NFL to use tracking devices during games, practices

The NFL is watching, Tom. (Getty Images)

Note to NFL players: if you're thinking of sneaking out mid-game to grab a burger or whatever, don't do it. You're about to be tracked.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated dropped this headscratcher of a tweet on Wednesday:

No, the system isn't about babysitting, though you know that's going to come into play at some point. Rather, this is a way for the NFL and teams to track the coordinates of every single player while on the field. The idea is to get a better sense of players' conditioning, and it's not a new program: the Bills, Falcons, Cowboys, Jaguars, Eagles and Rams already use the technology.
Players will be tracked by means of a device like the one by Catapult Sports. About the size of a pager (remember those, kids?), the GPS device will be placed inside the pads on a player's back. Here, per the Buffalo Bills, is how the system works:

“The number one goal of this system right now is trying to help prevent injury as well as help us with the rehab process,” said [Buffalo] strength and conditioning coordinator Eric Ciano. “There are a lot of different things that goes into it, but the biggest thing is how can we monitor guys on the field to help us get the information? What do they really do at their position? How far does a receiver really run in practice? How fast does a receiver run in practice? Then create standards for each position group to be able to say, ‘Well this guy has done four days in a row in this (work rate) zone, this guy is at risk for injury.’ That’s the main reason we did it.”

The device uses a metric called "player load," which tracks a range of practice variables. If a player hits a player load rating of 400, which would be very high, on consecutive days, the tech team will notify the coaching staff and keep the player to a less rigorous workout afterward.
“I think the most I topped off at for total distance in a practice was close to 2,000 yards,” the Bills' C.J. Spiller said. “That’s a lot. You’re never out there thinking I’m covering this much. It’s a good program they’ve got. Top speed I think I hit around 18 or 19 (miles per hour). So it’s a good thing to have.”

How long before the GPS tracks a player into a nightclub/condo where he shouldn't be? We're going to set the over-under at 12 hours. Take the under.

Report: One-armed Zach Hodskins receives preferred walk-on offer from Florida (VIDEO)

He may not be the best prospect in the Class of 2014, but you would be hard-pressed to find a more impressive player than 6-foot-2 shooting guard Zach Hodskins from Milton, GA.
A mid-major recruit that’s reportedly getting looks from the likes of UAB and Birmingham Southern, Hodskins just picked up an offer to be a preferred walk-on at Florida, according to Yahoo’s Prep Rally. A preferred walk-on doesn’t receive a scholarship, but he doesn’t have to try out to make the team; he’d be guaranteed a spot on the roster.
What makes that so impressive is that Hodskins is anything but a typical recruit.
Hodskins was born with one hand.
A birth defect left him with a left arm that ends just below his elbow.
And, if he wants to, he can play on a team consistently competing for SEC titles and Final Fours. That’s incredible, but it’s also not simply a charity case. Hodskins can hoop. He’s a knock down jump-shooter that’s mastered a couple of nasty dribble moves despite lacking the capability to cross over:

It appears that Hodskins may have sealed the walk-on offer by excelling at the ScoutsFocus All American camp. Get Me Recruited, a hoops recruiting analysis and promotion site, called Hodskins the most impressive talent at the entire camp, citing his stunning ball handling ability and shockingly accurate passing. You can see his performance at the ScoutsFocus event in the video above. Remember, he's doing this with one hand.

 While Hodskins has yet to receive a full Division I scholarship, the University of Alabama-Birmingham and Birmingham Southern have both reportedly been considering offering the guard a scholarship.

Whether they can top the opportunity Hodskins could have at Florida is another question entirely.

Justus Sheffield found the ultimate way to avoid being banned from playing for his school

Tullahoma (Tenn.) High pitching sensation Justus Sheffield conjured up a creative way to avoid a Tennessee high school athletic association rule that restricts players from participating in all-star competitions while classes are in session.

Sheffield, who apparently isn't related to nine-time Major League Baseball All-Star Gary Sheffield despite many previous reports to the contrary, dropped out of school in order to play in Sunday's Perfect Game All-American Classic in San Diego and plans to re-enroll this week, according to The Tennesseean.

A Vanderbilt commit and likely top-round pick in next year's MLB draft, Sheffield avoided a Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association provision that would have banned him from playing his final season for the Wildcats.

“It’s one big loophole that you can go through,” Tullahoma athletic director Jerry Mathis told The Tennesseean. “It’s really a rule we probably need to sit down and look at so that they’re permitted to play in it.”

Sheffield learned of the method from future Commodores teammate Phil Pfeifer, who discovered the loophole as a Farragut (Tenn.) High rising senior in 2010, when former Science Hill (Johnson City, Tenn.) High star and current Toronto Blue Jays prospect Daniel Norris employed the strategy as a senior that summer, according to the report.
Norris avoided the same fate as former Smyrna (Tenn.) High and current Oakland Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray did in 2007. Likewise, Sheffield's older brother Jordan, who chose Vanderbilt over signing as a 13th-round draft choice of the Boston Red Sox, did not play in the 2012 Perfect Game All-American Classic as a result of the rule.
The younger Sheffield struck out two in a scoreless two-thirds of an inning in the East squad's losing effort in the 2013 edition of the all-star competition that invites roughly 50 of the nation's top prep baseball players to its annual event in San Diego each summer.
"I had a blast," Sheffield told the paper. "It was the greatest showcase I’ve ever been in. We got so much gear -- a new glove, cleats, a bat. I met players from all across the U.S."

For such a short outing, the real shame would have been Tullahoma losing Sheffield for his senior season, since he finished his junior year with a 10-2 record and a 1.28 ERA with 124 strikeouts in 71.1 innings, leading the Wildcats to a 35-10 season this past spring.

The TSSAA plans to address the issue in December, but Sheffield appears safe from any punishment by the state's prep athletics governing body. The scouts who follow him all spring might as well add another plus now in the intangibles column for creativity. - By Prep Rally

VIDEO: Take 24 seconds to watch this unbelievable knockout

You have about 24 seconds? Then watch this knockout. Jinh Yu knocked out Darla Harris in what is one of the year's most memorable knockouts. At the Sugar Creek Showdown in Oklahoma, Yu wobbled Harris with a kick to the head, then followed with two power lefts that left Harris stiff.

It's only Yu's second professional fight. She won with a first round submission in her pro debut in April. Clearly, she's a name to look out for.

MUST SEE: Video of Tom Brady knee injury at Patriots practice

Tom Brady suffered a scary injury to his left knee during Patriots practice on Wednesday. It's currently considered mostly a precautionary thing that he left practice but watch the video that surfaced from a Patriots fan Chad Kopcak on Twitter  You be the judge how serious Tom Brady's injury could be.
In the video, Patriots tackle Nate Solder is pushed backward by an opposing Tampa Bay Buccaneer defensive end and into Brady. Brady falls on the ground, holding his left knee. You can hear fans yelling "OH NO!" as it happens.

Patriots president Jonathan Kraft on 98.5 The Sports Hub (on Tom Brady): “I don’t believe it’s serious but I do not know.” but that is the same knee Brady injured when he lost the 2008 season with an ACL tear.
Lets hope Brady's injury isn't too serious. 

"Hard Work Pays Off" - Wayne State Football 2013

During the month of August every college football team prepares for their season at training camp. One team ready to hit the field is my Alma Mater, Wayne State University.  During my college football days I found out very quickly, it takes hard work to win! If their off season workout video is any indication how the Warriors will play this year, I can guarantee there’s going to be a lot of winning in Detroit this season! Check it out..

MUST SEE VIDEO!!! BOTH teams dog-pile on the mound (VIDEO)

 As the video shows, the East players, seeing that the West were having so much fun after winning the championship for the third straight year, decided to join in on the mound celebration. It was a cool moment that showed these young players, win or lose, were simply grateful to be playing ball in a big league stadium at such a high level.

Only the guy on the bottom probably didn't think it was so great.

 

Patriots QB Tom Brady Gets Creepy Checking Out a Female On the Sideline ...

Tom Brady can be a treasure trove of great sideline moments, and he added a new one during Friday night’s preseason game against the Eagles.
Brady was cooling his heels on the sideline when something caught his attention. He made eye contact with a teammate and raised his eyebrows, flashing a knowing smile before resuming his normal, stone-faced Brady look.
While other outlets have been quick to guess (nefariously) what Brady was looking at, we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that there could have been something else off-camera. This look still doesn’t touch his F-bomb tirade of last year, after all.
Check out Brady’s look below,

Fan Gets Clint Dempsey Neck Tattoo, and It's Awesome (Just Kidding, It's Awful)

Clint Dempsey has only played one game for the Sounders, but Seattle fans are already over the moon with their new striker.
At least, we think they are. Judging by an image of a new tattoo that's circulating on Twitter, it's a little hard to tell.
A Sounders fan was spotted sporting what appears to be an image of Clint Dempsey but actually looks more like Pee Wee Herman.


Seattle fans have reason to be excited for Dempsey. The soccer-mad city scored a coup in landing the 30-year-old, and he should help the team reach new heights.
As bad as this tattoo is, at least this guy's had the right idea. Better a Clint Dempsey tattoo than, say O.J. Simpson or Snoop Lion.

The sports drink exercise trick

Dez Bryant gets rehydrated before the Cowboys' preseason game in Oakland. (USA TODAY Sports)

Swishing a sports drink around in your mouth and then spitting it out might sound like a nonsensical way to boost performance, but it's been nearly a decade since research first suggested that rinsing improves your workout. A study by sports scientists at University of Central Lancashire this April found that during an hour-long workout, cyclists who swished carbohydrate-rich sports drinks for longer covered more distance and felt less tired than after a five-second rinse or rinsing with water.

How the trick works may surprise you. Brain scans show that specific regions light up when carbs are in your mouth. The longer you rinse, the more time the carbs have to stimulate sensors in your brain, says study author Lindsay Bottoms. "The concept of mouth rinse supports the idea that the brain is very much playing a key role in fatigue," says Bottoms.

Swishing is most beneficial during relatively short, intense workouts. Not only can the rinse give you a performance boost of about 2 percent, but it also helps avoid indigestion from swallowing carbs during workouts. "When performing high-intensity exercise lasting less than 60 minutes, using a carbohydrate rinse for 5-10 seconds can improve performance," says Bottoms. "It could potentially allow you to train harder." If you're doing a couple hours of exercise, however, rinsing will start to lose its effect since your muscles really do need more carbs.

Kellen Winslow, whose motorcycle wreck almost cost him his career, now a bicycling enthusiast

(USA Today Sports Images)

CORTLAND, N.Y. – Eight years ago, a motorcycle accident outside a suburb of Cleveland left Kellen Winslow with a torn ACL and a subsequent staph infection, causing him to miss the 2005 NFL season. You'd think he'd stay far away from anything with two wheels after that, but that's not the case.

He has given up his leather jacket for biker shorts, and some horsepower in his Suzuki GSX-R750 motorcycle for a Venge bicycle that he rides every day to and from New York Jets training camp.

After nearly losing his life due to that horrible motorcycle crash, he is channeling his love for the road in a different direction.

Winslow tells Yahoo! Sports that fellow wide receivers Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes have asked about the benefits of bicycling after seeing his passion for it. Not only does he pedal to and from practice, he has brought a “trainer” with him to camp so that he can ride stationary during warmups and on days he is not in pads. He hopes it helps him regain full health following recent struggles with knee injuries that limited him to just one game last season.

“It helps my knee out, keeps me in top shape. I feel great when I do it, I feel lousy when I don’t,” Winslow said. “For training camp, I put it in the back of my car, took the front tire off and just put it in there with the rest of my stuff. That’s all I do in the offseason is ride. I climb those hills in San Diego. Climbing is brutal enough; you don’t have to lift weights if you climb those hills. I do push-ups and upper body stuff but that’s it. That’s my offseason workout – pretty much riding.”

He has looked like a new man in Jets training camp and seems to be a perfect replacement for tight end Dustin Keller, who left via free agency to AFC East rival Miami this past offseason. After being cut by the Seattle Seahawks last preseason and then playing just one game last season with the New England Patriots, he is out to prove his career isn’t over yet.

And cycling, he says, gives him the leg up that he needs to stay healthy. He has become preoccupied with cycling and said that he plans on riding and perhaps competing when his NFL career is over.

He cycles five times a week. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday he rides for roughly 90 minutes and tries to pace at least for 25 miles. On Saturday he ramps it up and logs roughly 50 miles. As grueling as it sounds, he said,“Nothing can beat it.” At 6-4 and 240 pounds he isn’t a prototypical cyclist, but he takes it seriously.
He tracks his mileage and speed, and is obsessed with his physical condition and how his body responds to a ride. On average, his heart rate is 152-157 beats per minutes with a maximum heart rate of 185-187 beats per minute on intense rides. One time, he registered 196 beats per minute on an intense climb.

His wife won’t let him on a motorcycle anymore so he has replaced that thrill with this new love affair. When he’s not bicycling he said he thinks about it and reads up on how to cycle better. He hopes it will translate on the field with stronger legs able to withstand the grueling NFL season. So far in training camp with the Jets he has looked like a player finally healthy and ready to make an impact.

And he thanks the bicycle resting on its training stand just a few yards away, waiting for him to ride it back to the team’s dormitory.
“It takes pressure off your legs, you feel better off of it,” Winslow said. “I’m riding every day. I have to. If I don’t, I just don’t feel right. I’m even thinking about it right now.”

Poppin Or Floppin: Russell Westbrook’s Teen Choice Awards Outfit!

Teenchoice special!!! #whynot #donthateonthebrodie #ayeeeeee
- Russell Westbrook

Video: Rafael Nadal’s backhand hits Novak Djokovic in the face

During his semifinal victory at the Rogers Cup, Rafael Nadal hit a shot into Novak Djokovic's face. Check out a different angle of Novak's yellow ball facial. 

and the full play:

 

Lightning strikes as Usain Bolt wins race

Usain Bolt slows after winning the 100M at the IAAF World Championships as a lightning bolt strikes. The bolt struck shortly after he crossed the finish line.

 Usain Bolt (JAM) defeats Justin Gatlin to win the 100M, 9.77 to 9.85, in the 14th IAAF World Championships in Athletics at Luzhniki Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

 

J.J. Putz spikes pitch after being startled by ill-timed sound mix up

Arizona Diamondbacks reliever J.J. Putz was simply going about his business on Saturday night when a mix up in the sound booth at Chase Field nearly spooked him out of his uniform.
It happened in the ninth inning with Putz about to deliver a pitch to Justin Turner of the New York Mets. At the very split second Putz was about to release and follow through, the opening strains of Motley Crue's "Kickstart My Heart" suddenly blared over the PA system. This startled Putz into delivering a near Rob Gronkowski level of thunderous baseball spike into the dirt around the pitcher's mound.
Take a look!

Phil Mickelson’s week at Oak Hill summed up in one swing

Phil Mickelson did not play well this week at the PGA Championship. Like, he didn't play well at all. Bad. Very, very bad.
How bad? Phil made the cut, then shot 78-72 to finish three spots from dead last of all the weekend golfers, and this shot, from his third round, says it all.
Basically the five-time major champion couldn't avoid the rough this week despite not carrying a driver in his bag, and if you hit it this Oak Hill rough enough, you're going to face some nasty lies.
Mickelson's ball was obviously buried here, and while a lot of players might just chip it out, Phil tried to take it on.
What happened is what you see above.
Mickelson is a streaky golfer, and when it's good, like at Muirfield, it's very good, but when things start going south it's tough for Lefty to right the ship.

Still, a Claret Jug and a near-59 equals a pretty great season for the 43-year-old.

Darren Haynes