LeBron James Says, ‘I Feel Confident Because I’m the Best Player in the World’

WOW, HE MIGHT BE THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD, BUT HUMBLE HE AIN’T …

Last night following Game 5 of the NBA Finals that saw the Golden State Warriors defeat the Cleveland Cavs 104-91, LeBron James was asked in the post game presser, whether James was feeling more free because there’s less pressure due to the team being undermanned? His response was, “I feel confident because I’m the best player in the world. It’s simple.” Seriously, that may be true, and may be not … but I am not sure if you say it. Being stated that you are the best player in the world should probably be left for others to say. It comes off as a bit arrogant and self-centered to say when you are losing the series.

It is obvious that LeBron James feels he has to do everything because on injuries he has nothing around him. The reason why he has a stat line with 40 points and a triple double is because there is no one else on the team. But dude stay classy, learn to be a bit humble. Just a reminder to LeBron when he starts putting out there “best player in the world,” two words … Michael Jordan. Two more words for LeBron … 6 NBA Championships.

CBS Sports:

LeBron: ‘I feel confident because I’m the best player in the world’

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James was asked about his confidence and comfort level in the NBA Finals after Sunday’s Game 5, a 104-91 Golden State Warriors victory. A reporter suggested that perhaps James was feeling more free because there’s less pressure due to the team being undermanned, referencing the deep 3s he made in the fourth quarter.

“Nah,” James responded. “I feel confident because I’m the best player in the world. It’s simple.”

The reporter pressed on, asking if there’s less pressure with this particular Finals team.

“Nah,” James said again. “It’s the Finals. It’s something you dream of when you’re a kid. And for me, I put the work in. I put the work in every single day, either when you guys are there, when you guys are not there. Some of our beat writers see me, they know how much work I put into it. And I give everything to my teammates. And when you’re true to the game, it doesn’t matter if it’s a regular-season game or a Finals game, you just go out and trust what you put into the game and you live with the results.

Response from the sports world regarding LeBron’s comments … If this team was constructed without Irving or Love, they wouldn’t win 20 games let alone make the Finals. On a side note, the Golden State Warriors should not be all that ecstatic either. They are being forced to the limit by one player. What would Golden State look like if all they had was Stephen Curry and no Klay Thompson or  Andre Iguodala? The minute Kyrie Irving went down with the injury in game 1, the Warriors should have swept this series.

After 37 Years Horse Racing Finally Has a Triple Crown Winner … American Pharoah Wins Belmont and a Place in History (VIDEO)

American Pharoah wins Triple Crown to become only the 12th horse in history to do so …

The wait is finally over, after 37 years horse racing finally has a Triple Crown winner. Yesterday, at the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, NY,  American Pharoah won wire to wire, as he did in the slop at the Preakness. American Pharoah’s winning time of 2:26.6 was the second-fastest for a Triple Crown winner at the Belmont, behind only Secretariat’s 2:24 in 1973.

Jockey Victor Espinoza put American Pharoah on the lead before the horses hit the first turn, and he stayed in front the rest of the way. When the horses turned for home, instead of tiring in his third race in five weeks, American Pharoah pulled away to become thoroughbred racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner.

List of the Triple Crown Winners.

NBC Sports:

American Pharoah became the first horse since 1978 to win the Triple Crown when he won the 147th Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

Jockey Victor Espinoza pushed Pharoah to the front soon after the race started, and Pharoah outclassed the field, pulling away down the stretch to make history. Frosted finished second, and Keen Ice rounded out the top three.

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes champion, American Pharoah began Saturday as a 3-to-5 favorite in the morning betting line, and those were the odds when the race began. He started from the fifth position in a field of eight.

American Pharoah becomes the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown, beginning with Sir Barton in 1919 and most recently Affirmed in 1978. After Affirmed’s Triple Crown win, 12 horses won the first two legs of the Triple, only to lose the bid at the Belmont, either because of an upset or because they did not start or complete the race.

Some of the following opinion is based on fact, but part is also based on the fact that it is tough to following horse racing after the death of Barbaro in 2007. Heck, I wasn’t sure if I would ever watch another race after Ruffian had to be put down in 1975 after the Match Race with Foolish Pleasure.

On a personal note, KUDOS to American Pharoah as winning the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness and the Belmont Stakes is a great accomplishment; however, those who are making any kind of comparisons of American Pharoah to Secretariat either haven’t a clue to horse racing, the mood and culture of the times or are just trying to artificially pump up horse racing. In the 1970′s horse racing was king. And when it came to “Big Red,” the chestnut Thoroughbred was more than just a horse, he was named the #35 greatest athlete of all time. Secretariat was a celebrity who was followed and cheered for by all walks of life across society, which was remarkable seeing the the early 1970′s were so divisive.

Also, because horses today do not even come close to participating in the number of races of those horses from back in the day, American Pharoah is no Seattle Slew or Affirmed. Can one really compare times when a horse of today runs in the single digits of races while horses like War Admiral, Secretariat and Affirmed ran in the 20′s and Citation ran 45?  One of the issues I had with this years Triple Crown is it seemed as if there was a lack of talent in the field. American Pharoah seemed to have little to no competition and by the time they ran the Belmont, there was no horses there to challenge. Secretariat had Sham and  My Gallant as his main competition. Seattle Slew had Run Dusty Run and Sanhedrin. Affirmed and Alydar’s races were epic, actually beyond epic. In my opinion, American Pharoah is also no Citation or War Admiral.

Female Fan (Tonya Carpenter) in Serious Condition After Hit By Broken Bat at Fenway Park During Boston Red Sox Game (VIDEO) (Update: Hospital Says. “It’s still life-threatening, However, she is expected to survive.)

SCARY MOMENT AT LAST NIGHT’S RED SOX GAME …

According to The Boston Herald, a woman who was hit by a broken bat during yesterday’s Boston Red Sox -Oakland A’s game is in serious condition with life-threatening injuries. The game was halted in the middle of the second inning following the incident. The woman,  Tonya Carpenter, was rushed from Fenway Park is in serious condition to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Boston.com:

Tonya Carpenter was sitting behind the visitors’ on-deck circle at Fenway Park Friday night watching the Red Sox take on the Oakland Athletics with a man and her son.

Then, A’s third baseman Brett Lawrie shattered his bat on a groundout in the second inning, and the park went silent.

The broken barrel of Lawrie’s maple bat had flown into the third-baseline stands and struck Carpenter in the head. Carpenter immediately began to bleed profusely, as medical personnel rushed to her aid.

Carpenter was carted out of the park, her screams audible to fans, and transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center with what appeared to be “life-threatening” injuries, Boston police spokeswoman Rachel McGuire told Boston.com.

Boston Globe: After injury, woman was wheeled away.

At 7:45 a.m. Saturday, Beth Israel spokeswoman Jennifer Kritz said the hospital is not providing any information regarding the condition of the woman at this time.

The team’s principal owner, John Henry, also owns the Globe.

Red Sox manager John Farrell said after the game that the incident was “a scary moment.”

“Our thoughts and concern and certainly our prayers go out to the woman who was struck with the bat, her, and her family,” Farrell said. “All you can think about is a family coming to a ballgame to hopefully get three hours of enjoyment and unfortunately with how close our stands are to the field of action . . . an accident like this tonight, it’s certainly disturbing.”

UPDATE I: Tonya Carpenter in Serious Condition But expected to Survive.

A woman struck by a piece of a baseball bat at Boston’s Fenway Park suffered “life-threatening” injuries but is expected to survive, Boston police spokesperson Rachel McGuire said Saturday.

The incident occurred during the second inning of Friday night’s Red Sox game against the Oakland Athletics when Athletics’ third baseman Brett Lawrie was at bat.

The hospital identified the woman as Tonya Carpenter. She was in serious condition Saturday, according to hospital spokeswoman Kelly Lawman. The family was grateful for thoughts and prayers, the hospital said.

“It’s still life-threatening,” McGuire said of Carpenter’s injuries. “However, she is expected to survive.”

Former New Orleans Saints Player Darren Sharper Pleaded Guilty to Drugging & Raping 3 Women in New Orleans

FORMER SAINTS PLAYER DARREN SHARPER PLEADS GUILTY …

Former NFL player Darren Sharper plead guilty to federal charges to drugging and raping three women in New Orleans, Louisiana. In doing so, Sharper entered a plea deal. The U.S. Attorney’s Office on Friday released a document called a “factual basis” which spells out what the government would have proved at trial, had Sharper not opted for his guilty plea. Read the “Factual Basis” HERE.  Darren Sharper was wearing an orange jumpsuit with his hands and feet shackled together when he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute drugs to commit rape and two counts of distributing drugs to commit rape. However, sadly with this plea deal Sharper will only be doing a fraction of the time that he should be. The charges against Sharper carry a maximum 20-year sentence per count, but as part of his plea deal, Sharper’s sentence would be capped to nine years in prison. U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo scheduled Sharper’s sentencing for August 20, 2015.

Former Saints player Darren Sharper pleaded guilty to federal charges Friday (May 29) to drugging and raping three women in New Orleans, the latest in a series of plea deals in four states where he has been accused of assaulting a total of nine victims.

The charges carry a maximum 20-year sentence per count. But as part of his plea deal, Sharper’s sentence would be capped to nine years in prison– a term Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Miller told the judge was longer than what would be called for by federal sentencing guidelines. The federal sentence would run concurrently with a similar sentence in Arizona, the only state where Sharper has been sentenced to date.

U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo scheduled Sharper’s sentencing for August 20. She told Sharper if she doesn’t agree with the plea deal’s suggested sentence, he would have a chance to withdraw his guilty plea.

Darren Sharper has also been suspected of other rapes and druggings in Las Vegas, Arizona and Los Angeles. A plea deal was announced in March to resolve the charges in all jurisdictions.

On March 23, Sharper pleaded guilty to sexual assault in Arizona and no contest in California. On March 24, Sharper pleaded guilty in Las Vegas to a reduced felony: attempted sex assault. He still faces state charges in Louisiana. Sharper is expected to serve a total of nine years in all the cases he faces.

During the federal hearing Friday, Judge Jane Triche Milazzo listed the counts against Sharper and outlined the plea deal that calls for Sharper to be imprisoned for nine years.

7 FIFA Officials Arrested on Corruption & Bribery Charges (Update: 14 People Indicted)

WHAT A SHOCK, FIFA IS CORRUPT …

Seven top FIFA officials were arrested overnight in a posh Zurich hotel. The raid was conducted as a part of a corruption probe allegations of bribery totaling more than £100m over past 25 years.

The most significant arrest was that of Jeffrey Webb, the vice president of the executive committee, who has previously been hailed by Blatter as a potential successor.

Other officials held by Swiss police include Eduardio Li, President of the Costa Rica Football Association, and Rafael Esquivel, President of the Venezuelan Football Federation, Jose Maria Marin, vice-president of the Brazil Football Federation, Costas Takkas, a former general secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Association, and Jose Maria Marin, vice-president of the Brazil Football Federation.

VIDEO – CNN

New York Times:

Swiss authorities conducted an extraordinary early-morning operation here Wednesday to arrest several top soccer officials and extradite them to the United States on federal corruption charges.

As leaders of FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, gathered for their annual meeting, more than a dozen plain-clothed Swiss law enforcement officials arrived unannounced at the Baur au Lac hotel, an elegant five-star property with views of the Alps and Lake Zurich. They went to the front desk to get room numbers and then proceeded upstairs.

The arrests were carried out peacefully. One FIFA official, Eduardo Li of Costa Rica, was led by the authorities from his room to a side-door exit of the hotel. He was allowed to bring his luggage, which was adorned with FIFA logos.

The arrests were carried out peacefully. One FIFA official, Eduardo Li of Costa Rica, was led by the authorities from his room to a side-door exit of the hotel. He was allowed to bring his luggage, which was adorned with FIFA logos.

The charges, backed by an F.B.I. investigation, allege widespread corruption in FIFA over the past two decades, involving bids for World Cups as well as marketing and broadcast deals.

CNN – U.S. arrests officials, Switzerland opens separate investigation.

Department of Justice announced the unsealing of a 47-count indictment in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York, that detailed charges against 14 people of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. They include FIFA officials accused of taking bribes totaling more than $150 million and in return provided “lucrative media and marketing rights” to soccer tournaments as kickbacks over the past 24 years.

“The defendants fostered a culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for the biggest sport in the world,” FBI Director James Comey said in a news release. “Undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks and bribes became a way of doing business at FIFA.”

UPDATE I: Fifa corruption live: David Cameron calls for Sepp Blatter to stand down.

UPDATE II: Sepp Blatter’s FIFA Reign of Shame.

It is not true that everything has gotten worse in global soccer under Blatter. Safety has improved and, yes, the World Cup has been held in Africa. But just about everything has. To conclude that Blatter should quit rather than embark on a fifth term as FIFA president (assuming his seemingly inevitable election to a fifth term on Friday) feels so blindingly obvious that it’s not worth saying. But then the FIFA president is so thick-skinned it’s actually worth saying twice: Mr. Blatter, your time is up.

Why? Because the corruption charges against current and former FIFA vice presidents and others reflect an organization rotten to its core, operating in the absence of any meaningful oversight, without term limits for a president whose salary is of course unknown (but estimated by Bloomberg to be “in the low double-digit” millions), overseeing $5.72 billion in partially unaccounted revenue for the four years to December 2014, governing a sport in which matches and World Cup venues and in fact just about everything appears to have been up for sale, burying a report it commissioned by a former United States attorney into the bidding process for the next two World Cups, and generally operating in a culture of cavalier disdain personified by Blatter, whose big cash awards to soccer federations in poorer countries have turned the delegates from many of FIFA’s 209 member associations into his fawning acolytes.

UPDATE III: FIFA Arrests: Meet the 14 People Indicted by the Department of Justice.

The 14 people indicted in the global crackdown of FIFA corruption covers a dozen nationalities, although authorities allege the crimes and payments were carried out in the U.S. via American banks.

Seven were arrested in Zurich by Swiss authorities at the request of the U.S. Four other individuals and corporate defendants Traffic Sports USA Inc., Traffic Sports International Inc. and Brazilian sports marketing conglomerate the Traffic Group have already pleaded guilty, according to an indictment unsealed today.

1. Jeffrey Webb, 50, Cayman Islands:
2. Jack Warner, 72, Trinidad and Tobago:
3. Aaron Davidson, 44, USA:
4. Nicholas Leoz, 86, Paraguay:
5. Eduardo Li, 56, Costa Rica:
6. Alejandro Burzaco, 50, Argentina:
7. Eugenio Figueredo, 83, USA and Uruguay:
8. Jose Maria Marin, 83, Brazil:
9. Julio Rocha, 64, Nicaragua:
10. Rafael Esquivel, 68, Venezuela:
11. Costas Takkas, 58, United Kingdom:
12. Hugo Jinkis, 70, Argentina:
13. Mariano Jinkis, 40, Argentina:
14. José Margulies, 75, Brazil: