During Week 1 of this shortened NBA season we covered “Who be ballin’ and who ain’t” and now that some of the dust has settled a few of the teams who started slow are resurfacing to the top.

The Boston Celtics behind NBA assist leader Rajon Rondo (10.7 APG) have won four straight after sputtering out the gate with a 0-3 start. That rebound is the effect of having All-Star Paul Pierce back in the line-up who is averaging 16.5 PPG.

Meanwhile across the country in Dallas, the Mavs have finally shaken their NBA Championship hangover and turned things around after a 0-3 start and sit at 5-2.

A few teams that started hot remain hot including the Miami Heat who have a 7-1 record going into the second weekend of the season, this with two-thirds of their Big Three sitting on the bench for some of those games.

With LeBron James, who leads the NBA in scoring with 29.9 PPG, and Dwyane Wade out with injuries, the Heat limped into Atlanta and stole a game from the Hawks. It took three OT periods and 33 points and 14 rebounds from the remaining third of that trio, Chris Bosh, but they did get it done and left the Highlight Factory with a 116-109 victory.

Heat coach Eric Spoelstra spelled it out during postgame comments, literally.

“It was a gutty team win with a capital t, a capital e, a capital a and a capital m.”

The Chicago Bulls are on Miami’s tail with the second best record in the NBA (6-1). Getting contributions from all over the floor; including from new acquisition Rip Hamilton who brings loads of playoff experience. The Bulls are expected to make a decent run in this year’s playoffs.

On the opposite end of the spectrum the Washington Wizards (0-6) and the New Jersey Nets (1-6) remain in spots they are expected to remain; dead last in the cellar…in the dark…sitting all alone.

Copyright ©2012 Sports Climax, LLC

Super Bowl commercial ads sold out in record fashion the 2012 Super Bowl according to sources at NBC.

The take for the network?

A cool $3.5 million per 30-second spot.

And relax NASCAR fans. Go Daddy who has become a staple over the years will again feature sexy driver Danica Patrick in two of its ads.

We often wonder how successful a marketing tool these ads are and if they are worth the price of $3,5M per spot.

Volkswagen must have been happy with their results. The company did a spot last year for one of their vehicles and featured the youngster in the Darth Vader costume. This year they are expanding and creating a 60-second spot for their 2012 Beetle; costing them $7 million.

Automakers will be dominating the screen that day. GM is forking out for five spots while Kia, Toyota and Hyundai are also joining the fracas.

One huge benefit for these advertisers is the additional attention these spots will get during and well after the game’s final whistle.

ESPN did a poll last year for viewers to vote and most every sports media site had columns saturating the internet the day after the game.

And how many people are expected to tune in to the game? 100 million-plus….now that’s an audience.

Copyright ©2012 Sports Climax, LLC

Mark Henderson was a convict serving a 15 year sentence at the Norfolk State Penitentiary after being convicted of burglary. Let out of the pen on a work release program, he was assigned to operate a snowplow during a New England/Miami Dolphins game in Foxboro on December 12, 1982.

In a game of slips, slides, missed kicks and fumbles, both teams found it impossible to score in the 20 mile per hour winds and blizzard-like conditions.

With 4:32 left and the game still scoreless, the Pats decided to attempt a field goal. Henderson, as he had all game, was driving the plow across the field to clear a spot for the center to place the ball before the snap.

Under the direction of coach, Ray Meyer and holder Matt Cavanaugh, the jailbird darted around the Patriot’s huddle and cleared the spot where Cavanaugh would be spotting the ball for kicker John Smith. Here’s the video and all you millennials will get a peek at what a crappy TV with rabbit ears looked like:

Shula almost blew a gasket, protesting the move after the Pats kick was good and they went on to win the game 3-0.

Henderson who was interviewed later responded, “What were they gonna do, throw me in jail?” Years later, after his release from prison, Henderson was invited to a Patriots home game against the Dolphins where he reenacted his cheating snowplow maneuver.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Tony Stewart has won the Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway for the fifth time in the last six years.

Now for the bigger news, in her NASCAR debut at Daytona International Speedway Danica Patrick lasted until Lap 68 when she was involved in a 10 or 12-car wreck in the Nationwide Series event.

Danica was running smoothly in the 21st position when several cars bumped and spun out in front of her. She maintained her position in the middle of the track, a strategy that paid off earlier in the race when she was able to avoid spinning cars during an earlier wreck but using the same tactic the second time in the race ended her day early. Unable to avoid the spinning cars, she hit some debris then slammed into the outside wall damaging her car and knocking herself out of the race.

Shortly after, her crew pushed the car back to the garage and evaluated the heavy damage to the front right area of the vehicle.

Last week after completed the ARCA event at DIS and taking 6th place, Danica felt comfortable enough to move her NASCAR debut up a week to today’s Nationwide 300 season-opener.

She expects to run again next week in California then again in the following Nationwide race in Las Vegas.

Driving in the shadows of Danica, the other female competing in the race was Chrissy Wallace who also had an unscheduled visit with the wall, this one during Lap 1.

Ms. Wallace spun out near turn four slid across the track and slammed into the wall totaling her vehicle.

During an interview shortly after the crash, she blamed Paul Menard for the accident. “It was a “dumb mistake on his part,” said the disgruntled driver. That’s hard to argue with after seeing the replay of the accident where it appeared Menard pushed Wallace causing her to spin out of control.

Before throwing your PBR at the TV and getting your panties in a wad screaming out the cliche ‘woman drivers!’ you may want to watch the replays. Both of these wrecks were caused by some of men in the race.

BTW, Chrissy was one of four Wallaces in NASCAR’s second-tier event. Dad Mike Wallace, Uncle Kenny Wallace and cousin Steve Wallace also started the race.

Sexy Danica Patrick Super Bowl Ad Rejected by CBS (VIDEO HERE)

Danica Does Daytona – Sports Climax

Sexy Danica Go Daddy Super Bowl Ad Rejected by CBS (VIDEO) – Sports Climax

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

LAS VEGAS – Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao defeated a hard-fighting Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Saturday night when the fight was stopped at 0:55 of the 12th round.

Pacman who was well ahead on all the judge’s fight cards won his record 7th title adding to what has already been the biggest buzz in boxing; a Floyd Mayweather vs. Pacquiao title fight.

After the fight, promoter Bob Arum described Pacman as “The greatest fighter I have ever seen and I’ve seen a lot of them” and sportswriter Paula Duffy said in her Sunday column, “Out of no where [Pacman] just seems to leave a spot in the ring and lunge at his opponent, with speed and grace. He gives the impression of leaving his feet when in fact he doesn’t. It’s almost super hero stuff.”

Editors’ Note: For those who missed watching the fight live, HBO will show the fight on Saturday November 21 at 10 pm.

Copyright © 2009 – Sports Climax

LAS VEGAS – Floyd Mayweather, Jr. improved his perfect record to 40-0-25 Kos when he took opponent Juan Manuel Marquez to school Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

After knocking down Marquez in the second round, Mayweather overpowered his much smaller opponent, dominating the fight and earning the unanimous decision.

Judge Burt Clements gave every round to Mayweather scoring the fight 120-107 while Dave Moretti scored it 119-108 and William Lerch’s tally was 118-109.

The stats were as lopsided as the judge’s cards with Mayweather landing 290 of his 493 blows (59%) while Marquez was able to connect on only 12 percent of the 583 punches he threw.

The night was by far the best payday Marquez has seen in his career. In addition to receiving $3.2 million for the fight, the little man from Mexico City was granted an additional $600,000 from Mayweather who was penalized for coming to the weigh-in two pounds over the 144 limit.

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