During Friday’s NRL match between the Brisbane Broncos and the Wests Tigers, the Broncos’ Ben Te’o laid a devastating shoulder charge on the chin of Matt Groat that could keep both players out of action for a while.

Players from both teams quickly attended to the injured Wests Tigers prop as he lay motionless on the pitch after taking a mouth full of Te’o's shoulder.  Groat was able to make it to his feet and walk off the pitch under his own power, however, it remains unknown how long the hit will keep him out of action.

Te’o is also facing some uncertainty with regards to his return to the pitch, as his hit has been declared a level-three offense by the NRL’s match review committee, which could earn him a four-week ban.

Here is a look at the vicious hit that should keep both players sidelined for some time.

After catching seven home run balls during the 2012 MLB season, Texas Rangers fan Trent Williams figured it was about time he begins celebrating these souvenir grabs with a sprinkler dance.  And during last night’s game between the Rangers and the Seattle Mariners, he introduced that dance to the world.

In an interview with a reporter following the catch, Trent stated that his glove is always ready to make a catch whenever Josh Hamilton is at bat, and the Rangers’ slugger didn’t let him down on this occasion, as he belted a ball over the center field fence and into Trent’s waiting glove during the fourth inning of Texas’ 11-5 victory.

The Rangers would hit four home runs on the evening, but only Hamilton’s would be followed up by a sprinkler dance celebration.  Check it out.

Hat Tip – [MLB.com]

It was an entertaining 2011-12 NHL regular season that was filled with plenty of exciting fights, but their were four bouts over the course of the past seven months that stood out above the rest.  Of those four fights, we were forced to chose only one for this year’s edition of the “Frozen Fisticuffs Fight of the Year.”  After looking at the videos below, it will become quite clear that picking a winner this time around was no easy task, but we think we made the right decision.

Here is a look at the four nominees:

Tanner Glass vs. Cody McCormick from November 8, 2011.

Jay Rosehill vs. Brian McGrattan from November 17, 2011.

Mike Brown vs. Kris Newbury from October 27, 2011.

Cam Janssen vs. Brian McGrattan from October 15, 2011.

And the award for the “Frozen Fisticuffs Fight of the Year” goes to…

Cam Janssen and Brian McGrattan for their epic exchange of blows on October 15, 2011.  Congratulations to both combatants on this well deserved honor.  Hopefully they, and the rest of the NHL’s enforcers, can keep the fists flying during the 2012-13 NHL season.

The San Antonio Spurs were in Utah last night to take on the Jazz, and with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili all staying back home to get some much needed rest, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was forced to field a rather young, inexperienced roster as his team looked to extend their winning streak to 12 games.

So just how young and inexperienced was the Spurs’ lineup last night?  Young and inexperienced enough to force Popovich to hold an emergency practice during halftime in order to make sure that everyone was aware of their assignments at both ends of the court.

In case you were wondering, the extra practice from Popovich didn’t exactly work out as planned, as the Spurs entered halftime with the 47-44 lead, but couldn’t hold on, losing to the Jazz by a score of 91-84 and watching their 11-game winning streak come to an end in the process.

Here is a look at the Spurs’ halftime practice.

Since the NHL installed a salary cap prior to the 2005-06 season, there have been six different Stanley Cup champions (Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins).  And while the management for each of those teams will surely tell you that putting together a championship roster is no easy task with the salary cap constraints these days, we are quite certain that each of them does have their very own secrets when it comes to constructing a winning team.

We wouldn’t expect any of these teams to divulge their secrets, but perhaps an in-depth look at the infographic below will help us grasp a better idea of what it takes to put together a Stanley Cup champion.  And with the 2012 NHL playoffs set to begin tomorrow, that type of information could come in handy for anyone looking to make a Stanley Cup Finals prediction…

…And speaking of predictions, give me the Penguins and the Canucks in this year’s finals.

Here is a look at the infographic.

Hat Tip – [Silver Oak Casino]

With the final seconds winding down during Game One of the opening round playoff series between the Detroit Red Wings and the Nashville Predators, Shea Weber had two things on his mind.  The first was to kill the final five seconds off the clock and ensure that his team earned the important opening game victory.  The second was to kill the head of Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg.

He would successfully accomplish both of those feats, although, he could end up paying a hefty price for the latter.

After taking a hit against the boards from the Wings’ forward, Weber retaliated by grabbing Henrik’s head with both hands and ramming it into the glass in the corner of the rink.  Zetterberg appeared to be slow getting to his feet, but he was eventually able to skate off the ice under his own power.  As for Weber, he was assessed a meaningless two-minute roughing penalty for his actions.

After the game Predators’ head coach Barry Trotz had the following to say about the incident:

“Zetterberg hit him in the head first.  There wasn’t much there. I mean, I was watching the scrum right after that with [Todd] Bertuzzi and Gaustad and Bertuzzi comes in with a big-time, you know, haymaker, so I just think Zetterberg was tired at the end and he knew Webs was there and the game was over.”

There wasn’t much there?  Zetterberg was tired?  Is that how you explain your top defenseman grabbing an opposing player by the head with two hands and using him as a battering ram?  Something tells me that Weber, Trotz and the rest of the Predators’ organization are going to need to come up with a better excuse than that if they hope to avoid the wrath of Brendan Shanahan’s iron fist.

Here is a another look at the hit.

It was on this day in 1988 that Frank Robinson replaced Cal Ripken Sr. as general manager of the Baltimore Orioles.  The Orioles lost their first six games of the season, which led to the firing.  They would go on to lose the next 15 games under Robinson to begin the season at 0-21, the worst start in baseball history.

To this day, Cal Ripken Sr. remains the only man to simultaneously manage two of his sons as both Billy Ripken and Cal Ripken Jr. suited up for the Orioles.  Although Cal Sr. would remain with the organization as the third base coach, Cal Jr. was deeply saddened and hurt by the team’s decision.

Frank Robinson’s first year as manager was not a successful one as the Orioles finished in last place in the American League East with a 54-107 record.  However, Baltimore would rebound the next season finishing 87-75, good enough for second place and earning Robinson the American League Manager of the Year award.

Here is a clip of Frank Robinson.  Underrated?

Notable Birthdays

Adam Graves, NHL – Born April 12th 1968 (age 44) in Toronto, Ontario

Paul LoDuca, MLB – Born April 12th 1972 (age 40) in Brooklyn, New York

Ted Ginn Jr., NFL – Born April 12th 1985 (age 27) in Cleveland, Ohio

Earlier we mentioned that Andrew Bynum recorded the first 30 rebound game in the NBA in over two years, as he earned our “Stat Line of the Night.”  What we failed to mention was that the Los Angeles Lakers center shot a disappointing 7-for-20 from the field (well short of his season average of 56.4%), so chances are at least a few of those rebounds came off his own misses.

While most chose to ignore his poor shooting performance and simply marvel in his dominance on the glass, Bynum wasn’t exactly interested in engaging in any self-praising, as he explained his 30-rebound performance with the following words during a post-game interview:

“Well, I shot the ball like sh*t man.  It’s bothering me.”

Someone may want to remind Bynum that he is playing center for the Lakers.  Not shooting guard.  As long as he is pulling down 30 rebounds a game, his Lakers will be just fine, no matter how bad his shooting performance may be.  But he may want to consider avoiding any more three-point attempts in the future.

Here is a look at Bynum’s post-game interview following last night’s victory over the Spurs.

It is athletes like Jeff Francoeur that make being a sports fan worthwhile.

Yesterday we told you the story about how the Kansas City Royals’ right fielder donated $100 for “beers and bacon dogs” to the fans in section 149 of the Oakland Coliseum during “Bacon Tuesday” last season.  That generous donation made him this year’s official sponsor of the annual event.

Francoeur had some fun with the Bacon Tuesday fans during Tuesday’s rain-shortened game between the Royals and the A’s, and yesterday afternoon he thanked them for their hospitality by having 20 pizzas and a signed bat delivered to them.

Countless times I have gone to sporting events and couldn’t help but notice the number of players who refuse to slap the outstretched hands of fans.  It always leaves me wondering why so  many athletes refuse to interact with their fans in friendly ways like this.  I guess the sports world could use more Jeff Francoeurs.

Here is a look at Francoeur’s kind gesture from Wednesday afternoon’s game against the A’s.

The 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs are now officially underway and, after just one night and three games, the storylines are getting more interesting with every faceoff. I mean, who would have thought the Flyers would come back from a 3-goal deficit to snatch one from the Penguins in overtime?

Now, unpredictability is one of the things that makes any playoff format so much fun. But NHL Playoffs have more going for them than mere unpredictability—things that no other sport can boast.

So on that note, behold today’s list:

9 Reasons Why The Stanley Cup Playoffs Is The Greatest Competition In Pro Sports.

If you’re like me, and you can’t turn away from the TV during the NHL playoffs, then you already know all this stuff. But if you aren’t a hockey addict, maybe this list will inspire you to check out a game or two this April to see what all the fuss is about.

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

The Game: Washington Capitals @ Boston Bruins

The Pick: Over 5

The Reason: The Boston Bruins finished the regular season as the second-highest scoring team in the league and they shouldn’t have any problems keeping their high-powered offensive attack on track during their first-round series against the Washington Capitals.  With Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth both sidelined with injuries, the Caps will be forced to go with rookie Braden Holtby between the pipes.  That should result in more than a few goals for the Bruins.  And with Alex Ovechkin suddenly finding his scoring touch (11 goals in his last 13 games), you can expect the Caps to find the back of the net in this game as well.  Each of the last seven, and nine of the last ten meetings between these two teams have produced at least five goals.  We expect them to surpass that total during Game One tonight.

The Game: Los Angeles Clippers @ Minnesota Timberwolves

The Pick: Clippers -7.5

The Reason: The Clippers have been on a roll as of late, as they have won nine of their last 11 games and are coming off an impressive road victory at Oklahoma City.  As for the Timberwolves, they have lost seven straight, and have covered the spread in just one of their last nine games.  Tonight they will be without the services of Kevin Love after their All-Star power forward suffered a concussion during last night’s game.  With the Clippers battling the Lakers for top spot in the Pacific Division, we expect them to come out hard and earn a sizable victory on the road.

2012 Record: (64-64-7), This Week: (2-3-1), Last Week: (4-4)

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Prior to the start of the Philadelphia Flyers’ first-round playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ilya Bryzgalov was asked what he felt was “the biggest threat that the Penguins have?”  And in true Bryzgalov fashion, he provided yet another epic sound byte to a season that has been full of them, as he calmly stated the following:

“You know, I’m not afraid of anything. I am afraid of bear, but bear is in the forest.”

As you may have expected, that comment resulted in several bears leaving the forest and making the trip to the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh for Game One last night.

The sight of all those fans dressed in bear costumes appeared to have spooked Bryzgalov during the opening period, as he allowed the Penguins to beat him on three occasions throughout the course of the first 20 minutes of the game.  However, he seemed to get over his fear of bears at some point during the first intermission, as he shut the Pens out the rest of the way, allowing the Flyers to escape with the impressive 4-3 come-from-behind victory.

And with the Game One victory in the bag, teammate Jaromir Jagr was free to poke fun at Bryzgalov’s fear of bears during the post-game interviews.

Check it out.

By now you have probably heard all about Bobby Petrino’s motorcycle accident on April 1st, which forced him to uncover his secret affair with 25-year-old former Razorbacks volleyball player Jessica Dorrell, and eventually led to his firing as the head coach of the Arkansas football team.  What you probably haven’t seen or heard, however, was an explanation of this entire episode through the use of Taiwanese animation.

Thanks to some help from the people at NMA World, we are here to fill that void as we provide you with the following Taiwanese animated news story regarding Petrino’s accident, his affair, and his eventual dismissal from the Arkansas football program.

Check it out.

Mixed martial arts and rugby are two of the most physical sports I can think of, but what happens when you combine them both?  You get a free-for-all sport by the name of UltimateBall, which pits two teams of four against one another as they attempt to score on the opposing team’s net while avoiding the punches, kicks and takedowns that we are accustomed to seeing during a typical MMA bout.

Created by the people from Ultimate Challenge MMA, UltimateBall certainly has all of the tools to make it a popular sport in America (plenty of blood, violence and scoring).  Whether that will be enough to allow it to flourish on a national – and eventually, international – level remains to be seen.

You can watch the first ever UltimateBall match between Team Razer Vs Team Bloodline in the video below.

Hat Tip – [CageWriter]

Montpellier have put together a brilliant season thus far, as they currently sit atop France’s Ligue 1 standings with only seven games remaining.  Their brilliance on the pitch through the first 31 games of the 2011-12 campaign were highlighted by an equally brilliant goal off the boot of midfielder Younès Belhanda during yesterday’s 3-1 victory over Marseille.

Montpellier haven’t been getting much recognition for their impressive season, but one can only hope that Belhanda’s goal isn’t subjected to the same level of disdain, as we fully expect to see his name among the likes of Peter Crouch and Dalibor Veselinović when FIFA names their candidates for the Puskás Award at the end of the year.

Check it out.

Hat Tip – [101 Great Goals]

It was on this day in 1997 that Tiger Woods won his first Masters tournament, which was the first major championship of his career.  Woods became the youngest golfer and first African-American to win this prestigious event.

Tiger finished Day One in fourth place, three shots behind leader John Huston, but he would take the lead on day two and never looked back.  He dominated the rest of the weekend and would go on to break the four-day tournament record, shooting 18 under par (270).  His 12-stroke win over second place finisher Tom Kite was also a Masters record, as well as a major championship record.

Woods would earn $486,000 for his victory in 1997.  As for the 2012 Masters tournament champion, Bubba Watson, he earned $1.44-million for his victory on Sunday.  I guess golf has done quite well over the past decade, or so.  I think they can thank Tiger for that.

Here is Tiger at the 1997 Masters.

Notable Birthdays

Sergei Gonchar, NHL – Born April 13th 1974 (age 38) in Chelyabinsk, Soviet Union

Baron Davis, NBA – Born April 13th 1979 (age 33) in Los Angeles, California

Quentin Richardson, NBA – Born April 13th 1980 (age 32) in Chicago, Illinois

The Boston Bruins won the game last night, but it almost came at the cost of one of their top forwards.

After Chris Kelly buried a slap shot past rookie goaltender Braden Holtby 1:18 into the first overtime, giving the Boston Bruins the 1-0 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game One of their opening round playoff series, the Bruins players gathered behind the Caps’ net to celebrate with the overtime hero.  Emotions were clearly high throughout the TD Garden, but perhaps they were a little too high, as the excitement of the fans behind the net caused a large pane of glass to fall on the head of the 2011 playoff scoring leader, David Krejci.

Thankfully, Krejci was able to get back to his feet and rejoin the celebration, leading us to believe that he was able to escape this scary incident uninjured.

Check it out.

For some of us, redemption is only seven hours away, as our second Fan Duel $500 MLB Free Roll is set to take place tonight, beginning with the 7pm ET games.  If your team struggled the first time around, here is your chance to get back in the winner’s circle.  And if you didn’t get the opportunity to join the first time, don’t miss out on this real money fantasy contest a second time around.

After all, it’s quick, it’s simple, and best of all, IT’S FREE!!!

All you have to do it sign up and/or sign in here (or click on the “Play Now” button below) and pick your team consisting of players from tonight’s games (beginning at 7pm ET).  Once you’ve done that, simply sit back and enjoy the games while following your team’s progress using Fan Duel’s live updated scoring system.  When all of the night’s games are complete, the $500 in cash prizes will be distributed accordingly, with first place taking $125.

So do you think you have what it takes to beat me?  Luck certainly wasn’t on my side the first time around, as my starting pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, was forced to leave the game after only three innings of work due to the flu.  If Blue Jays’ starter Brandon Morrow can avoid suffering a similar setback, you’ll probably be seeing my “Icisic83″ team at the top of the standings once it’s all said and done.

The 2012 MLB season is a little over a week old, but today the last 8 teams finally get to celebrate their home openers. And since their fans had to wait this long, chances are those 8 teams are going to pull out all the stops. That means fireworks, parades, give-aways, statue unveilings, video montages, special performances of the national anthem, and—if the fans are really lucky—hot chicks throwing out ceremonial first pitches.

Yes, having hot women throw the ceremonial first pitch is a time-honored baseball tradition. It’s right up there with Cracker Jacks, crotch-adjusting, and performance enhancing drugs. So today, in honor the last round of home openers, we bring you a list of the 21 hottest women to throw out a ceremonial first pitch.

Enjoy.