Digital tour of ESPN's new SportsCenter set (Video)

If something's worth doing, it's worth overdoing. That appears to be the ethos that guided the construction of ESPN's new SportsCenter set, scheduled to debut later this year. With all four walls usable for video, several distinct sets for discussion and debate, and even a little aquarium to watch the news staff at work, this is going to be one heck of a visual spectacle. Your thoughts, friends?

Willie Young taunts Tom Brady, prompting question … who is Willie Young?

Willie Young taunted Tom Brady in a preseason game. The most surprising part of that sentence might be that Young is still in the NFL.

Here's the rundown on Young's career (he's a defensive end for the Lions, and you're excused if you didn't know that), so you can see why he was sticking a finger in the face of one of the greatest players in NFL history: Three seasons, no starts, 16 solo tackles, three sacks (none last year), no forced fumbles. Canton is creating his bust as we speak.

Young wasn't even fired up after a sack. He got really, really excited after flushing Brady out of the pocket and forcing an incompletion. Again, this happened in a preseason game. That play isn't going alongside Joe Namath running off the field at Super Bowl III in the NFL Films library.

I guess when you're Young, this is probably the best opportunity he'll have to talk smack to a quarterback.

Young got to Brady in the end zone, bumped into him, then grabbed him by the jersey with his left hand and stuck his right index finger in Brady's face. This couldn't have made any less sense. Again, he forced an incompletion in a preseason game, and he's Willie Young talking trash to Tom Brady.

Well, Young totally erased his kinda sorta decent preseason play by getting a 15-yard taunting penalty. Lions coach Jim Schwartz, who has instituted a "if you can't play tough, you might as well act tough" mantra with the Lions, yanked Young out of the game. That showed even Schwartz has a line you can't cross, and that line is apparently taunting a Hall of Famer after you didn't even get a sack in a game that doesn't count.

Russian Spectator in the Stands Asked to Fight, Obliges with Knockout

Accepting a challenge from a fan in the stands may seem like an easy fight for any MMA fighter, but as you’ve probably heard many times before, things aren’t always what they seem.
Max Baltrushin found that out the hard way during an Arrows MMA bout in Russia, as some dude by the name of Dmitry Dzubiy emerged from the stands to knock him out early in the first round of what is assumed to be an impromptu fight between the two individuals.
Check it out:

Watch Ronny Turiaf one-up Kobe Bryant by jumping over a 'truck'

Former Laker Ronny Turiaf, currently with the Minnesota Timberwolves, attempted to one-up Kobe Bryant by jumping over a monster truck -- sort of.

The spoof, released on YouTube via SportsNationESPN, parodies the 2008 video of Bryant leaping over a speeding Aston Martin.
Turiaf does successfully jump over a truck outside of Staples Center -- except it's a small toy truck.
Bryant's commercial for Nike's Hyperdunk shoes was certainly more impressive, but the dangerous stunt never happened -- it was produced in a studio with special effects.

Nike commercial shows LeBron James in a dunk competition (Video)

February will mark the 10-year anniversary of the 2004 Slam Dunk Contest, an event which saw Fred Jones take home the title under circumstances so dubious that TNT’s Craig Sager practically begged LeBron James, then a 19-year-old rookie, to join the 2005 field.
James, now 28, has flirted incessantly with the Dunk Contest over the years but ultimately continued to sit on the sidelines while fellow superstars like Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin have participated (and won). In a new Nike ad dubbed “Just Do It — Possibilities,” James gives the people a flash of what they want, and it’s a bit maddening.

Dodgers' Brian Wilson offered $1 million to shave his beard, says no

How do you put a price on manhood? For the magnificently hirsute Dodgers pitcher Brian Wilson, you don't. You don't put a price on your manhood. He was reportedly offered $1 million by 800razors.com to shave his face, but even that luxuriant figure did not convince the 31-year-old to look for his scissors. According to TMZ, Wilson's reps said the deal was not even considered, not even a trim, and the trademark beard will be "going with him to the grave." Along with, presumably, all the funny little critters living in it.

Watch amazing shootout goal, try not to feel dizzy (Video)

 On Wednesday, the KHL's Ak Bars Kazan held an intra-squad scrimmage for their fans, ending the night with a skills competition. Vladimir Tkachyov decided to add this splendid highlight to his career.

During the shootout portion, Tkachyov got creative and with a little help from the goaltender, successfully pulled off a move that would make most dizzy:

Photographic proof that Wilt Chamberlain was already a giant in 4th grade

Here's the ultimate proof that very large world class athletes were once young athletes just like you or I … except still quite enormous.

This is Wilt Chamberlain's fourth grade class. He was already quite large — Twitter

The photo you see above, which was magically dug up by Sports Illustrated photo vault curator Andy Gray, depicts the fourth grade class at Brooks Elementary School in 1945. That particular class included one Wilt Chamberlain, who would go on to be one of the most dominant basketball players of all-time.

If you can't pick Wilt out in that photo, you're either A) blind, or B) have forgotten that by the time he reached the NBA, he stood 7-foot tall.

What's most amazing about this photo isn't just that it exists, though that is remarkable in itself. Rather, it's that at age 9, Wilt was already a monster. He's almost twice the size of some of his classmates in this photo (check out the girl in the front row on the far left). That's absolutely ridiculous.

Of course, Chamberlain turned out to be one ridiculous basketball player and human being, mostly in a good way. Now we know he didn't have to wait long to realize he was probably always going to be bigger than everyone else.

Rockets James Harden Sings In New Commercial For 'Foot Locker' (VIDEO)

We gave you a preview of James Harden’s semi-bitter vocals in his 30-second spot for Footlocker earlier this week. Stephen Curry was begging Harden not to embarrass himself by attempting to serenade the world.

Well Harden is back with the full version of his new R&B single “Harden Soul.”
One thing I must say is the beat of the song will have you nodding your head until he starts singing.

 If it wasn’t for him whaling throughout the track to a girl who supposedly knows she wants to see his chest, I think this song could actually catch fire on the radio.
I find myself having this line stuck in my head “Let’s go out for seafood, we’ll have a shrimp fest … GIRRRL!”
It’s so terrible, that it’s actually good. This could compete with plenty of songs you hear today. Give it a listen:

Here's the full version of the song:

Oregon football player catches passes while completing backflips

Anyone feel like watching a high school football player catch passes one-handed while completing a full back flip? Of course you do.

The athletic stud you see in the video above is Austin Richmond, a wide receiver for Central Point (Ore.) Crater High. He is an absolute freak, without question. There is no other explanation for his ability to simultaneously complete backflips while also catching balls thrown to him with one hand.

Prep Rally can do neither of those things reliably. In fact, Prep Rally can't complete a back flip for our life. All of which makes this accomplishment all the more remarkable.

VIDEO: Freshman sinks half-court shot to win free tuition

 So far, college seems pretty easy and a blast for Markus Burden.
The Ball State University freshman sunk a half-court shot last Thursday, his first day of college, that won him not just a lot of swagger among his fellow freshmen, but a semester's worth of free tuition.
"I called my mother right after when I won," Burden, 18, said. "When we were walking outside I was basically in tears telling her that her son just won us free tuition."

Burden's mom, Malinda Burden, was equally pleased.
"God is good," she wrote Friday on her Facebook page, along with a link to the video of her son's money-saving shot.
The Burdens have reason to be excited considering Markus' shot at a freshman Welcome Week event is valued at $11,084.
Burden, from the Chicago area, told the Indianapolis Star that making the shot was a "overwhelming feeling," especially considering he had missed the shot three times before.
Burden's winning shot set his fellow freshmen, Ball State cheerleaders and even the university's mascot, Charlie Cardinal, into a frenzy.
Burden did not take his victory in stride. Instead he sprinted around the court and pumped his fists in excitement.
It was the first time in the university's history of taking the gamble of offering free tuition on a near-impossible shot that a student cashed in. Check out the video!!!

Boston’s Ryan Dempster hits Alex Rodriguez but fails to get vengeance

When Ryan Dempster hit Alex Rodriguez with a 3-0 pitch in the second inning Sunday night — after missing several times — many assumed he was upholding the honour of those who (supposedly) don't use performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. Along with those players who don't tattle on others who do (reportedly). Anybody who isn't A-Rod, in other words.

After the game, all Dempster would say was that he was trying to pitch inside.
No matter, Dempster's motives might have been unrelated to A-Rod's PED misadventures. A Canadian journalist who recently talked to Dempster said on Twitter of his countryman: So, Dempster hitting A-Rod, which cleared both benches and preceded the ejection of Yankees manager Joe Girardi, was done for the greater good. Dempster obviously took issue with A-Rod reportedly snitchin'. Or was it just for cheatin'? Maybe he does have a problem with A-Rod's PED backstory, but that's not what Dempster told Wayne Scanlan:
That's it? THAT'S why Dempster hit A-Rod? Because of a personal snub! Not because of steroids, or throwing colleagues under the bus, or acting bigger than the game, or for the kids?! Oh, who will think of the kids!
Not only that, but Dempster put A-Rod on base, on purpose, and he came around to score a run.
In the sixth, with Dempster still pitching and nursing a three-run lead, A-Rod came to bat for a third time and hit a home run that started a four-run Yankees rally. New York ended up beating Boston 9-6.

To top it off, as he circled the bases, A-Rod appeared to be screaming obscenities — either at the Red Sox, or at his own bench to pump them up. Rodriguez put a cherry on top of the cake by appearing to do a David Ortiz-like celebratory routine at home plate.

He sure knows how to needle ... people. What an amusing, frustrating and disgusting night at Fenway Park, depending on your point of view.

J.R. Smith apparently drives a $450,000 armored truck around New York City now

(Via Terradyneinc.com)

After a postseason that saw him potentially costing himself millions of free agent dollars after tussling with Jason Terry and being pictured in Rihanna’s general vicinity, one would think J.R. Smith would attempt to avoid the limelight a wee bit as he heads into his second full season with the New York Knicks. Not J.R.’s style, apparently, as he’s drawn needless criticism from Knick coaches for changing his hair color, and the eyes of New York’s tabloid press as he rolls around in a vehicle that no civilian should ever drive.

Flush with a new four-year, $24 million contract from New York, Smith has apparently spent nearly half a million to purchase something to keep him safe from grenade attacks. From the New York Post's Page Six (via SB Nation):

Smith, who’s recovering after surgery on his left knee in the off-season, rolled up to Meatpacking District restaurant Catch on Thursday night in a Gurkha F5, which is made by Toronto-based Terradyne Armored Vehicles and used by police and the military. Smith parked the oversize truck, worth about $450,000, on the street while he dined inside.

Per Terradyne's website, all their vehicles feature an eight-cylinder diesel engine that delivers 300 brake horsepower and (because of the diesel technology) 660 lb.-feet of torque. Each vehicle in the Terradyne lineup all weigh well over 13,000 pounds.
And also nobody outside of police officers or military personnel should be driving these, because they’re incredibly stupid. Shooting guards, even ones with Smiths’ questionable shot selection, should not be driving armored vehicles on their way to eat a $32 scallop entree.

That’s J.R. Smith, for you. Everybody look at him.

Reporter Pam Oliver Hit In Face With Football [Video]

If you're anything like Homer Simpson then you might want to watch this video more than once.
Fox Sports sideline reporter Pam Oliver took an errant pass to the face during warmups before the Colts-Giants preseason game on Sunday. The ball was thrown by Indianapolis backup quarterback Chandler Harnish.
Joe Buck showed the footage during the broadcast.

Oliver laughed it off while receiving some praise from one of her employer's Twitter accounts.