Denard Span (AP photo)

Major League Baseball player Denard Span hit the woman who carried him for nine months.  Yes, he hit his own mother. 

But it was by accident though.  During a training game, the Minnesota Twins outfielder hit a foul ball into the stands, and the ball just happened to strike his mother in the chest. 

His mom received brief medical attention, but she wasn’t seriously injured, and she later returned to the stands. 

When Denard returned to the plate, he struck out.  He was probably shaken up and afraid he might hit someone else.   A video clip is posted below.

During an interview with USA Today, Span said

“It’s just a bad situation,” Span said. “It’s just surprising that no one has gotten seriously hurt to this point. I definitely do think that they should have nets going further, you know, as far as the dugout.”

Tiger Woods at the Masters golf tournament in 2009. (AP photo by Chris O'Meara)

Pro golfer Tiger Woods announced he is returning to the sport.  Woods will play at the upcoming Masters. 

Woods made the announced Tuesday in a statement.  The tournament will begin April 8.  This will be Woods’ first competition since the car wreck that resulted in the revelation of a sex scandal. 

I just have one thing to say. IT’S ABOUT TIME. Now we can turn our attention to golf skills instead of his marital problems.

(AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

By Associated Press via NewsOK

Attorneys for the woman who accuses Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of sexual assault say she did the right thing by going to police, and they are asking for privacy.

Atlanta-based attorneys Lee Parks and David Walbert released a statement to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Tuesday saying the woman is assisting police and that they ask the media “to respect her privacy, keep her name out of the press and allow the family space and time to heal.”

The attorneys didn’t return calls and e-mails from The AP.

Police are investigating the 20-year-old college student’s claim that Roethlisberger sexually assaulted her early Friday. Roethlisberger has not been charged.

Ed Garland, an attorney for the two-time Super Bowl winner, has said no sexual assault occurred and Roethlisberger is “completely innocent of any crime.”

A 20-year-old college student is accusing NFL player Ben Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting her a nightclub. 

This is the second woman whose of accused him of taking advantage of her.  In 2008, a woman claimed Roethlisberger raped her at hotel in Lake Tahoe.  Roethlisberger denies those allegations. 

The full Associated Press story is posted below via NewsOK.

BY KATE BRUMBACK, ASSOCIATED PRESS

A 20-year-old college student accused Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting her at a nightclub early Friday during a night on the town near where he owns a lake home.

Police said the alleged assault occurred early Friday morning in Milledgeville, about 85 miles southeast of Atlanta. The player owns a home about 30 miles to the north on Oconee Lake.

The two-time Super Bowl champion, who turned 28 on Tuesday, and some of his friends were seen visiting local restaurants and bars Thursday night.

Deputy Police Chief Richard Malone said Roethlisberger had been with three other people who were mingling with another group that included the alleged victim. Malone said the woman, a 20-year-old college student, and her party contacted a nearby police officer following the alleged assault.

“He’s been identified as being at the scene and there are allegations naming him as the perpetrator,” Malone said.

Several areas of the nightclub were considered a crime scene, Malone said, but he would not elaborate.

Roethlisberger and the alleged victim have been interviewed and the woman was taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released, Malone said.

The victim was not identified by police and The Associated Press does not generally identify possible victims of sexual abuse.

Police said Roethlisberger and his attorney were cooperating with investigators. He was not in custody and has not been charged with a crime.

The allegations are especially sensitive for Roethlisberger, who has been sued by a woman who claims he raped her in 2008 at a Lake Tahoe hotel. He denies those allegations and has asked for counter-damages.

The player’s agent, Ryan Tollner, said in a statement that they are skeptical of the motive of the alleged victim in Milledgeville because of the previous Lake Tahoe allegations.

“Last night, Ben and his friends met a group of women and everyone mingled together throughout the evening,” the statement said. “We have spoken to law enforcement. Based on information currently available, an allegation was made against Ben, which appeared to be dismissed after a preliminary investigation last night. Obviously, given the prior accusation against Ben, we are skeptical of motive, but we will continue to cooperate with everyone involved.”

Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett said the team was gathering information and had no more comment.

The nightclub, Capital City, is a popular spot for college students who attend Georgia College State University in Milledgeville. It was crowded Friday night, with a country band playing, and there was a $20 cover charge to get in.

One patron, 21-year-old college student Brandon Harris, said he saw Roethlisberger come in the night before with two or three big men, who were keeping other club goers away from the player.

The group went into a curtained VIP area in the back of the club, and some women were let inside.

The owner of a restaurant near the nightclub said Roethlisberger and some of his friends came in earlier Thursday night.

“He was very polite with everybody,” said Frank Pendergrast, owner of The Brick. “He was down here from about 11:30 until about 1:30 having a good time, talking to a lot of people. Looked like he was signing autographs and letting people take pictures. Other than that, it was really uneventful.”

Before that, the group went to Buffington’s, another downtown bar, to watch the University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball game, said Paul Kurcikevicus, a 24-year-old college student.

He said the group was friendly, at first joking that Roethlisberger was not the NFL player. Kurcikevicus said Roethlisberger bought some shots for other people in the bar: O-Bombs, a mixture of energy drink and flavored rum.

Pittsburgh’s first-round draft pick out of Miami of Ohio in 2004, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to Super Bowl victories at the end of the 2006 and 2008 seasons. But while he has been a huge success on the field, Roethlisberger has had his share of problems off it.

Besides the Lake Tahoe allegations, Roethlisberger broke his jaw and several other facial bones in 2006 when he got into a motorcycle crash while driving without a valid license.

Tiger Woods drinking Gatorade in 2006. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

(AP Photo/Joe Skipper)

Gatorade has dropped Tiger Woods like a hot potato. (cliche I know).

A spokeswoman for Gatorade said the company will no longer use Woods in their marketing campaign. 

“We no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts and have ended our relationship.  We wish him all the best,” a spokeswoman told the Associated Press. 

Woods went in front of the cameras last week and publicly apologized for his infidelity.  Apparently, apologizing doesn’t always work when you’re trying to keep your sponsors. 

By the way, I don’t think Tiger owed the American people a public apology last week.  The only people he owes an apology are his wife, mother, children and God.

I don’t care if he is a celebrity, no one should have to confess their sins to millions of people in order to be judged by those same people.  Especially, when those same people are sinful too. 

The late rapper Tupac Shakur said it best when he said “Only God Can Judge Me.”

A photo gallery of the Yu-Na’s and Lysacek’s performances on the ice are posted below.  Click on photos to enlarge them.  All photos are from the Associated Press.

(AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

Country singer Carrie Underwood will get a chance to belt out “The Star Spangled Banner” in front of about 150 million  viewers. 

Underwood has been selected to perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl on Feb. 7, the NFL announced. 

Queen Latifah will perform “America the Beautiful,” and The Who will perform during the halftime show. 

“The Star Spangled Banner” is one of the toughest songs to sing. There’s no doubt Underwood has the pipes to pull it off.

Several musicians have performed the national anthem at the Super Bowl, but none of their performances can compare to Whitney Houston’s rendition. 

Houston’s performance of the national anthem from the 1991 Super Bowl is posted in the clip below. 

No one can sing it like her.

(AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

Pro baseball player Mark McGwire said he used steroids during his career. No shock there because we all knew it anyway. But now he’s finally admitting it. 

The Associated Press story is posted below via NewsOK.

BY RONALD BLUM/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mark McGwire finally came clean Monday, admitting he used steroids when he broke baseball’s home run record in 1998.

McGwire said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday that he used steroids on and off for nearly a decade.

“I wish I had never touched steroids,” McGwire said in a statement. “It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era.”

McGwire also used human growth hormone, a person close to McGwire said, speaking on condition of anonymity because McGwire didn’t include that detail in his statement.

McGwire’s decision to admit using steroids was prompted by his decision to become hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, his final big league team. Tony La Russa, McGwire’s manager in Oakland and St. Louis, has been among McGwire’s biggest supporters and thinks returning to the field can restore the former slugger’s reputation.

“I never knew when, but I always knew this day would come,” McGwire said. “It’s time for me to talk about the past and to confirm what people have suspected.”

He became the second major baseball star in less than a year to admit using illegal steroids, following the New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez last February.

Others have been tainted but have denied knowingly using illegal drugs, including Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and David Ortiz.

Bonds has been indicted on charges he made false statements to a federal grand jury and obstructed justice. Clemens is under investigation by a federal grand jury trying to determine whether he lied to a congressional committee.

“I’m sure people will wonder if I could have hit all those home runs had I never taken steroids,” McGwire said. “I had good years when I didn’t take any, and I had bad years when I didn’t take any. I had good years when I took steroids, and I had bad years when I took steroids. But no matter what, I shouldn’t have done it and for that I’m truly sorry.”

Big Mac’s reputation has been in tatters since March 17, 2005, when he refused to answer questions at a Congressional hearing. Instead, he repeatedly said “I’m not here to talk about the past” when asked whether he took illegal steroids when he hit a then-record 70 home runs in 1998 or at any other time.

“After all this time, I want to come clean,” he said. “I was not in a position to do that five years ago in my congressional testimony, but now I feel an obligation to discuss this and to answer questions about it. I’ll do that, and then I just want to help my team.”

The person close to McGwire said McGwire made the decision not to answer questions at that hearing on the advice of his lawyers.

McGwire disappeared from the public eye following his retirement as a player following the 2001 season. When the Cardinals hired the 47-year-old as coach on Oct. 26, they said he would address questions before spring training, and Monday’s statement broke his silence.

“I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989/1990 offseason and then after I was injured in 1993, I used steroids again,” McGwire said in his statement. “I used them on occasion throughout the ’90s, including during the 1998 season.”

McGwire said he took steroids to get back on the field, sounding much like the Yankees’ Andy Pettitte two years ago when he admitted using HGH.

“During the mid-’90s, I went on the DL seven times and missed 228 games over five years,” McGwire said in the statement. “I experienced a lot of injuries, including a ribcage strain, a torn left heel muscle, a stress fracture of the left heel, and a torn right heel muscle. It was definitely a miserable bunch of years, and I told myself that steroids could help me recover faster. I thought they would help me heal and prevent injuries, too.”

Since the congressional hearing, baseball owners and players toughened their drug program twice, increasing the penalty for a first steroids offense from 10 days to 50 games in November 2005 and strengthening the power of the independent administrator in April 2008, following the publication of the Mitchell Report.

“Baseball is really different now — it’s been cleaned up,” McGwire said. “The commissioner and the players’ association implemented testing and they cracked down, and I’m glad they did.”

(AP Photo/Dave Martin)

(AP Photo/David Goldman)

Mark Ingram, a running back with the University of Alabama, is the winner of the Heisman Trophy.  The announcement was made Saturday at the Nokia Theatre in New York City. 

The Associated Press story is posted below via NewsOK.

BY RALPH RUSSO, ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Mark Ingram completed the trophy case at Alabama, delivering the first Heisman to a school that boasts one of the richest histories in college football.

The tough-running sophomore tailback won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night in the award’s closest vote. Next, he’ll try to lead the most storied program in the South to a national championship.

Ingram finished 28 points ahead of Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, the tightest finish in the 75-year history of the award.

Ingram wiped away tears before starting his speech and his voice wavered throughout.

“I’m a little overwhelmed right now,” he said. “I’m just so excited to bring Alabama their first Heisman winner.”

Ingram received 227 first-place votes and 1,304 points. Gerhart got 222 first-place votes and 1,276 points, while Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, last season’s runner-up, received 203 and 1,145.

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was fourth and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the Heisman two years ago, was fifth.

Ingram and top-ranked Alabama will play McCoy and No. 2 Texas for the national title on Jan. 7.

They performed “Empire State Dreams” which is featured on Jay-Z’s CD “The Blueprint 3.”  The song is currently number 13 on the Billboard charts. 

The video clip of their live performance at the game is posted below followed by a photo gallery.

Country singer Tim McGraw and pop group Black Eyed Peas will perform before the NFL opening game Sept 10 as the Pittsburgh Steelers play against the Tennessee Titans.

The two musical acts will perform during a free concert at Point State Park.  McGraw’s new CD “Southern Voice” will be in stores Oct. 20. 

His new film “The Blind Side” will be in theaters Nov. 20.  He stars alongside Sandra Bullock and Kathy Bates.

The Black Eyed Peas’ CD “The E.N.D.” is currently number five on the Billboard Albums Chart. 

Their hit songs “I Gotta Feeling” and “Boom Boom Pow” both reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Tim Henley

An employee at a Harrah’s hotel in Nevada filed a civil lawsuit against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. 

According ot NBC Sports, the woman claims Roethlisberger asked her to fix the television in his hotel room, then he forced her to have sex with him. 

The lawsuit was filed last week, but the woman claims the incident occurred last year. 

Roethlisberger’s lawyer denied all allegations.  He said in a statement, “Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone.  The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct.  If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully and Ben will be fully exonerated.”

Roethlisberger was drafted to the Steelers in 2004.  He was also named AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2004. 

At age 23, he became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl title in NFL history.