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Madison’s Plays Off The Court: The Juicy Sports Stories of the Week

Madison Besser |
March 27, 2011 | 4:38 a.m. PDT

Staff Writer

The juiciest off-field sports stories of the week, courtesy of Neon Tommy's own Madison Besser:

Shaq will be patrolling the paint and the people of Worcester, Mass. (Creative Commons)
Shaq will be patrolling the paint and the people of Worcester, Mass. (Creative Commons)

1. Just call him deputy Shaq. According to the Worcester Telegram, Shaq will be sworn in as a member of the Worcester County Reserve Deputy Sheriff Association. "The sheriff is committed to expanding the role that the WCRDSA plays in local communities and hopes that making Shaq his first member will help set the tone for others to volunteer to give back to their communities," said sheriff spokesman David Tuttle. First he was a genie... now a cop.

2. According to Terez Owens, wide receiver Hines Ward is a favorite to win Dancing With the Stars with 5-1 odds. He is behind Kirstie Alley and the Karate Kid. Hines is known for his toughness over the middle, but I don't think that's allowed in this competition, so we will see how great he is in his dancing shoes.

I’m pretty sure 5-1 odds are better then what the Steelers will have to start the year. Maybe he should just stick to dancing since who knows when and if there will be an NFL season.

3. Chad Ochocinco has had a long love affair with soccer; he even befriended the likes of Christiano Ronaldo and Kaka. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis had this to say about Ocho's four-day trial with Sporting Kansas City "What has he ever done that he’s completed? What circle has he connected in any way?” This just might be Ocho trying to fill his time due to the lockout, but who knows with Chad. Or maybe it’s because the MLS doesn't fine for goal celebrations like the "No Fun League."

4. Oakland Athletics designated hitter, Hideki Matsui, made an amazing donation to the earthquake and tsunami relief fund by donating 50 million yen ($620,000 USD) to the Japanese Red Cross, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. It turns out that Matsui gave the same amount in 2004 after the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. In 2007 he donated 10 million yen ($62,000 USD) when an earthquake struck the western coast of Japan.

His donation follows that of Ichiro Suzuki, who donated 100 million yen ($1.25 million) to the Japanese Red Cross to assist in the relief efforts last week. These are amazing donations that will truly help. My thoughts and prayers go out to those in Japan and those who have loved ones there.

5. Presidents, American heroes, and now Pedro. According to the Smithsonian press release, eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez will be joining classic and treasured portraits, such as the venerated Landsdowne portrait of George Washington, in the National Portrait Gallery. Pedro was undoubtedly the most dominant pitcher of his time.

First President of the United States and Dominican baseball player will be an interesting couple. Congrats to Pedro as it is definitely a huge testament to his career.

6. Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter has always been an outspoken guy. This time he went off on his division rivals, namely Derek Jeter and the Boston Red Sox. He had this to say about DJ: "The first time we went to Yankee Stadium, I screamed at Derek Jeter from the dugout. Our guys are thinking, 'Wow, he's screaming at Derek Jeter.' Well, he's always jumping back from balls just off the plate. I know how many calls that team gets -- and yes, he [ticks] me off."

Most trash talk in baseball usually comes from across the dugout but Showalter appears to be channeling his inner Ozzie Guillen.

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To reach Madison Besser, click here.



 

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