After Ben Roethlisberger and his meat were in the news much of last year, the Steelers quarterback may have gotten some of his own medicine when one of his players got into a position that resembled a doggy-styled humping.

If you are offended by seeing a dog hump on a leg or for that matter an NFL player humping on a teammate’s backside then do not watch the You Tube video below.

Here’s Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall doing the honors after the final play of the NFC Championship title game at Heinz Field:

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

Although the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears rivalry is in no need of any additional hype, the Green Bay Press-Gazette newspaper inadvertently added a little fuel to the fire.

This past week as both teams prepped for their NFC Championship game showdown, the paper misprinted a bold headline that read, “ON TO CHICACO”.

With the Jets not trash-talking this week about their opponent the Pittsburgh Steelers, this gaffe, although accidental in nature, went viral across websites across the country with some interpreting it as a disrespectful move by one city to another.

Either way expect a battle between Green Bay and Chicaco this Sunday and also expect a spelling class to take place at the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

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

What occurred in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome last weekend can be described only one way. . . as a state-of-the-art bitch slap.

The Atlanta Falcons were going into the NFL Playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the NFC with home field advantage throughout the playoffs but by halftime they were getting their asses handed to them, trailing the Green Bay Packers 28-7 thanks to a pick-six on the final play of the 2^nd quarter.

BTW if it weren’t for the playoff record 102-yard kickoff return by the Falcons Eric Weems, the scoreboard would have been even more tilted.

By the time the day was done, the board at the Dome read 48-21 and quarterback Aaron Rodgers strutted off the field with one of the best playoff performances in the history of the NFL. Rodgers ran for one score, threw for another three and completed 31 of 36 for 366 yards. That’s better than that guy he replaced had ever done. You know. . . that No. 4 guy that inspired the “We Miss You Brent” T-shirts.

So who do you blame for this colossal sized bitch slap?

There’s enough on film to pass it along to most everyone but just to mention a few, the Falcons defense was like a sieve with over-sized holes and Michael Turner who came into Atlanta pocketing about $1 million per game, ended with just 39 yards on 10 carries.

Matt Ryan who has developed nicely over his first few years threw an errant pass that pretty much set the stage for the bitch-slapping blowout. With the score 21-7 and time for one more play before kicking a field goal to make it 21-10 at half, Ryan threw a pick-six that put the score at 28-7 at the half. That play deflated the Falcons and the rest was history.

Well, Atlanta, looks like Matt Ryan and coach Mike Smith will have to wait yet another year for their first playoff win and go into their offseason with a Bitch Slap of the Week.

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.

Yesterday marked the anniversary of an important milestone for black athletes in this country. On January 18, 1958 Willie O’Ree laced up his skates as a member of the Boston Bruins and became the first African-American player to compete on an NHL sheet of ice.

The Bruins would win the game 3-0 against the Montreal Canadians on the historic day but much has changed since then. If you doubt that, take a look at the Atlanta Thrashers roster this season.

The Thrashers started the season with a record five African-American players on their roster. Dustin Byfuglien, Johnny Oduya, Evander Kane, Anthony Stewart and Nigel Dawes skated on opening night in October and after hitting the halfway point of the season four remain. While Dawes was relegated to the Thrashers AHL affiliate the Chicago Wolves where he currently leads his team with 21 goals scored, American-born Byfuglien sits among the top scoring defensemen in the NHL.

Getting back to O’Ree, the player dressed for just two games that season but returned to play in 43 games in the 1960-61 season. Besides the racial divide that was evident in the NHL at the time, O’Ree overcame a few other obstacles including 95% blindness in his right eye compliments of an errant puck in 1956.

O’Ree went on to play minor league hockey until 1979 and was recognized by his country years later when he received Canada’s highest citizen award, the Order of Canada in 2008.

In the meantime, look for Byfuglien during NHL All Star Weekend in January in Raleigh, North Carolina where he will represent the Thrashers alongside teammate Tobias Enstrom.  And like Jackie Robinson did for Major League Baseball, hats off to Willie O’Ree for opening the door for young minority stars in the NHL.

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

With NFL players’ contracts swelling to levels that guarantee tens of millions of dollars fans often wonder how much these guys pocket during the playoffs. The pay scale is based on number of wins and unless you have playoff bonuses inked in your contract, it doesn’t amount to much compared to the salaries.

Currently, the scale pays out $19,000 per player for a Wildcard game win, $21,000 per player for the Divisional Playoff Game win and an additional $38,000 for winning the Conference Title Game. Added up, players making it to the Super Bowl game on Feb. 6 in Dallas will pocket $78,000. The winners of the Super Bowl will get an additional $83,000 while the losers take home $42,000.

With two Wild Card teams, the Packers and Jets, still in the running, these players would take home $161,000 each since their playoff run included that Wild Card game. Teams who had a bye week like Chicago and Pittsburgh will make $19,000 less since they played one less game.

Due to the bonuses written in their contracts, this is pocket change for players like Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco and New York Jets slinger Mark Sanchez. “The Sanchize” gets paid $250,000 for each playoff win and is expected to take home a maximum of $1.875 million if he wins that Super Bowl game on Feb. 6. Flacco, who threw away a 21-7 lead and perfect opportunity to upset the Steelers in Pittsburg in the team’s first playoff game this year, would have gotten a $200,000 bonus with a win that afternoon and that same amount for every additional playoff win along the way.

BTW, the Pro Bowl scale is $45,000 for each winning player and half that, $22,500, for the losers.

Regardless of these incentives, some players sign deals so ridiculous these playoff dollars wouldn’t even be noticed going into their bank accounts. Take Albert Haynesworth for example. Fat Albert, the owner of the longest suspension for an on-filed incident, signed a record deal with $41 million in guarantees with Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins that paid the player about $32 million over the first 13 months.

Haynesworth pretty much took the money then spent his time sitting on the bench or standing around in street clothes while his name splattered negative headlines around the country.

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

Well it looks like the New York Jets and New England Patriots version of the Hatfields and McCoys continued during the week, just in a more subtle way.

During an interview leading up to the game this weekend, Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker spent most of his time on the mic throwing shots at Jets head coach and foot-lover, Rex Ryan, making references to feet. These comments were timed just weeks after it was discovered that Ryan and his wife Michelle were making foot fetish videos and placing them on You Tube and around the internet.

The interview was played several times during the ESPN Mike & Mike Show sharing Welker’s comments that included:

Revis has “great feet.”

Branch is “another guy with great feet.”

The playoffs are so serious that “you can’t just stick your toe in the water.”

His team, the Patriots, were “good little foot soldiers” in practice all week.

Referring to quarterback Tom Brady he said Brady makes sure his teammates are “putting their best foot forward.”

And referring to he and his team, “you definitely have to be on your toes” in the post season.

After listening to the interview, you could almost hear Rex yelling in typical Rex fashion:

“Hey Welker, how about a foot up your f**ing ass!”

Refusing to take these jabs without fighting back, Jets’ center Nick Mangold used his Twitter account writing:  “Wes Welker is a great player. He’s really taken advantage of watching film. If we don’t keep a Spy on him, he could really open the Gate.”

The player was of course referring to the Patriots coach Bill Belichick and the video “Spygate” scandal in 2007 when the patriots were busted for secretly tathat resulted in costing the Pats $750,000 in fines and a first-round draft pick. . . .and ironically the taping  for taping the Jets’ defensive signals.

Let the war of worlds continue but the real battle between these rivals will take place on the field in Foxborough this weekend.

Can’t wait to hear the post game news conferences no matter who wins the game.

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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

The new rules for overtime in the upcoming NFL Playoffs are as follows:

Rule 16, Article 4

For postseason games, following a coin flip and an intermission of no more than three minutes after the end of the regular game, the following shall apply:

• (a) Both teams must have the opportunity to possess the ball once during the extra period, unless the team that receives the opening kickoff (Team B) scores a touchdown on its initial possession, in which case it is the winner, or Team A scores a safety on Team B’s initial possession, in which case Team A is the winner.
• (b) If the team that possesses the ball first scores a field goal on its initial possession, the other team (Team A) shall have the opportunity to possess the ball. If Team A scores a touchdown on its possession, it is the winner. If the score is tied after Team A’s possession, the team next scoring by any method shall be the winner.
• (c) If the score is tied at the end of a 15-minute overtime period, or if Team B’s initial possession has not ended, another overtime period will begin, and play will continue, regardless of how many 15-minute periods are necessary.
• (d) Between each overtime period, there shall be a two-minute intermission, but there shall be no halftime intermission after the second period. At the beginning of the third overtime period, the captain who lost the coin toss prior to the first overtime period shall have the first choice of the two privileges in Rule 4, Section 2, Article 2, unless the team that won the coin toss deferred.
• (e) At the end of the first and third extra periods, etc., teams must change goals in accordance with Rule 4, Section 2, Article 3.
• (f) A player is in possession when he is in firm grip and control of the ball inbounds (3-2-7). The defense gains possession when it catches, intercepts, or recovers a loose ball.
• (g) The opportunity to possess applies only during kicking plays. A kickoff is the opportunity to possess for the receiving team. If the kicking team legally recovers the kick, the receiving team is considered to have had its opportunity. A punt or field goal that crosses the line of scrimmage and is muffed by the receiving team is considered to be an opportunity to possess for the receiving team. Normal touching rules by the kicking team apply.
• (h) Each team is entitled to three timeouts during a half. If there is an excess timeout the usual rules shall apply (4-5).
• (i) At the end of a second overtime period, timing rules shall apply as at the end of the first half. At the end of a fourth overtime period, timing rules shall apply as at the end of the fourth quarter.
• (j) All replay reviews will be initiated by the replay assistant. Coaches’ challenges will not be allowed.

Copyright © 2010 Sports Climax, LLC

So if you’re an intern pursuing a job at a national level in sports media, what does it take to make it to the top?

Well if you’re paying attention to recent ESPN “professionals” in the field then you may be mislead to believe it’s okay to call a fellow female broadcaster an “asshole”, plagiarize an L.A. sports columnist or celebrate the firing of an NFL coach with a high-five and childish reaction like Adam Shefter did with the Mangini news. . . . and these are the “pros”?

ESPN has been in the face-saving mode lately after all those incidents followed others like the arrest of another analyst, Jay Mariotti, and alleged sexual rendezvous between other employees and interns.

It sounds like a mess because it is and it deserves our Bitch Slap of the Week.

The first thing people in the sports world do to “confirm” news as “legit” is go to ESPN. Once ESPN makes the proclamation that an NFL coach got fired or a trade did come down, the rest of the world goes to town on their Twitter accounts and blogs repeating the information.

Imagine if another network admitted to blatant plagiarizing, were arrested for and accused of beating their girlfriends and were rolling around naked with their interns ignoring the fact they had wives at home. People would never consider them a “legit” source of info and class organization. People would ignore their existence but it’s ESPN so many people brush these things under the rug.

SLAP! Brush the sound of that Bitch-Slap under the rug. A well deserved Bitch Slap to the so-called “Leader in Sports”.

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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

The Miami Heat are finally playing the winning style of basketball many expected them to this season. After finishing November with an underachieving 7-7 record and paving the way for all of us naysayers to overwork our keyboards, the Heat rebounded back in near perfect form to finish with a record-setting 15-1 record in the month of December.

Dwyane Wade put the icing on the cake for the record-setting month with another great outing, dropping 45 points in a 125-119 win over Houston on Wednesday. That win helped the Heat extend their road winning streak to 10 games and that victory not only set a franchise best mark of 10 road wins for the month but also set an NBA mark. This performance by the Heat marks the first time in NBA history that any team has won 10 consecutive road games in any calendar month.

Wade, who was coming off a 40-point effort against the Knicks, hit from all over the floor, nailing 17 of 24 shots and added a perfect night from the line going 10 of 10.

Remember that guy, LeBron James? Well he added 20 points to go along with nine assists and the sidekick Chris Bosh added another 21 points.

LeBron must feel relieved after starting the season on shaky ground. After “The Decision” drew loads of criticism and made villains out of the Heat, James and his Big Three stumbled out the gate and really played poor basketball, even on their home court.

That triggered speculation that the Heat would be possibly making a coaching change early in the season. All that may have changed now that the team is performing even higher than expectations.

“We’re just a different team now,” James said.

Yes you are, but you’re still the villain.

MORE NBA: Wildest Buzzer-beater in History of NBA (VIDEO) – Sports Climax

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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

The NFL has finished its investigation into the Brett Favre scandal involving sexting ex-Playboy model Jenn Sterger while she was working the sidelines for the New York Jets in 2008. While some expected Favre to get slapped with a several game suspension, others thought the 41-year-old slinger would walk away free and clear.

Final verdict. . . . a $50,000 fine in what equates to  three minutes of pay for standing on the sideline nursing his injuries. (Favre is working under a $16 million contract this season meaning he earns $1 million a game or about 50K every three minutes).

Why a fine and not a suspension?

According to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the league “could not conclude” that Favre violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy from the evidence he had available. The league was also said to be dealing with Favre refusing to cooperate and answer questions so they had to go on the limited amount of info, some of it two years old, like the origin of the alleged sext messages and penis photos that were said to be sent several years ago.

So why was Favre fined at all if there was no violation of conduct?

According to the league, it’s because Goodell determined Favre was “not candid in several respects during the investigation resulting in a longer review and additional negative public attention for Favre, Sterger and the NFL.”

The league also said it centered its investigation on determining if Favre violated the “workplace conduct policy” and did not judge on the “appropriateness of personal relationships.”

“Personal relationships?” That may be the biggest factor weighing on the league’s decision. While the media has been saturated with information surrounding the sext messages and naked photos that Favre allegedly sent to Sterger, did she respond to them and if so, how?

With this slap on the wrist verdict coming down from the NFL and not involving a suspension or apology, it appears one of two things is happening. Either the league is protecting one of its marquee players or there may be another side to the story the media seems to be focused on.

Regardless, Sterger’s attorney thinks Favre walked on this one and is fired up accusing the NFL of being a “good ole boys league.”

Although Favre has created a circus in the past, saying he was retiring only to un-retire again; with 11 touchdown passes, 19 interceptions and a passer rating of 69.9 that is third from the bottom of the league, this should be his final curtain call. In addition to his lack of performance this season, Favre has been slammed with a series of injuries to body parts that include his chin, ribs, ankle, head, back and shoulder. That shoulder injury ended the ironman’s consecutive start streak at 297 on Dec. 13.

Regardless how this plays out or if Sterger’s camp tries to start a lawsuit, Favre will be taking snaps or standing on the sidelines for what should certainly be his last NFL game this weekend in Detroit.

But remember three minutes of his time sitting on the bench at Ford Field drinking Gatorade will need to be sent to the league to cover his fine.

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 ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC