Artie Lange Charged With DUI

Artie Lange's spinning-out-of-control life has been headed in that direction for quite a while now though most fans haven't batted an eyelash. While I love Artie, I do worry that he's going to die fairly soon at the hands of some tragic circumstances. I certainly hope I'm wrong, but it just wouldn't surprise me. The latest is this TMZ report that Artie was busted for DUI after getting into an accident. Here's another report from the Asbury Park Press on the incident. I hope Artie gets things under control because I do enjoy his wit and off-color humor on the Howard Stern Show and elsewhere. I got his book, "Too Fat to Fish," as a Christmas present and read it in a few days. Some great stuff and great stories in there, but it wasn't just about the carousing. It also showed a sensitive, nostalgic side of Artie and that's what I enjoyed most -- that underneath the gruff exterior and the drinking and the drugs and the womanizing, there was this old lug who was as down to earth as anyone, and appreciated the most simple things in life the way most of us do.

Porrista Pics O' The Day

Haven't had many of these in a while, what with the Mexican league soccer season on hiatus for the time being, but the CONCACAF Gold Cup provided us with a glipse when Mexico played Panama in Houston on Thursday night. So here are some, but it might be better to focus below the neck on most of these.











Yeah, see what I mean. Focus below the neck.

Erin Andrews Gets Nailed

No, I'm not talking about the way you are probably thinking fellow Erin fans. I mean rather that the lovely Erin was "nailed" by a foul ball at Wednesday's game involving the Dodgers and Mets at Citi Field. TMZ first reported that Erin literally took one on the chin -- a foul ball that is -- and was taken to a hospital as a precaution. Turns out all she has is a bruised chin and she will perform her normal duties for ESPN during All-Star game festivities in St. Louis as well as at the ESPYs, where she figures to be dressed to the nines (so we'll be watching closely). We can't wait. Meanwhile, the jokes about how Erin should avoid assignments where balls are flying in her face are spreading like wildfire (though we respectfully disagree she should avoid such things), but we're sure our favorite sideline reporter can handle it. Her injury did cause quite a stir in the blogosphere, as several places documented the incident. You can find more, here, here, here and here. Click on each link to see a different picture of Erin.

King James Needs Dethroning

If this story is true, and there's every reason to believe it is, then I've lost what little respect I still had for LeBron James. The King was dunked on during a pickup game by a college player, Jordan Crawford of Xavier, so what was his reaction? He had a Nike rep go around and confiscate videotape of the incident so it wouldn't end up on the Internet. You have GOT to be kidding me!!! What an insecure, immature a-hole. Then again, this is a guy who thinks it's OK not to shake hands if he loses. The guy makes hundreds of millions of dollars and he's worrying about crap like this. I guess there's only certain things we should be witness to, right? What an absolute tool. There are good links that go into more detail on this ridiculous display by LeBron here, here and here. And this is another good one that was published later Wednesday.

And what's the big deal Nike? It has already happened. Idiots.

Ariza Out, Artest In

I was sad to see Trevor Ariza go (really I was), being that he's a local kid who went to UCLA, but I still don't think he has any reason to be mad at the Lakers. His agent blew it, plain and simple, by letting the business part of the NBA become personal. Players are ALWAYS talking about how it's a business, yet they get their feelings hurt when they sense a hint of perceived disrespect (i.e. lack of dollars). I think Ariza really will come to regret money getting in the way of what could have been a fruitful career in his hometown. Remember, you don't need to be a star in L.A. to be a star (see: Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, et al). Does that make sense? It's different here. It wouldn't surprise me if Ariza just sorta faded into oblivion and became just another player on just another team. Too bad Trevor. The ball was in your court and you fumbled it out of bounds.



Meanwhile, Ron Artest looks pretty good in Laker colors:

Patton Oswalt In 'Big Fan'

This is the trailer for the movie "Big Fan" and it looks like it could be pretty good. I've always liked Patton Oswalt and this bit seems more of a departure for him compared to his usual roles as the funny friend or sidekick. From the movie's official description: "The life of a parking garage attendant is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite player on the New York Giants."

Tour de France Kisses

The Tour de France began over the weekend, so it's a chance for us to get back to one of our favorite pasttimes -- judging the kisses the stage winners get on the podium from the "hostesses." Here are the first once we've seen.

Here is stage winner Michael Albasini of Switzerland getting the treatment:






Overall impression: We're left a little disappointed by these efforts. The hostesses don't look like they're that into it. The brunette especially (who looks a little like Rachel Dratch, aka Debbie Downer) seems as if she'd rather be anywhere else. At least the blond is puckering up.

Bonus picture (Ben Stiller and his wife Christine Taylor take in Stage 3):

Ronaldo's Raucous 'Presentation'

In this country, when a team in a professional sport brings in a new player, namely a high-profile player, there is the customary press conference to introduce said player to the media and to the public. Usually it's done without much fanfare and you watch the local news later that night to catch a glimpse. In soccer, it's different, especially when it comes to the big clubs. The picture above is of Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home of Real Madrid in the Spanish league. What you see there isn't a crowd assembling for a game. This crowd is there for a "presentation" of the team's newest star, Cristiano Ronaldo. It's nothing more than an introduction, yet people packed a stadium to see. I guess I can compare it to the Laker parade that ended with a rally at the Coliseum recently, but never before have I ever seen such a spectacle for a player simply joining a team. There really is no American equivalent.

Lou Gehrig's Famous Speech

Today is the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's famous speech at Yankee Stadium after he was diagnosed with ALS and was beginning his descent into failing health. Now I hate the Yankees as much as the next guy, but I do have an appreciation for baseball history, so it seemed rather appropriate to post this today. Around baseball, there were Gehrig tributes.

It's Joey Chestnut -- Again

As the nation celebrated its birthday and the country swelled with patriotism from sea to shining sea, Joey Chestnut again showed an appreciative populace what a true American hero is all about by defending his title in the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. Chestnut ate a record 68 dogs and buns to edge Takeru Kobayashi for the second year in a row. Way to go champ!

Talkin' Bout Practice

Heard this mash-up on the radio this week of some famous athlete/coach meltdowns that was turned into a rap song. The star is Allen Iverson and his "practice" routine from a few years ago. Pretty good stuff. I guess the real star is the dude who made it, DJ Steve Porter, who calls this collection "Press Hop."

Hayward Field -- That's All!

Was watching a little of the U.S. track and field championships over the weekend in Eugene, Ore., and something really annoyed me for some reason. The meet took place at historic Hayward Field. Or at least I thought it did. I mean, I thought it was "historic" with a small "h" but I would soon find I was wrong. It's actually Historic Hayward Field. Really. It is. Historic is part of the name. To me, the fact that you need "Historic" as part of your official title says that you're either not as historic as you might think or you suffer from a severe inferiority complex, a huge ego, or perhaps both. Yeah, I know it's a little thing, but it's one of the dumbest ones I've come across in the naming of a sports stadium.

Here are some close-ups of the stadium scoreboard. How dumb.

A Good Cry For Ana Ivanovic

I know I'm a day late, but I had to document Ana Ivanovic's ouster from Wimbledon. She lost to Venus Williams after being forced to retire because of a thigh injury. Our condolences.















How terribly sad.

Golf Hotties O' The Day

The LPGA Wegmans tournament is taking place in Rochester, N.Y., this weekend and there were a few surprises thrown our way.

Cristie Kerr is happy about something:


Never seen Michelle Wie quite like this:


Natalie Gulbis is, and will always be, one of our faves:


Same for Paula Creamer, who has a cute, trashy look here. And I mean that as compliment:


Sandra Gal from Germany. Not a great face, but body is not so bad, huh?:

Michael Jackson's Moonwalk

This was the performance I remember that propelled Michael Jackson into the upper atmosphere of entertainers. It happened at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special. Everyone was trying to moonwalk after this, and few could ever do it with the same flair as Michael. And no, I don't give a crap that he's lip-syncing