Sunday’s National Rugby League match between the New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm turned out to be a fairly one sided contest, with the Warriors winning 28-14.

Yet during the game, Nathan Friend of the New Zealand Warriors delivered the greatest rugby pass that I have ever seen, passing it between his legs while being flipped in the air. And if that was not amazing enough, it actually led to an impressive try by Tuimoala Lolohea.

Nathan Friend’s Back-Flip Rugby Pass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEorIWAGos0

Obviously, Nathan Friend’s upside-down, between the legs pass was amazing, but the finishing try made it even more special. It starts with one of the most acrobatic plays I have ever seen, continues with a behind the back pass and ends with the Warriors playing ‘hands’ down the line, which results in Lolohea’s try.

As a rugby fan, can you ask for any more? And best of all, it was rewarded with SportsCenter’s top play of the night, giving rugby the attention it always deserves.

Last week, a video of De’Andre Johnson punching a female bar patron was released by the Tallahassee Democrat. In the footage, Johnson bumped into the victim while going to the bar, which resulted in the situation escalating and her throwing a jab. Instead of walking away, Johnson struck back, punching her in the face. He was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery. As a result of the footage, FSU coach Jimbo Fisher decided to release the young quarterback.

Since then, his lawyer released a statement, claiming that De’Andre was truly sorry for his actions but he did not instigate the fight. However, in an interview with Michael Strahan on Good Morning America, he finally opened up about the incident and took responsibility for throwing that punch.

De’Andre Johnson Apologizes

“There is no explanation for that,” he told interviewer Michael Strahan. “I totally should have walked away. I’m sorry. If I could do it all over again, I would.”

Now, his lawyer initially stated that the victim instigated the fight and allegedly used a racial slur. However, De’Andre is not going to use that as an excuse: “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I shouldn’t have raised my hand to her. I should’ve walked away.”

And most importantly, he apologized to the victim and her family: “I would like to say to her and her family that I’m sorry. No words can describe this feeling.” But he still believes that he deserves a second chance and his lawyer Jose Baez does not think one incident should define De’Andre’s life.

Yet only time will tell if another college team will take a chance on the former FSU QB. For now, he has been volunteering at a battered women shelter, focusing on his education and attempting to learn from the experience.

Saturday’s UFC 189 was nothing short of extraordinary. From top to bottom, it was one of the best fight cards that uSports has ever seen. And everything was capped off with the Chad Mendes and Conor McGregor interim featherweight title fight.

Chad Mendes Broke Thumb

After dominating majority of the match by keeping McGregor on his back, Mendes was knocked out in the closing seconds of the second round. Until those final moments, plenty believed that McGregor would ultimately lose, with Money teeing off on his face while Notorious was stuck on the ground.

Both clearly sustained damage from the fight, with McGregor receiving a 45-day medical suspension for the cut over his eye. However, it was Mendes that suffered the big injury, as his right thumb was broken in the first-round of the fight, according to MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani.

And depending on whether he needs surgery or not, this could lead to a lengthy 180-day medical suspension, according to MMA Junkie. And this is on top of the initial 21-day sentence, which was handed down to him following the fight.

As for questions about whether Mendes fought hurt — McGregor allegedly had a knee injury prior to UFC 189’s main event — he told Sherdog, “Sometimes your mind’s willing but your body’s not. And that’s basically what happened tonight. There’s not a whole lot I can say about it other than Conor was the better man tonight.”

A few months ago, Britain’s Eddie ‘The Beast’ Hall broke the world deadlifting record and lifted 1,018.5 pounds with relative ease. Best of all, he did it at the Arnold Sports Festival in Australia with the famous Austrian movie star cheering him on.

Eddie Hall Breaks Own World Deadlift Record

Well just a few short months later, Hall is back in the news, with him attempting and succeeding to break his own deadlift record.

So during Europe’s Strongest Man’s World Deadlift Championships, which also had uSports favorite and Game of Thrones alum Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson competing, Hall decided to tarnish his record by adding 1.5 pounds. In other words, he earned his championship by lifting 1,020 pounds, aka 463 kg.

In the past year, Hall has achieved the deadlift record twice and won the 2015 Britain’s Strongest Man competition. Now, he suffered a bit of a setback when he came in fourth at the 2015 World’s Strongest Man Competition, yet he is leagues ahead of his strongman opponents when it comes to deadlifting.

To put this in perspective, Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson’s tops out at 990 pounds, aka 450 kg. And while the man formally known as “The Mountain” is good in certain areas, Hall somehow deadlifts over a thousand pounds with relative ease.

It appears that the Dez Bryant contract drama has officially become serious, with the receiver tweeting out that he will, in fact, miss time if a deal is not finished before Wednesday’s 4 pm deadline.

Dez Bryant Threatens To Miss Time

Originally, many people believed that Dez Bryant’s threats were groundless, as no one expected him to miss time or lose out on millions to prove a point. He even undermined his initial threat when he attended OTAs: at that time, a stalemate killed contract talks between the two parties.

However, since the Cowboys have failed to offer him a deal, he felt it necessary to reiterate this point. Last week, he called Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones and gave him this ultimatum, according to ESPN’s sources. And the tweet was the receiver’s way of communicating his feelings to Dallas’ fans.

Dez Bryant is also aware that the franchise tag, which would pay him $12.8 million for 2015, was accepted by the NFLPA at the last negotiation, but he feels that he has established himself as a top receiver and thus should be paid like one.

Over the last five seasons, Bryant had 5,424 receiving yards, 56 touchdowns — 16 came last season, which led the league — and 381 receptions. Essentially, he is a vital piece of Tony Romo’s offense and will be sorely missed if absent.

Despite crazy weather, yesterday’s revamped Home Run Derby came and went in spectacular fashion. And this was mainly because of the Reds’ Todd Frazier, who became the hometown hero by dramatically winning the derby for the Cincinnati crowd.

Todd Frazier Wins Home Run Derby

The new format created some dramatic tension, as batters had four minutes to hit as many home runs as possible — the time was shortened due to the inclement weather. On top of this, the batters also earned an extra 30 seconds if they hit a homer over 425 feet. And best of all, last year’s head-to-head setting returned and was enhanced by each batter’s limited time.

Needless to say, the new format worked, as fans were on their edge of their seat to see who would be the new champion. And Frazier did not disappoint, as he made his hometown crowd sweat through the proceedings: he waited until his last swing three separate times.

But by far his most exciting effort was during the championship round. When the Dodgers’ Joc Pederson — he defeated Manny Machado and Albert Pujols to get to the finals — cranked 14 home runs, Reds fans did not know if Frazier could top it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2IQiApMazY

Yet Frazier was not feeling any pressure, as the crowd pushed him to victory: “Just hearing the crowd roar, call my name, adrenaline. And those last minutes of each round really picked me up to drive the ball out of the park a lot more.”

And despite starting slow, Frazier was able to tie Pederson with just ten seconds left. However, he was not able to defeat the Dodger during his initial at bat, but he did receive extra seconds for hitting shots over 425 feet. And he did not need a lot of time, as he crushed the derby-winning home run on his first swing.

Todd Frazier became the first Home Run Derby champion to win on his home field since the Chicago Cubs’ Ryne Sandberg did it at Wrigley Field in 1990. Frazier finishes tied for second with Pederson for the most home runs in a single derby with 39: they sit behind Bobby Abreu, who in 2005 hit 41.

Marshawn Lynch has squashed the production of his biopic, ending any chance for the world to see the film.

Marshawn Lynch Movie

It all started when Marshawn Lynch and family friend Mario Bobino decided to make a film together. Entitled Family First: The Marshawn Lynch Story, it chronicled Lynch’s time growing up in Oakland and his eventual success in the NFL.

Trouble began in February, when Bobino randomly released a trailer for the film. It was eventually yanked off the Internet, however, the damage was already done with many people panning it for its cheap look and amateurish style.

Now, the reason why Bobino pulled the trailer was because Lynch, who has the final say over the product, was angry over it being released without his consent and thought the overall quality was extremely poor, according to a Rolling Stones report. “He did a terrible job, and the film will never be released,” Lynch’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, told Rolling Stone.

With this said, Bobino, who served as director, writer and editor, told the magazine that he plans to write a script about filming The Marshawn Lynch Story, which will set the record straight.

“My story is the truth, so people know what happened and what I had to deal with,” Bobino stated. “If that movie had come out and it would have been successful, I would have gotten no credit. Now that it’s considered a failure, everyone is pointing the finger at Mario Bobino.”

At the same time, he does not think his relationship with Marshawn could ever be repaired.

“I think the issue with me and him now is a trust issue. He doesn’t trust me anymore, so that’s why the movie isn’t going to come out,” he continued. “It’s a trust issue with me now because I put out that promo [without] his consent.”

It is a shame that  the world will never see Family First: The Marshawn Lynch Story because the trailer compares to The Room in terms of weirdness.

While the NHL Draft is nowhere near the size of the NFL Draft, it has been growing with popularity over the last few years. And one of the most liked items from the event are the hats, which the NHL and Reebok change from year-to-year.

In 2014, Reebok decided to go vintage with an easily accessible snapback look, which somewhat resembled a trucker hat. The rim was the color of the team, the logo was stitched into the center of the hat, a gigantic blown up image of the same logo served as the background and the mesh back featured the NHL insignia.

2015 NHL Draft Caps

Well this year, they are much better looking with an interesting brim, solid colors and awesome fitted style.

The brims contain a unique version of each team’s logo. Whether it is the color scheme or just a heavier focus on a certain aspect of the team’s insignia, it gives 2015’s hat a more distinct look than its 2014 counterpart.

For instance, the Boston Bruins’ brim has a new take on an older logo, which is a menacing bear walking under the team’s name.

Photo © NHL.

And while there are two sizes — S/M or L/XL — these hats are made from stretchable material, getting rid of the hassle of figuring out a numerical size. So basically, all 30 NHL teams are represented and each have a distinct look and feel, which can be yours for the very low price of $27.90.

Get the Gear: 2015 NHL Draft Caps

Just days after the USWNT won the World Cup, the U.S. Men’s National Team began their Gold Cup with a tough 2-1 victory over Honduras.

USMNT Defeats Honduras

Quite honestly, the USMNT were lucky to get out of Texas with a victory. Though the stat line shows an even contest, the usually defensive Honduras seemed to control the ball and get plenty of offensive opportunities.

The defense was torched several times, with Honduras almost scoring in the opening minutes: Anthony Lozano got behind the defenders to deliver a strike that was just saved by goaltender Brad Guzan. And he would survive a barrage the whole night, with Honduras outshooting USA 11(3)-5(4).

But it was the hot-headed Clint Dempsey, who recently lost his captaincy after a confrontation with a ref last month, that opened up the scoring at the 25th minute mark. After, Jozy Altidore took a deep angled shot, Honduras goaltender Donis Escober could not control it, lightly kicking the ball down the middle. Dempsey, who was deep in the box, headed the rebound home to give USA a 1-0 lead.

This seemed to liven the USMNT, but it did not mean Honduras was completely put down, as they had a few more chances to equalize it before half: including Andy Najar’s strike from outside the box, which just sailed high.

The next score would be in the 64th minute when Dempsey — it seemed like taking away his captaincy motivated him — headed home a near corner pass from Michael Bradley, giving him his second goal of the night. Bradley, who was made captain for this game, delivered this assist in his 100th appearance for the USMNT — he is only the 16th player to achieve this honor.

However, Honduras would fire right back, as Carlos Discua scored their first goal of the 2015 Gold Cup in the 69th minute. Again, the U.S. defenders were caught sleeping, as Discua went right around Ventura Alvarado and kicked a beautiful top shelf shot. And this would not be the end of their onslaught, with Eddie Hernandez later pushing a ball just wide of the net and the match ending on a free kick that was blocked by the U.S. wall.

Needless to say, the defense needs to improve if they want to regain their Gold Cup title. Their next match is July 10, when they take on Haiti.

Former NFL quarterback and Fox Sports analyst Donovan McNabb was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence on June 28. This is the second time he has been arrested for a DUI in the last 18 months.

Donovan McNabb Arrested For DUI

The incident took place on June 28 near his Arizona home, where he supposedly left a sports bar and got into an accident. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but he did rear end the car of a Gila River police officer’s spouse. Afterwards, he reportedly failed a myriad of sobriety tests, resulting in him being brought to the station and booked. The police also stated that a blood sample was taken, however, the results have not been released.

“There was a story that was released and I want everybody to be cognizant of it, because I am very aware of it, handling the matter at this particular point,” McNabb stated. “But at this point, I have no further information. And as we continue on with the situation, then we’ll let it handle as it will handle itself.”

His first DUI, back in December 2013, resulted in him pleading guilty in April 2014, spending a day in jail, paying a $1,500 fine and entering a treatment program. It is very possible that this second offense could garner a bigger punishment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvwCbORKUXM

McNabb was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999 with the second overall pick. He played for the NFC East team for eleven seasons, taking them to a Super Bowl in 2004 — they lost to the Pats 24-21. Throughout that time, he threw for 37,276 yards, 234 touchdowns, 117 interceptions and had a completion percentage of 59 percent.

Following the 2009 season, he was traded to Washington for a second round pick, but things did not work out in the nation’s capital, as he constantly clashed with veteran head coach Michael Shanahan. He would later be traded to the Minnesota Vikings for the 2011 season, where he would eventually be released by December.

He retired a member of the Eagles in July 2013.

Cutting weight is a natural part of a MMA fighter’s lifestyle. There have been tons of stories about fighters drastically shedding pounds by any means before a weigh in. It sounds terrible, cutting huge chunks of weight that takes normal people years to lose, but it is a necessary part of the sport.

And apparently, the next few days are going to be absolutely miserable for Conor McGregor, who allegedly has to shed considerable pounds before his Friday weigh in.

Conor McGregor Needs To Drop 27 Pounds

Famous motormouth Chael Sonnen was on the Jim Rome Show on July 3, where he talked about visiting Notorious’ camp.

“He’s a very big guy. I was impressed with how big he is,” Chael Sonnen said. “I was like ‘Conor, what do you weigh?’ He said, ‘I’m around 172 lbs.’ He’s got to be 145 lbs in eight days… I’ve [cut that much weight] before, but I’m considerably bigger. Percentage-wise, I wouldn’t have to lose quite as much.”

So from last Thursday, he has to allegedly lose 27 pounds. Now, this could be business as usual for McGregor or it could also be from his over-packed schedule — he was on Conan last week and was even in New York for some time. Still, he remains as confident as ever, as he even supposedly attempted to bet his bosses $3 million that he would knock out his opponent Chad Mendes in the second round.

“You want to know how confident this kid is?” Dana White asked Jim Rome. “I can’t even believe I’m going to say this, but, he told [Lorenzo Fertitta] and I the other day, ‘I’ll bet you $3 million I knock him out in the second round.'”

Unsurprising, since he once called himself mystic mac: though after predicting that Jose Aldo would pull out, the nickname is becoming scarily accurate.

McGregor fights Chad Menders for the interim featherweight belt on July 11 at UFC 189.

It is not surprising to see David Lee traded. After winning a NBA title with the Golden State Warriors, the franchise, who underutilized the power forward, promised to help him find another team in the offseason, according to ESPN’s sources.

And today, he was traded to the Boston Celtics for swingman — aka a player who can play both the shooting guard and small forward position — Gerald Wallace, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein.

David Lee Heads To Boston

Lee, who has been with the Warriors since 2010-11, lost his starting job to Draymond Green after suffering a hamstring injury prior to the 2014-15 season. He only started four of a possible 49 games, garnering 7.9 PPG and 5.2 RPG, which were both his lowest since his rookie season. And since Lee was owed $15.5 million for next year, which was simply too much money for a bench player, it was important to shed his contract.

“I’ve actually gotten to see kind of the other side of the NBA,” Lee said during a NBA Finals interview with the NBA Insiders on ESPN Radio. “I’ve always been the guy that’s out there for 35 to 40 minutes. I’ve never really, I don’t think, had the true respect for guys… [who] don’t get a chance to play very often and come out and produce on a consistent basis — I never knew how difficult that was.”

As for Wallace, he is a longtime journeyman that has played for six different organizations — Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Bobcats (Hornets),  Portland Trail Blazes, both New Jersey and Brooklyn Nets and finally the Celtics — prior to the Warriors.

Now, Boston owed him $10.1 million for next season. And since he was mainly a bench player in 2014-15, starting in zero out of a possible 32 games and suffering from a knee injury for majority of the year, it was important to get rid of that contract.

As for the specifics, nothing else has been revealed about the trade. It cannot be officially signed until Thursday.

With the NFL currently on hiatus, football lovers have nothing to help them forget about their monotonous jobs. Well, with training camp just three weeks away — it officially begins on July 29 — bored fans could prepare for the preseason by getting the latest training camp gear at the NFL shop.

The NFL Shop has the latest shirts, shorts, hats and more, which are also officially worn by the athletes, coaches and personnel. Best of all, the store has distinct items from all 32 teams, so even the smaller market fans have plenty to enjoy.

Photo © NFL.

The shirts vary from nice polos, which have the teams’ logos and colors, to workout tops made from Dri-Fit technology — the material keeps the wearer cool or dry, depending upon the situation. As for the hats, the options are endless: with some teams offering bucket hats, straw hats, skull caps, visors and more.

Photo © NFL.

But probably the coolest item is a pair of the Nike NFL practice wear shorts, which is only offered by a certain amount of teams. These comfortable gym shorts use Dri-Fit technology, are also worn by the athletes and cost anywhere from $35 to $50.

So whether you want to support your team or train with your team’s best workout gear, the best option is to shop at the NFL store.

Get the Gear: NFL Training Camp Shirts, Shorts and Hats from All 32 Teams

Floyd Mayweather has officially been stripped of his WBO welterweight belt, as he has failed to comply with Friday’s deadline to pay $200,000 and vacate his other two junior middleweight belts. Now, he received the WBO title by defeating Manny Pacquiao on May 2, but it is against the rules to hold belts in different weight classes, as boxers usually later decide which class to stay in.

Therefore, the WBC and WBA were technically breaking their own rules by allowing Mayweather to hold onto their belts. Now, the WBO was not as willing as they set last week’s deadline to force Mayweather’s decision. Instead, he seemed to ignore the date, leaving the organization no choice but strip him of the title on Monday.

WBO Strips Title From Mayweather

“The WBO world championship committee is allowed no other alternative but to cease to recognize Mr. Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the WBO welterweight champion of the world and vacate his title for failing to comply with out WBO regulations of world championship contests,” the WBO stated in a press release.

Originally, Mayweather talked about vacating all of his titles, to give other fighters a chance. But weeks after the fight, no decision was made. Therefore, the WBO made June 27’s bout between Timothy Bradley Jr. and Jessie Vargas for the welterweight belt. A decision that Mayweather objected to, resulting in the fight being for the interim belt. Mayweather was then given last Friday’s deadline to regain the title, yet did nothing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVmoIOjpwyQ

“[The decision] is a complete disgrace,” Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather Promotions CEO, told ESPN. “Floyd will decide what, or if any, actions he will take… he will not be dictated by any organization or person as it relates to his decision making.” He now has 14 days to appeal WBO’s decision.

Floyd Mayweather next plans to fight on September 12, which will be the final bout in his massive six-fight deal with Showtime and CBS. After, he allegedly plans to retire.

De’Andre Johnson has officially been dismissed by FSU.

The athlete, who was called Florida’s “Mr. Football,” was originally suspended after being charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly striking a female during a June 24 bar incident. But now, a video, originally released by Tallahassee Democrat, displayed the graphic incident.

On the surveillance tape, Johnson attempted to make his way to the counter at a crowded bar. As a result, he pushed his way past the 21-year-old female victim. This resulted in a confrontation, where she balled her fist, causing De’Andre to grab it. This only escalated the situation, as she raised her knee and threw a punch. Johnson immediately retaliated and connected with a right hand.

The punch left her bleeding, as she suffered a cut beneath her nose, bruising to her left eye and some swelling on her face, according to ESPN’s copy of the police report.

He later surrendered to police on June 30 and was released on bail.

De’Andre Johnson Released

After the video’s release, FSU decided to dismiss the freshman. FSU officials and the coaching staff claimed to have not seen the video until it was released on the Tallahassee Democrat website, according to ESPN.

As for Johnson, he hired famous defense attorney Jose Baez, who released a statement.

“While it is clear from the video that De’Andre Johnson was not the initial aggressor, his family wants to take the lead in helping him learn and grow from this experience,” Baez told Noles247. “He is currently participating in community service and faith-based programs focused on battered women, substance abuse and the empowerment of children. De’Andre is extremely embarrassed by this situation and would like to express his heartfelt apologies to everyone, including those who were directly affected: Coach Fisher and his teammates, the entire Florida State University community, as well as his family and friends.”

And while Johnson’s family knows that the former FSU QB was in the wrong, they believe the victim should have been charged too: she swung first in the video and allegedly stated, “Get off me you f**king n***er,” according to TMZ Sports report. Now, it is unclear whether the latter was true because the video does not have sound, but State Attorney Willie Meggs shot down the possibility of charging the female victim.

De’Andre Johnson was a highly sought out high school athlete, passing for 3,710 yards and rushing for 398 yards with 56 total touchdowns while playing for First Coast High in 2014.

Everyone knows uSports’ feelings on the MLB All-Star game. While both basketball and hockey’s versions are entertaining — football’s Pro Bowl is a joke — baseball’s All-Star game holds weight because it matters. As previously mentioned, the winner gets home field advantage in the World Series, which is a big deal when considering the importance of a home crowd.

And with the festivities beginning in less than a week and the game exactly seven days away, the All-Star starters have been officially announced via MLB.

American League Roster

Now as most know, the World Series teams’ managers will lead their respective league on July 14. So the American League’s skipper will be the Kansas City Royals Ned Yost. And his roster is absolutely stacked.

Starters
C: Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals
1B: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
2B: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
3B: Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
SS: Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals
OF: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
OF: Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City Royals
OF: Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals
DH: Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners

Pitchers
Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays
Dellin Betances, New York Yankees
Brad Boxberger, Tampa Bay Rays
Zach Britton, Baltimore Orioles
Wade Davis, Kansas City Royals
Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics
Kelvin Herrera, Kansas City Royals
Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros
Darren O’Day, Baltimore Orioles
Glen Perkins, Minnesota Twins
David Price, Detroit Tigers
Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox

Reserves
C: Russell Martin, Toronto Blue Jays
C: Stephen Vogt, Oakland Athletics
1B: Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
1B: Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
2B: Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians
3B: Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
SS: Jose Iglesias, Detroit Tigers
IF/OF: Brock Holt, Boston Red Sox
OF: Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays
OF: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
OF: J.D. Martinez, Detroit Tigers
DH: Prince Fielder, Texas Rangers

And if you did not get a chance to vote, there is still an opportunity to select one last American League player to the All-Star game: it is between Xander Bogaerts, Yoenis Cespedes, Brian Dozier, Brett Gardner and Mike Moustakas.

National League Roster

Now, San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy will be leading the National League, who also, unsurprisingly, has a stacked lineup.

Starters
C: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
2B: Dee Gordon, Miami Marlins
3B: Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds
SS: Jhonny Peralta, St. Louis Cardinals
OF: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
OF: Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals
OF: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins

Pitchers
Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
A.J. Burnett, Pittsburgh Pirates
Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds
Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh Pirates
Jacob deGrom, New York Mets
Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers
Mark Melancon, Pittsburgh Pirates
Shelby Miller, Atlanta Braves
Jonathan Papelbon, Philadelphia Phillies
Francisco Rodriguez, Milwaukee Brewers
Trevor Rosenthal, St. Louis Cardinals
Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
Michael Wacha, St. Louis Cardinals

Reserves
C: Yasmani Grandal, Los Angeles Dodgers
C: Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers
1B: Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs
2B: D.J. LeMahieu, Colorado Rockies
2B: Joe Panik, San Francisco Giants
3B: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
3B: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
SS: Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants
OF: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
OF: Joc Pederson, Los Angeles Dodgers
OF: A.J. Pollock, Arizona Diamondbacks
OF: Justin Upton, San Diego Padres

And the five players vying for the final National League spot are Johnny Cueto, Jeurys Familia, Clayton Kershaw, Carlos Martinez and Troy Tulowitzki.

So tune in July 14 to see who will be victorious: the American League have won seven of the last ten years.

H/T: MLB

Over the weekend, inconsistent defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who at times looks unstoppable, was involved in a fireworks accident in Florida. After tweeting and instragramming photos of a U-Haul truck filled with fireworks, he allegedly injured his hand while attempting to light one of them, which required him to be hospitalized.

However, JPP’s hand appears to be intact and the doctors have only kept him longer to test for long-term nerve damage, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.

Giants Pull Offer From Jason Pierre-Paul

With this said, the most interesting element of this injury is how JPP never signed his franchise tender. Now, as long as his hand does not have permanent damage, the Giants will still offer the tag: it will be his choice to sign it — it is worth $14.8 million — or sit the season.

More interestingly, the Giants and Paul were allegedly working on a long-term deal that would have paid the athlete roughly $60 million, according to Ian Rapoport. The NFL Insider’s sources further stated that in light of the injury, it is not in the Giants’ best interest to sign the defensive end to a big contract and thus pulled the offer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10A-jkLsePo

JPP has previously stated he did not plan to sign the franchise tag offer, but, amidst the fireworks accident, he could change his mind. Either way, the Giants are still awaiting further test results to see the extent of the damage to Paul’s hand.

Pierre-Paul initially emerged as a star in 2011, garnering 86 combined tackles, 16.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. However, he was wildly inconsistent over the next two seasons, with only 94 combined tackles and 8.5 sacks. But in 2014, he bounced back — 77 combined tackles, 12.5 sacks and three forced fumbles — and everything looked positive heading into 2015.

Only time will tell if JPP’s hand will be fine: early speculation has him allegedly missing the beginning of the regular season.

In surprising news, three top players — Antonio Gates, Sheldon Richardson and Rolando McClain — were suspended for failing drug tests.

Antonio Gates Suspended

Over the last two years, Antonio Gates had a bit of a career resurgence. He caught 146 passes for 1,693 yards and 16 touchdowns — 12 of which came in 2014. However, the NFL just announced that Gates failed a drug test and thus violated the company’s policy on PEDs. Therefore, he has been suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season.

“In an effort to recover from a long season and although I was unaware at the time, I regret to confirm that I tested positive for a substance that is currently on the NFL banned substance list,” Gates said in press release. “As an NFL veteran and team leader, I should have done my due diligence to ensure that what I was taking for recovery was within the NFL guidelines.  I have always believed that ignorance is no excuse when it comes to these issues, and I take full responsibility for my actions. I’d like to express my sincere apologies to the Chargers, my teammates, coaches, fans and the league who have always supported me and expected and gotten nothing but the highest level of integrity from me.”

Gates, whose legacy took a bit of a hit with this suspension, is one of the greatest tight ends to ever play the game. In his 12 year career, he has 788 receptions, over 10,000 yards and 99 touchdowns.

Sheldon Richardson Suspended

Sheldon Richardson is a talented defensive tackle that came out of the Jets’ 2013 draft class. And now, he has been suspended the first four games for violating the league’s policy on substance abuse. And while the NFL does not usually disclose the reason behind the suspension, Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News confirmed it was for marijuana.

“I apologize for letting down my family, teammates, this organization and the fans,” Richardson said in a press release. “However, words aren’t enough. This is something that can only be addressed by how I handle myself from this point on. I don’t want this to take away from what the team is trying to accomplish. While I won’t be there at the start of the regular season, I will do whatever I can to support my teammates until I’m able to return to the field.”

In two seasons with the Jets, Richardson had 144 combined tackles and 11.5 sacks.

Rolando McClain Suspended

Rolando McClain had some problems in the past, but a lot of people expected that trouble to be behind him. After washing out from the Raiders and retiring twice, he had a career resurgence with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014.

Filling in for the injured Sean Lee, McClain had 81 combined tackles, one sack and two interceptions in 13 games. Basically, he helped carry a defense that many folks expected to be terrible. However, now it appears his off-the-field issues are back, as he was just suspended the first four games of the 2015 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. This is McClain’s second failed drug test in 2015.

“I apologize to my family, the Cowboys organization, my teammates and Cowboys fans for my mistake,” McClain said in a press release. “I will not break the rules of my profession in the future, and I regret my error. I look forward to returning to the field on week five, when I hope to help my team beat the Patriots.”

This hurts McClain the most, as his contract, which is worth $3 million, is based mostly in incentives.

Rafael Nadal has had a sub-par 2015. After failing to reach the semis in either the Australian or French Open — he was knocked out of the latter by Novak Djokovic — he just lost to a qualifier in the second round of Wimbledon.

Rafael Nadal Loses

Simply, Nadal has not had the best Wimbledon career. Now, he has won two Wimbledon titles, but his least amount of overall Grand Slam wins is from the London tournament: he is 40-9 all-time. Also, since he lost in the finals to Djokovic in 2011, Nadal has garnered four straight early round exits from the oldest tennis tournament in the world.

This time he lost 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to a German qualifier named Dustin Brown, who is currently ranked 102nd in the world. And it is not like he lost to quality players in the previous three years. In fact, this is the fourth consecutive Wimbledon where he has lost to players ranked 100th or worse — Nick Kyrgios (144) in 2014, Steve Darcis (135) in 2013 and Lukas Rosol (100) in 2012. However, this is the first time he has lost to a qualifier in a Grand Slam.

Even though he has won more titles at Wimbledon than the Australian, he has always remained consistent at the other Grand Slams. It seems at London, the only thing he can do is remain consistently bad, which is quite shocking when considering his talent.

The next important question, is he hurt or is he finally over-the-hill at 29 years old? And before people yell at me, 29, as sad as it is to say, is fairly old in tennis, which is a young person’s sport. It is going to be interesting to see how he plays in August at the U.S. Open. Can he bounce back or will 2015 be a complete failure for the former number one in the world?