Quebec City hosted an MMA fight card this weekend that included former Montreal Canadians tough guy Donald Brashear.

Brashear who made a living mixing it up on NHL ice got off to a quick start in his MMA debut and immediately dropped opponent Mathieu Bergeron; winning the bout in 21 seconds.

Like some of his fights on the ice, this one was no contest. Brashear stormed across the ring and dropped the outmatched Bergeron with a right hook then completed the merciless beating with “hammer fists” ending it all in less than a minute.

Brashear, a feared enforcer on the ice, registered 2,634 penalty minutes in 1,025 NHL games with Montreal, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Washington and the New York Rangers.

The victory was Brashear’s first in the cage as a mixed martial arts fighter.

According to the Canadian Press, Brashear arrived at the former arena of the NHL Nordiques carrying a Flyers hockey bag. He described climbing into the cage as nerve-racking but later said he plans to fight again. Brashear is said to have a three fight agreement with promoters.

Brashear’s fight was a great tune-up before the main event due to hockey being so popular in Quebec and a majority of the fight fans being familiar with him being an ex-NHL player.

In the main event on the card, Patrick Cote improved his record to 15-7 with a unanimous decision over Todd Brown who dropped to 15-4.

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

Shaq’s career stats says it all.

Four championship rings, 28,596 career points (5^th all time),13,099 rebounds (12^th all time) and .582 field goal percentage. Three of those championships came in three-peat fashion in 2000, 2001 and 2002 when he was named the NBA Finals MVP all three years while the other came with the Miami Heat in 2006 under coach Pat Riley.

With numbers like these, O’Neal getting into the NBA Hall of Fame is as sure as one of his highlight reel slamdunks.

What a road it was for the 7ft-1, 325 pound dominating center but after 19 NBA seasons it is the end of the road as one of the most charismatic players ever to take the court in the NBA is calling it quits and going into retirement.

Shaq came into the league 19 years ago when he was drafted by the Orlando Magic No. 1 overall in 1992. Paired with Penny Hardaway, the dominant center led the Magic on a run that included a trip to the NBA Finals.

A few years older, Shaquille outgrew Orlando and headed west to Hollywood where he would continue his pursuit of an NBA Championship and dabble in the film business as an actor. It didn’t take long to realize Shaq wasn’t marketable on the big screen but he did leave Los Angeles with a handful of rings and a laundry list of memories.

This season, after playing through injuries in just 37 games with the Celtics, O’Neal averaged only 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds, all lows in his career. It was obvious it was time to move on.

Taking a play out of LeBron James and Mike Tyson’s speaking in the third party book, Big Daddy summed it up in a few words:

“Father Time has caught up with Shaquille O’Neal.”

Yes it has but you will surely be missed.

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

So how do the L.A. Lakers players feel about the hiring of Mike Brown as their new head coach?

Derek Fisher Tweeted this: “Will miss Phil but excited to start a new chapter under Mike Brown. Looking forward to a different style and energy!!”

Although Kobe Bryant, Fisher and Andrew Bynum originally campaigned for Brian Shaw to take the reins from Phil Jackson, the players appear to have accepted the choice by Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

Brown becomes the 22nd coach in Lakers’ history and is expected to take home a deal worth $18.25 million over four years after having great success with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brown won more games behind the bench than any other coach in Cleveland but never was able to take home a title even with a superstar like LeBron James on the roster.

Brown led the Cavs to the NBA Finals in 2007 and added two other deep runs into the Eastern Conference finals. His overall record is 272-138.

The Lakers won back-to-back championships until this year when they were swept 4-0 in a playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. That abrupt ending created an underachieving feel in Los Angeles and led to Jackson walking away, for certain this time.

Jackson will be a hard act to follow to say the least but after winning 11 NBA Championships including two separate “three-peats” while with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

Looks like the Green Men have some fierce competition when it comes to distracting opposing players who enter the sin bin in Vancouver.

With the Green Men taking a hiatus during last night’s game, a female fan wearing a Henrik Sedin jersey showed her support for “The Twins” and fully flashed San Jose Sharks forward Ben Eager as he sat in the penalty box.

Although the up-blouse shot didn’t make the Versus broadcast for U.S. viewers to enjoy, it did make it on the Canadian feed.

The unidentified girl pictured here, inspired cell phones and cameras to light up the section while Eager glanced over with little reaction looking more shocked than interested.

Looks like there are a few more benefits to being traded by the Atlanta Thrashers to San Jose besides remaining alive in the playoffs during late May.

BTW the Canucks won Game Two by a score of 7-3 and took an important 2-0 Western Conference Finals series lead.

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. 

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

Looks like “What happens in Vegas…..” doesn’t always stay in Vegas.

At least that’s the case with a 6-ft-9, 245 pound former NBA “enforcer” who accused a Las Vegas casino security team of kicking his ass and handcuffing him after a verbal confrontation.

The alleged victim is NBA tough guy Charles Oakley who is suing an MGM casino.

The incident is said to have occurred back in May 2010 and after referring to the altercation as “gang-style beat down” Oakley filed a lawsuit against the Aria hotel-casino at MGM Resorts International’s CityCenter complex.

Oakley left the casino’s VIP pool area during a private party and when security officers prevented him from re-entering,  a verbal altercation heated up and led to the physical melee.

The filed complaint accuses the officers of wrestling Oakley down then punching and handcuffing him. Oakley was later taken to the hospital complaining of injuries to his neck, back, head and wrist.

The court-filed documents are said to include assault with excessive force, false imprisonment and defamation.

Oakley is currently an assistant coach with the Charlotte Bobcats (Michael Jordan’s team) and spent his NBA player days with the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Toronto, Washington and Houston.

Oakley was arrested in Georgia back in 2007 and although he blew below the legal limit, that arrest led to this mugshot and a booking.

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

New York Rangers forward Derek “Boogey Man” Boogard was found dead in his apartment in Minnesota this weekend. The 28-year-old, 6ft-7 enforcer spent most of his career playing for the Wild before signing a $6.5 million contract with the Rangers last year.

The cause of death remains undetermined at this time until officials obtain results from the toxicology tests.

Known to rule with his fists, Boogard racked up 544 minutes in penalties over his five seasons in Minnesota between 2005-10. The rugged forward lasted just 22 games this past season after suffering a season-ending injury in a fight back in December. Boogaard also turned on the red light three times and added 13 assists for 16 career NHL points.

Although The Boogey Man was a vicious competitor on the ice, once the skates came off he was known for being involved in several charitable organizations including, “Boogaard’s Booguardians”, a group that hosted military families at MSG and the Garden of Dreams Foundation.

His sudden death rocked the NHL and inspired this statement from Commish’ Gary Bettman:

“The news that we have lost someone so young and so strong leaves everyone in the National Hockey League stunned and saddened. The NHL family sends its deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Derek Boogaard.”

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

As a teenager, Robert “Tractor” Trayler was named a McDonald’s All-American the same year Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce made the list. Since that time Traylor struggled to remove the “draft bust” sign that followed him throughout much of his NBA career while the other three stars appeared in several All-Star games and (or) hoisted an NBA Championship trophy.

The sadder news to this story came today when officials in San Juan, Puerto Rico, reported Traylor was found dead in his oceanfront apartment after apparently suffering a heart attack. Traylor was a member of the Bayoman Cowboys pro team there.

Traylor’s road to the NBA started while playing for the University of Michigan but shortly after draft day, he began his gypsy-like journey throughout the league.  A No. 6 overall pick in 1998 by the Dallas Mavericks, Traylor was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Pat Garrity and Dirk Nowitzki…yeah that Dirk.

Traylor never found a permanent home in the NBA, being relegated to the bench while donning jerseys in Milwaukee, Cleveland, New Orleans and Charlotte. His best offensive output during his 7-year career came in 2000-01 when he finished with a 5.7 PPG average.

“Tractor” was still a young man at 34-years-old and at one time showed great potential, possibly more than the German prospect Nowitzki. However, Traylor had difficulty making the adjustments and responded to the challenge by growing out of shape while never seeming able to fill an NBA jersey.

While Traylor’s wife, family and friends mourn his death the Bucks released a statement:

“Off the court he was a gentle giant, displaying his smile and care, especially toward young people through his involvement in school visits and his work with the Special Olympics clinic.”

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

Looks like the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks are making another trip to the West Coast for Game 5. On the brink of elimination, the Wings jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held off a comeback attempt by the San Jose Sharks and won Game 4 of their Western Conference series by a 4-3 score.

After the Sharks came back to tie the game 3-3 in the third period, forward Darren Helm sent a wrist shot past sprawling goaltender Antti Niemi with 1:27 left in regulation sending the sellout crowd at The Joe into a frenzy.

These games have been tight with all four being decided by one goal and two of those in sudden death overtime.

The Wings were led by Norris Trophy nominee and All-Star defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom who had two goals, Todd Bertuzzi (1g, 1a) and Henrik Zetterberg (2a) while the Sharks got goals from rookie sensation Logan Couture, Dan Boyle and Dany Heatley.  Ryane Clowe added three assists.

Between the pipes, Niemi stopped 26-of-30 shots and Detroit’s Jimmy Howard made 25 saves in the win.

The Red Wings are trying to become just the fourth NHL team to win a series after trailing 3-0.

The Philadelphia Flyers did it last season after trailing the Boston Bruins 3-0 in an Eastern Conference playoff series but the Bruins assured that history would not be repeated and swept the Flyers 4-0 after their 5-1 win last night.

Bruins forward Milan Lucic was named first star of the game after lighting the lamp twice and goalie Tim Thomas stopped 22-of-23 shots in the clinching game.

The NHL semis saw another sweep earlier this week when the rejuvenated Tampa Bay Lightning sent the Washington Capitals packing with a 4-0 sweep. The Caps are notorious for struggling in the playoffs. Last season after winning the NHL President’s Trophy with 121 points, the team folded and saw another early exit.

In the other semi match-up, the Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks continue to battle it out with the ‘nucks one game from advancing after jumping to a 3-1 lead in their series. The ‘nucks and their Green Men will try to get that job done at home this weekend.

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo was busted in Ohio this week on suspicion of DUI. Choo failed all three tests and if that wasn’t enough, he blew a .20 in the breathalyzer, more than double Ohio’s .08 legal limit. Here’s the police cam video:

According to the reports, Choo was cruising down the road with his flashers on and was pulled over by as cop. After somehow talking himself out of a ticket or sobriety test, the officer pulled him over a second time after observing Choo swerve into the bike path and cross the double-yellow line twice.

After realizing Choo may be a great candidate to get off the road due to his condition, the police officer put him through the field sobriety test shown in the video above.

Choo’s mugshot is shown here and he is expected to remain in the INdians line-up while he tries to respond and clear up this incident.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC

The first no hitter in the 2011 MLB season is in the books and it belongs to an unlikely candidate, Minnesota Twins starter Francisco Liriano. The night was chilly but Liriano’s arm wasn’t as he threw 123 pitches and left the mound with a 1-0 shutout win over the Chicago White Sox after walking six and striking out two throughout the night.

Why was a no-hit performance like this unexpected?

Liriano entered the game with a 1-4 record and an embarrassing 9.13 ERA; stats that were raising the possibly of the coaching staff relegating him to the bullpen.

As his pitch count escalated to numbers normally justifying to be pulled, Liriano left enough energy in the tank to get through the 9^th inning. He finished the game by getting a struggling Adam Dunn to line out to shortstop; then the celebration began.

In his post-game presser Liriano said:

“To be honest I was running out of gas. I just thank my teammates that they made some great plays behind me tonight.”

Liriano, who was 3-0 against the White Sox last season, improved his record to 2-4 while his ERA improved by almost three to 6.61; securing spot in the starting rotation for now.

Ironically, this win comes against another starter who hurled a no-no last season, Edwin Jackson, who despite having one of his best outings of the season dropped to 2-4 after coming out of the gate with a 2-0 record. On June 26, 2010 while pitching for the Diamondbacks, Jackson no-hit Tampa Bay.

Lirianos’ no hitter is the first for the Twins since 1999 and the 7^th in the franchise’s history.

More MLB: Philly fans chant “USA” in 9th with 1-1 score

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

Copyright ©2011 Sports Climax, LLC