Leading up to Super Bowl XLVI, Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski was dealing with a high ankle sprain.  And while the injury did limit him throughout Sunday’s game (he finished with just two receptions for 26 yards), the pain of both his ankle and the loss his team suffered was not enough to limit him on the dance floor during the Patriots’ post-game party.

Both Gronk and Patriots tackle Matt Light were in attendance for the post-game loser party, which featured performances by LMFAO, Maroon 5 and Steven Tyler, among others.  And rather than sitting alone in a corner thinking about the opportunity their team had blown hours earlier, they decided to drown their sorrows away with a healthy combination of booze and dancing.

If only Gronk had been moving this well on the field, the Vince Lombardi Trophy likely would have been in attendance during this Patriots post-game party.

Hat Tip – [CBS New York]

Mamadou Ndiaye of Brethren Christian High School in California may not be the most skilled player on the basketball court, but at a whopping 7’5″, he is easily the tallest player on any given night.  And when you have more than a one-foot advantage over your opponent’s tallest player, you tend to be quite the dominant force on the hard-court.  Proof of this can be seen in the video below, as Mamadou (who was apparently playing through a knee injury during this game) appears to be a giant playing with cockroaches while throwing down dunk after dunk, en route to his 30-point performance.

Surprisingly, the only thing he couldn’t do on this occasion was win the opening tip-off. Check it out.

Since the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, there has been a total of 11 first-overall draft picks and 330 first-round selections.  Some of those early first-round picks, like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, have already worked their way towards superstar status, while others, like Alexander Svitov and Gilbert Brule, have struggled to make a name for themselves in the NHL.

It can be tough keeping track of every player who has been selected in the top 30 picks from every draft over the past decade, but Ron Schwartz has done just that with the following infographic.

Check it out.

Hat Tip – [Silver Oak Online Casinos]

Another entertaining chapter was added to the in-state rivalry between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers last night, as these two teams wasted little time getting reacquainted.

With the tough guys from both teams on the ice for the game’s opening face-off, it should come as little surprise to hear that it took only two seconds for the first fight to break out.  What may surprise you, however, is hearing that it took only two seconds for the game’s second fight to break out as well, but that was the case here as Eric Boulton and Cam Janssen of the Devils dropped the gloves with Brandon Prust and Michael Rupp immediately after the opening face-off.  That brought the crowd at Madison Square Gardens to their feet, and it earned each of these combatants a spot on the “Frozen Fisticuffs Fight of the Night” for Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

With the playoff race in the Western Conference heating up as we head down the season’s final stretch, wins have become more important than ever for teams like the Calgary Flames, who currently find themselves on the outside looking in.  Trailing the eighth-place Minnesota Wild by just three points, a win against the San Jose Sharks last night would help bring the Flames just one point out of a playoff spot, and they would get that win thanks in large part to a large offensive output from Olli Jokinen.

Entering last night with points in three straight games, Jokinen wasted little time extending his point streak to four games, as he opened the scoring in the first period.  We would add a goal and an assist in the second, and with the game tied 3-3 late in the third, it was Jokinen coming to the rescue once again, as he completed the hat-trick and gave the Flames the 4-3 lead.  They would hold on from their, as Jokinen’s four-point performance helped Flames’ goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff earn his 300th career victory, while earning himself “The Stat Line of the Night” for Wednesday, February 8, 2012.

It appears as though Austin Rivers has learned a thing, or two, from all those championship Celtics teams his dad has coached over the past seven NBA seasons.  After watching the likes of Ray Allen and Paul Pierce hit clutch shot after clutch shot at the end of games, en route to two Eastern Conference titles and one NBA title, Austin decided to show his dad that he can exhibit an ice-cold demeanor and come through down the stretch as well when given the chance.

His opportunity to prove himself came last night during a much-anticipated ACC battle between the Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, and he did not allow it to pass him by.  After helping his Blue Devils erase a 10-point deficit during the final 2 1/2 minutes of the game, Rivers capped the incredible comeback with a three-point buzzer beater that soared over the outstretched hand of UNC’s 7-foot center Tyler Zeller, before dropping through the rim and silencing the raucous North Carolina crowd.

Doc Rivers was in attendance for the game, along with his gorgeous daughter, and while we’ve seen the Celtics coach celebrate some great moments during his NBA coaching career, none of those moments seemed to excite him as much as watching his son cap a career-high 29-point performance with a cluth game-winning basket at the buzzer.

Check it out.

It was on this day in 1971 that Satchel Paige became the first player from the Negro-League to be elected into the Baseball Hall Of Fame. Paige was unanimously chosen to be the first Negro-Leaguer in the Hall due to his pitching dominance during the 30’s and 40’s.

Paige was a superstar and the Negro-League’s biggest draw before making the move to the Majors. It was his ability to strikeout batters with a flame throwing fastball as well as his energetic personality that made him so popular.

Barry Larkin and Ron Santo were recently voted in as members of the 2012 Baseball HOF class. In this era of juiced-up players, it will be tough for voters to choose a player who they suspect had some ‘outside help’. In the upcoming years, expect there to be less men making it to Cooperstown, especially with the uncertainty about who put what into their body.

Here is a clip of Satchel’s unique windup and delivery.

Notable Birthdays

Danny White, NFL – Born February 9th 1952 (age 59) in Mesa, Arizona

Andre Savard, NHL – Born February 9th 1953 (age 58) in Temiscaming, Quebec

Vladimir Guerrero, MLB – Born February 9th 1975 (age 36) in Nizao, Dominican Republic

Last night was 80s night in New Orleans, and while the game between the NBA’s first-place Chicago Bulls (22-6) and the last-place Hornets (4-22) didn’t generate much excitement, – the Bulls cruised to an easy 90-67 victory – the same cannot be said about the pre-game player introductions.

Having experience as an owner, player, coach and introduction man of his own “Semi-pro” basketball team from the mid-70s (you may remember him as Jackie Moon), Will Ferrell seemed like the perfect fit to perform his hilarious player introductions on a night when everyone inside the New Orleans Arena was enjoying “a blast from the past.”

Check it out.

And in case you wanted to compare Ferrell’s performance last night with his player introductions from the movie “Semi-Pro,” you can check out the latter in the video below.

Here are some of the best sports plays for all you gamblers out there.

The Game: St. Louis Blues @ New Jersey Devils

The Pick: Under 5

The Reason: The St. Louis Blues have made a habit of going under the total this season.  Through 52 games this season they have gone over the total just 12 times, while pushing 11 times and going under an incredible 29 times.  The Blues are allowing only 2.04 goals against per game, while scoring just 2.48 goals per game.  They have gone under the total in four of their last five games overall, and each of their last five on the road.  Look for them to score few goals and allow even fewer during tonight’s game against the Devils, as this game goes under the total.

The Game: Los Angeles Kings @ Florida Panthers

The Pick: Under 5

The Reason: Much like the Blues, the Kings have also made a habit of going under the total this season.  Through 54 games they have gone over the total just 11 times, while pushing 12 times and going under 31 times.  They have averaged just 2.19 goals per game, while allowing just 2.17 goals against.  They have gone under the total in five of their last seven overall, and five of their last six on the road.  As for the Panthers, they have gone under the total in four of their last six at home.  Look for both teams to struggle to find the back of the net as this game goes under the total.

2012 Record: (28-23-2), This Week: (3-3), Last Week: (7-2-1)

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I love pro wrestling. It’s one of my guilty pleasures. But I’m a busy person, and there’s only so much time I can spend watching TV on any given day. So sometimes I get tired of all the talking and evil-glaring and backstage intrigue and paternity testing, and I just wish they could condense the 15 or 20 minutes of full-on pro wrestling action into one consumable chunk.

The most obvious way to get around this dilemma would be to DVR Monday Night Raw or Friday Night Smackdown and then fast-forward through all the boring parts.

The less obvious but more awesome way to get around this would be to make a list of 30 awesome GIFs featuring pro wrestling’s greatest finishing moves—which is what I did for you (and me) today. It’s pure pro wrestling greatness with no plot slowing things down.

Enjoy!

This photo of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone was recently taken in the pre-op room as the two jacked-up celebrities prepared for similar shoulder surgeries.  This has us thinking that perhaps “The Expendables 2″ is no longer expected to make as much money as either of them had originally expected.  As a result, they had to opt for the 2-for-1 special on shoulder surgeries that the hospital was offering that day (these last two sentences are nothing more than assumptions).

In addition to posting the image, Arnold also included the following caption (to get the full effect, imagine it being read with a strong Austrian accent):

After all the action, stunts & physical abuse shooting The Expendables 2 and The Last Stand, it was time for a little tune up on my shoulder. Look who was coincidentally waiting in line behind me for his shoulder surgery. Now we’re ready for another round of great times and action when we shoot The Tomb.

Hopefully things go much better during the filming for “The Tomb” (filming is set to begin in the Spring), else these two men could find themselves searching for discount hip-replacement surgeries in a year or so.

Hat Tip – [Blame It On The Voices]

It was on this day in 1990 that James “Buster” Douglas beat Mike Tyson to become the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World.  Douglas dominated the fight and in the 1oth round KO’d Tyson in front of thousands of shocked observers at the Tokyo Dome.

Mike Tyson entered this fight undefeated (37-0) and had never been knocked down in his career.  No one was giving Buster a chance when he entered the ring as a 42-1 underdog.  However, he executed his game plan to perfection as he used his huge reach advantage to keep “Iron” Mike at a distance with his jab.  This fight is considered by many to be the biggest upset in sports history.

Tyson is regarded as one of the most feared and ferocious heavyweights in boxing history.  Unfortunately for him, he will be remembered by most for his actions outside the ring, rather than what he accomplished between the ropes.

Here is a clip of Tyson getting floored.

Notable Birthdays

Daryl “Moose”Johnston, NFL – Born February 10th 1966 (age 46) in Youngstown, New York

Lance Berkman, MLB – Born February 10th 1976 (age 36) in Waco, Texas

Mike Ribeiro, NHL – Born February 10th 1980 (age 32) in Montreal, Quebec

Ken Duke’s form during his second shot from the fairway on the par-4 16th at Pebble Beach yesterday was impressive, and it would result in an eagle.  As for his form during his celebratory dance afterwards, well let’s just say it was far from impressive.

After draining his approach shot, Duke did what every 42-year-old white man would like to do, but what few of them actually know how to do…

Salsa dance!

Duke shot a course-record 8-under on the back nine after shooting even par on the front nine.  That has him sitting just one stroke behind the leaders following the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.  If he can find a way to stay near the top of the leaderboard, perhaps he should consider using some of the prize money he’ll win to pay Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz for some salsa lessons.

Sports rivalries don’t exist in a vacuum. You can say this or that rivalry is the biggest before the season starts, but once the games are played things have a tendency to change. Inevitably, some rivalries that are great on paper won’t live up to the hype; others, meanwhile, will come out of nowhere and just burst into flames before our very eyes.

This is most definitely true in college basketball. While the rivalries really don’t change that much from year to year—and generally, it’s their endurance that makes these rivalries special—you never know when passions will boil up and one great rivalry will eclipse all the others.

Now that the college basketball season has really kicked into high gear, it’s a good time to step back and have a look at the state of the game’s biggest rivalries. Thus, today we present you the 9 Biggest College Basketball Rivalries of 2012.

Obviously, there are so many great rivalries that they can’t all make this list. But hey, we do our best. So without any further ado…

Here are some of the best sports plays for all you gamblers out there.

The Game: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Utah Jazz

The Pick: Thunder -1

The Reason: The Thunder are coming off a loss to the Sacramento Kings last night, and they have not lost back-to-back games all season.  Fatigue should not be a problem for this young team, despite playing their fourth game in the last five nights tonight.  Playing on the road has also not been much of a problem for the Thunder this season, as they are 11-5 away from home.  As for the Jazz, they are 1-4 in their last five games, and they have covered the spread just once in their last six games against the Thunder, and just once in their last seven meetings in Utah.  Look for the Thunder to rebound from last night’s loss with a big road victory tonight.

The Game: Anaheim Ducks @ Detroit Red Wings

The Pick: Red Wings -120 in regulation

The Reason: The Ducks have been playing good hockey as of late, but no team in the league has been better than the Detroit Red Wings while playing at Joe Louis Arena.  Not only have the Wings posted an incredible 21-2-1 record at home this season, but they have also won 18 straight at the Joe, and they currently sit only two wins away from the record for most consecutive home victories.  The Wings have also dominated the Ducks as of late, winning five of the last six meeting between the two teams, and each of the last five in Detroit.  Look for their dominance to continue as they earn the win at home tonight.

2012 Record: (29-24-2), This Week: (4-4), Last Week: (7-2-1)

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Scott Hartnell recorded a Gordie Howe hat-trick during the Philadelphia Flyers’ 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he completed two-thirds of that hat-trick on a single play.

After taking a hard hit from Dion Phaneuf deep in the Leafs zone (retribution for the “suck it” comment, perhaps?), Hartnell skated to the front of the net, batted home a loose puck, and proceeded to turn around, drop his gloves and engage in some fisticuffs with the Leafs’ captain.  He would complete the final third of his Gordie Howe hat-trick in the second period after assisting on a Claude Giroux goal.

Here is another look at his first period goal and ensuing fight.

Ahmad Bradshaw isn’t all that different from most 25-year old males living in New Jersey.  He enjoys going out and partying, he has been arrested for underage drinking at some point in his life, and he has taken a ride on the Staten Island Dump, a.k.a. Jersey Shore’s Angelina Pivarnick.

TMZ caught up with Angelina on the streets of Los Angeles yesterday and asked her about her relationship with the Giants’ running back.  Although she refrained from giving any straight answers regarding the extent of their relationship, she did spit out some hints, like “we’ve hung out together,” and “I think he’s a hot black.”  I believe I’ve heard everything I needed to hear in those two sentences (Two sentences?  Is that a Jersey Shore record?).

So while Eli Manning and some of the other Giants’ players may be visiting Disney World following their Super Bowl victory, it appears as though Ahmad Bradshaw has decided to make the Staten Island Dump his post-season vacation destination.

Check it out.

Hat Tip – [TMZ]

It seems as though every day there is new footage of a buzzer-beating shot in a high school basketball game surfacing on YouTube.  We have another one to show you today, however, this one – which takes place during a Vinita Hornets high school game in Oklahoma – is not like any other we have ever seen before.

At the moment, I am not quite sure if the basket counted, or if it had any effect on the game (according to one YouTube commenter, the score was 52-40 at the time).  But does it really matter?

Regardless of whether this full-court, bounce pass, alley-oop buzzer beater counted, or whether it had any impact on the final score, I still can’t help but be awfully impressed by it.

Check it out.

Hat Tip – [Reddit]

Are these South African cheer squads (anyone know what the official term is?) among the best cheer squads in the world?  Sure, they may not have the sex appeal of American cheerleaders, but what the South African cheerleaders lack in sex appeal, they surely make up for in creativity and precision.

Just check out the video below of Stellenberg High School’s performance during this year’s national competition.

Impressed?  You’re not the only one, as the judges seemed to share similar feelings about the performance from Stellenberg and awarded them with first place in the competition.

With most sports fans in Boston probably trying to get football off their minds following the New England Patriots’ heart-breaking loss at Super Bowl XLVI, the Celtics decided to bring the gridiron sport back to the forefront for just a second at the start of last night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Coincidentally, the outcome of their game would go on to bear a striking resemblance to Sunday’s game between the Pats and the Giants – two teams battling it out in a close contest that once again sees the Boston-area sports team end up on the losing end.

Sure, things may be tough within the Boston sports scene these days, but its not all bad.  After all, they could be Cleveland.

Here’s a look at last night’s opening snap.