Queen of Sports

Theo Walcott Book Signing

One of our favorite soccer players, Arsenal and English national team forward Theo Walcott was at Emirate Stadium in London last week signing copies of his auto-biography, “Theo: Growing Up Fast“. The book was released this month and has already cause quite a stir because of Theo’s criticism of England manager Fabio Capello, whom he labels “cold and clinical”.

Theo has already published four children’s books, “T.J. and the Hat-Trick“, “T.J. and the Penalty“, “T.J. and the Winning Goal” and “T.J. and the Cup Run“.

Photo: PR Photos

BYU Men’s Basketball Releasing Feature-Length Documentary Chronicling 2010-2011 Season

BYU men’s basketball just released a trailer for an upcoming feature-length documentary that chronicles the team’s successfull 2010-2011 season. The team, with the help of Jimmer Fredette and coach Dave Rose, made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 30 years. Check out the trailer below:

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Georgetown Men’s Basketball Team Involved In Brawl With Beijing Team

The Georgetown men’s basketball team was in China playing an exhibition game against a team from Beijing when a major brawl broke out on court. It started when a Chinese player fouled Georgetown’s Jason Clark and the two got into a shoving match. It quickly escalated and soon chairs and punches were being thrown as both benches cleared out. Georgetown coach John Thompson III pulled his players off the floor with 9 1/2 minutes left and a tied score.

Thompson released the following statement and has supposedly met with the Beijing team’s coach and players.

“Tonight, two great teams played a very competitive game that unfortunately ended after heated exchanges with both teams. We sincerely regret that this situation occurred. We remain grateful for the opportunity our student-athletes are having to engage in a sport they love here in China, while strengthening their understanding of a nation we respect and admire at Georgetown University.”

Olympic Gymnast Signs Endorsement Deal With Under Armour

Olympic gymnast Alicia Sacramone has signed a multi-year endorsement with sports brand Under Armour, becoming the first gymnast to sign with the apparel, footwear and accessories company.

Sacramone worked with designers at Under Armour on a custom-made leotard and will serve as a key Olympic ambassador for the brand.

Sacramone was a member of the silver medal-winning U.S. Olympic team in 2008 and is currently tied with Shannon Miller and Nastia Liukin for the highest career tally of World Championship medals for U.S. gymnasts. In a press release, Sacramone said, “I’m honored to join the Under Armour family, as Under Armour’s emphasis on training and its dedication to the next generation of athletes aligns perfectly with my core values. I’ve always admired Under Armour apparel for its performance and style and now, to get the chance to work alongside such a high caliber of world champion athletes, it’s just an unbelievable opportunity.”

Sports Date Of The Week: Preseason Football

We are officially in the midst of preseason football! The NFL is in its second week of preseason games, and the college football season is right around the corner.

To get into the football spirit and switch gears from whatever sport you were watching this summer, why not grab your guy and head to a grassy field to throw a football around. Don’t know how to throw a football? Perfect! Make him teach you.

Later, you guys can watch your favorite teams play. There are some good NFL games this week including the Oakland Raiders vs. the San Franisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the San Diego Chargers vs. the Dallas Cowboys. Watching preseason football can really give you a leg up on your football knowledge. Coaches typically use the preseason games to test out new players, so you will know in advance which rookies are worth adding to your dream team and which rookies will be duds.

MMA Trainer’s Tragic Cause Of Death: Heart Attack

We reported earlier that MMA trainer Shawn Tompkins died of unknown causes at age 37. While autopsy reports are not yet available, Tompkins’ brother-in-law Sam Stout told the London Free Press the cause of death was a heart attack.

“I don’t know what to say,” Stout says. “It’s not supposed to happen to a healthy 37-year-old person. Who would think he had to get checked out for that?” Tompkins’ manager said the victim’s family had a history of heart disease, and that an enlarged heart and blocked arteries were to blame. His management team is setting up a Shawn Tompkins Memorial Fund which will accept contributions to help widow Emilie with burial costs.

Fox Lands Long-Term Deal With UFC

The UFC has agreed to sign a long-term deal with Fox that represents a major move towards the mainstream for the sport of MMA. Several sources, according to Street & Smith’s Sports Business Daily, have indicated that the network will air at least four MMA events per year. The deal marks the end of a seven-year relationship between the UFC and the network that helped bring the sport of MMA into the public eye: Spike TV.

Some of the weekly programming owned by the UFC, like free fight cards and the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter,” will be moved from Versus and Spike to FX beginning in January. Some UFC content will also be shown on the Fox-owned action sports network Fuel.

While no numbers or facts have been confirmed by executives at Fox, reports say that the deal is for seven or eight years and could be worth around $90 million a year.

Delonte West Applied For A Job At Home Depot

NBA guard Delonte West may have made around $14 million in NBA contracts over the past six seasons, but he’s not taking any chances on running out of money due to the lockout. After pleading guilty to a weapons charge, West was suspended for the first ten games of the 2010-2011 season. He last played for the Boston Celtics after the Cleveland Cavaliers traded him, and is now a free agent.

A judge ruled that West would not be allowed to travel overseas to play basketball, so now it looks like West has a back-up plan.West tweeted last week that he applied for a job at Home Depot, “It’s official.. Pride 2 the side.. just filled out a application at Home Depot.. Lockout aint a game..”

Hopefully he gets hired at Home Depot because we don’t see his rapping career taking off anytime soon. Check out his latest video:

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San Diego Man Alleges Kobe Bryant Injured His Wrist In Incident At Church

Kobe Bryant was attending church Sunday morning at St. Therese of Carmel Church in the San Diego neighborhood of Carmel Valley when he thought a man was taking cell phone photos of him and wife Vanessa. Bryant allegedly snatched the phone from the man, 20-year-old Thomas Hagos, and when finding no photos, returned it to him.

Hagos later went to the hospital with a slight wrist sprain and filed a police report against the Lakers star. Reporters could not reach him, and he would not agree to speak with police until August 24. In the mean time, Bryant denies hurting the man in church. His attorney Mark Campbell said in a statement, “Mr. Bryant is aware of the baseless allegations asserted against him and is prepared to defend against them fully.”

Does Bryant deserve a level  of privacy while in a place of worship? Many church parishioners believe so.

Dwight Howard Impersonating LeBron James And Charles Barkley

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Dwight Howard was guest hosting on BET’s 106 & Park last week when he decided to display his impersonation skills. He did a pretty good Charles Barkley impersonation before making fun of LeBron James‘ hairline and mocking his powder routine. Check out the video.