Category: Sports

Tony Allen Kicks Chris Paul in the Face

In a recent NBA game between the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers, there’s a play where Tony Allen kicks Chris Paul in the face. In the last month, I’ve been posting some cheap shots by the Miami Heats’ Mario Chalmers on Facebook and Google+. This roundhouse kick by Allen is so phenomenal that I had to post it on RPad.TV. Just look at it (video above, animated GIF below). It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in a basketball game.

Watch Paul drive the lane as he gives an excellent head fake. Marvel as Allen jumps and inexplicably raises his leg to…I dunno, possibly kick the ball out of Paul’s hands?!? Laugh as Allen rubs his shin as he’s speaking to the referees, hopelessly trying to generate some sympathy. Normally, this type of foul would result in a bench-clearing brawl, but it’s so wacky that the players are wondering what the hell they just saw. To be fair, part of it is that Allen is known as a tough, but fairly clean defender; his game is based on hustle and effort, and he’s not known as a cheap-shot artist (like RPadholic Iceman’s beloved Chalmers). On a side note, I love that “Tony Allen kicks Chris Paul” is currently a popular Google search term.

The Tony-Allen-kicks-Chris-Paul-in-the-face foul would have made a ton of sense if the cameras panned to the Grizzlies’ bench and showed Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese nodding in approval. That would have been cool…and logical. Since Kreese wasn’t at the game (or wasn’t seen at the game), I’m amazed that this play actually happened. I do think Allen’s ejection was justified, but I don’t think that the foul was premeditated. It was just a stupid reaction that resulted in a bad foul that looked like a cross between jazz dancing and the “hurricane kick” from Street Fighter.

Anyway, check out the clip when you have a moment and kindly give me your take on the “Tony Allen kicks Chris Paul in the face” extravaganza.

Tony Allen Kicks Chris Paul in the Face

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NFL Week 11: What You Learned

Since so many of you are big (American) football fans, here’s some space to talk about the latest NFL games. Whether you’re discussing your fantasy league players, the impact of Wes Welker’s concussion, or Ahmad Brooks’ hit on Drew Brees, please talk it up in the comments section!

Today’s Poll: The Jonathan Martin Bullying Controversy

I’ve been fascinated by the reactions to the Jonathan Martin bullying situation. For those of you not familiar with the situation, he was allegedly bullied by his teammates and things got so bad that he left the team to seek treatment. There are many that empathize with Martin and believe that he’s a victim. There are those that feel that this behavior is unacceptable for an NFL player — an occupation perceived by many Americans to be macho.

On one hand, the Jonathan Martin bullying controversy shows how universal the issue can be. Bullying can happen to a person of any race, sex, ethnicity, occupation, etc. Seeing it happen to a professional athlete — especially an NFL player — is extraordinary. Some believe that this is a fantastic example that shows the severity of bullying — something that will help people realize that it’s not just something that happens to kids in grade school.

On the other hand, some believe that this is a sign of the softening of the NFL and society in general. Several of you RPadholics have accused NFL commissioner Roger Goodell of “pussifying” the league. Several ESPN.com commenters have said that the Jonathan Martin bullying situation never would have happened in the NFL of the ’70, ’80s, and ’90s. It can be argued that American sports have gone soft and Martin is an example of how soft things have become.

Since you RPadholics are outstanding at bringing up interesting points of view without blasting each other like the silly kids on G4tv.com, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Jonathan Martin bullying situation. Is he the victim of dickish teammates that was driven to seek therapy for legitimate emotional issues? Or is the problem ridiculous for highly-paid athletes that have one of the manliest jobs in America? Kindly vote in the poll below and share your feelings like a Care Bear in the comments section.

[poll id=”187″]

Coffee Talk #603: Sports Jerseys, Bars, and Racism

After Vapetoberfest Saturday night, RPadholic N8R and I went to a bar to catch up with some pals from Vaping Ape LA. I was wearing a Yankee jersey for the day’s shoots and didn’t have time to change. The bouncer checked me out and asked the manager if it was okay to let me in. I had no idea what was going on. The manager scoffed at the bouncer and said, “This guy’s cool as sh*t. He’s probably never been in a fight in his entire life.” I still had no idea what was going on, until Nate explained it to me…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, forgetting Japanese Kit Kats for a beautiful woman, people that have rats for service animals, or HTC claiming that its upcoming tablet will be disruptive, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

After Vapetoberfest Saturday night, RPadholic N8R and I went to a bar to catch up with some pals from Vaping Ape LA. I was wearing a Yankee jersey for the day’s shoots and didn’t have time to change. The bouncer checked me out and asked the manager if it was okay to let me in. I had no idea what was going on. The manager scoffed at the bouncer and said, “This guy’s cool as sh*t. He’s probably never been in a fight in his entire life.” I still had no idea what was going on, until Nate explained it to me.

Apparently it’s a thing that you can’t wear sports jerseys in bars — or at least nice bars in California. When I was a drunkard in New York, I spent most of my time in Irish pubs (dress code was never an issue). Since I’ve moved to California, most of my drinking has been at posh parties thrown by videogame publishers (wouldn’t wear a sports jersey to one of those) or dirty bars in San Francisco Chinatown (clothing optional). Nate explained that a bouncer friend of his said it was basically to keep certain African-American patrons out of bars. The thinking is that if an African-American wears a sports jersey to a nice bar then he must be some kind of gang banger. The manager essentially said to the bouncer, “He can wear a sports jersey in the bar because he’s Asian-American.”

While I was happy that I got into the bar so that I could see my friends, I couldn’t help thinking, “That’s f*cked up.”

I felt sheepishly ignorant that I’ve never heard of this sports jersey rule. Now that I’ve learned about it, I can’t stop thinking about how messed up it is. With that in mind, I wrote today’s column to see if you’ve encountered the “sports jersey deterrent.” Does it happen where you live? What do you think of the practice? Do you think it’s messed up? Or is it smart for bars to do this in order to keep out a certain element? Share your thoughts on sports jerseys, bars, and racism in the comments section (please!).