamaican Championships, just as she did the year before. It qualified her to run at the world championships in Moscow in August. She said she will run for all those with breast cancer.

"I’m still one of the top 400m runners in the world and I want to see what I can do. Moscow will be for all the breast cancer survivors out there. I want them to know it’s still possible."

Williams-Mills' isn't alone as an Olympian who has dealt with cancer. Like Williams-Mills, American swimmer Eric Shanteau was diagnosed with testicular cancer days before the 2008 Olympics. He still swam a personal best in Beijing, and then won gold in 2012. U.S. beach volleyball player Jake Gibb was found to have high levels of testosterone during a test that is routine for elite athletes. It led doctors to his testicular cancer, which was treated by surgery. He then competed at the London Olympics.

Thanks, Olympic Talk.

Miguel Montero shows us how to pick the best bat — with his mouth

Miguel Montero has an, umm, interesting method of finding the right bat to use, as he showed us Monday when the Arizona Diamondbacks played the New York Mets. He sticks it right up in his face and lets his nose, tongue and mouth decide.
This is how we imagine a convo between Montero and helpful teammate Cody Ross went down:

Montero: "You see, Cody, a lot of guys pick their bats based on on the length or the weight. How the bat feels in their hands."
Ross: "Uh-huh."

Montero: "I like to be a little more intimate with my bat. I like my other senses to be one with the bat. I like to know what my bat smells like. I like to taste my bat."

Weird? Sure. Sanitary? Not in the slightest. But in defense of Montero — a guy who is hitting .222 right now — having a close relationship with his bat is what helped Pedro Cerrano turn things around.

Someone please tell us if Montero next decides to sacrifice a chicken.