TTYM: Pam Oliver Gets Hit, Nate Robinson Deserves A Smack & Barry Sanders Breaks His Silence?
by @TaraLipinsky
More Columns here.
This week was quite a “hit.” Ryan Dempster beaning A-Rod intentionally was the big news – but he wasn’t the only one who was roughed up.
Watch what it looks like when one boxer knocks another out, a pitcher breaks a hitter’s jaw and a side-line reporter gets slammed in the head by an errant pass. Also, see an Astros rookie earn his first hits the hard way. Does Barry Sanders' new commercial hit Lions fans below the belt? And frankly, Nate Robinson just deserves to be hit. Period. All that in this week’s That Thing You Missed.
Hoop Nightmares
Apparently, it’s not enough for Nate Robinson to be annoying on the hard court.
Ok, he was a hero for the Bulls this season by helping an ailing team pull out a playoff win against the Nets - but still.
He’s the Napoleon of the NBA, no?
So during the offseason he felt the need to take his act to the airport where he proceeds to harass innocent people for what appears to be his own enjoyment.
As if airline travel isn’t stressful enough.
Watch as he crosses up innocent people who are just trying to get some crappy food wrapped in plastic before they have to fight their way onto their flight.
Props to the Midwestern mom-type in yellow who at least played a little defense.
Where’s a TSA agent hankering to perform a full body cavity search when you need him?
Hard Hitting Sports News
I’ve always said if I can do it over again, I’d want to be an NFL sideline reporter. What’s not to love? The obnoxious fans, pissed off players and cranky coaches (Bill Belichick, anyone?) I can battle with the best of them.
And then this happened. Sideline reporter Pam Oliver was nailed in the face by an attempted pass made by the Colts’ Chander Harnish.
Ouch.
Now I may be tougher than I look – but that hit would have knocked me out! How was she still standing?
Harnish apologize to Oliver for the hit via Twitter – but with wayward passes like that – he should be more concerned with having a job next week.
‘Astro’ nomical Error
Houston Astro rookie Max Stassi has had one hell of a debut week.
He recorded two hits in his first career game – but was tagged out when he made an embarrassing blunder. Let’s just say the Rangers pulled the ‘ol hidden ball trick without even trying.
The next day he scored his first RBI…. By getting beaned in the face by a fastball.
Stassi is gong to be fine, but Jason Heyward of the Braves was hit in the face with a pitch on the same day while playing the Mets at Citifield. He fractured his jaw in two places.
What the hell is going on in this league? Whatever it is, I blame A-Rod.
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
The only one who got hit worse this week? Giovanni Lorenzo, courtesy of Daniel Jacobs, who knocked him out in the third round. And thanks to technology we can watch it over and over again in slow motion.
Tell me why we’re so concerned about football players and CTE? Seriously. Has anyone seen Muhammed Ali lately?
Story via CBS Sports Radio: Daniel Jacobs talks to Scott Ferrall
Disappearing Act
To say Barry Sanders' sudden departure from the NFL devastated the Lions’ fans everywhere is NOT an understatement.
What made it worse? Sanders never told people why a still healthy player deserted his team just 1,457 yards short of Walter Payton’s rushing record. It was a slap in the face to Lions' Fans worldwide.
And to add insult to injury, we still don’t really know.
Now, Sanders makes fun of himself in a new Pepsi Max commercial by making a mockery of his sudden retirement and teasing the public he might actually come clean about his early retirement.
He doesn’t of course. And it has left a bad taste in peoples' mouths. I’m guessing kinda like Pepsi Max.
What do you think? E-mail Tara Lipinsky at tara.lipinsky@cbs.com or send me a Tweet @TaraLipinsky.