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Top 10 Altercations with Fans

In honor of the Phillies fan who was Tasered on Monday night, I found this YouTube top 10 clip of fans getting pummeled by players, coaches and security personnel.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I cracked up during that entire clip, up until the “Malice at the Palace.” Scared kids consoling each other just isn’t fun, folks.

How about that soccer player who went “Crouching Tiger” on that one fan? A.w.e.s.o.m.e.

Why was Vinny Del Negro fired?

Vinny Del Negro has been fired as coach of the Chicago Bulls.

The decision to fire Del Negro came after organizational meetings last week and over the weekend. Del Negro met with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf on Sunday and made a pitch to return for a third season, citing the accomplishments during his two seasons.

But, in the end, Reinsdorf took the recommendation of Forman and executive vice president John Paxson and decided to make a change.

But Del Negro did lead the Bulls to two playoff appearances. With the likely addition of a big-name free agent this summer, the franchise seems poised to become a serious contender in the East. Why exactly was he fired?

The major reason was the growing rift between him and management, which gained national attention when news broke of a postgame confrontation between Del Negro and Paxson in late March.

”That was a toxic situation,” TNT analyst Charles Barkley said Monday night. ”Vinny’s a good guy; Paxson’s a good guy. I said two weeks ago they had to fire him.”

Is Del Negro a good coach? It’s tough to say. He’s 82-82 in two seasons with two playoff appearances, but one could argue that the talent in Chicago is better than that. He was unable to develop Tyrus Thomas and John Salmons flourished in Milwaukee after he was moved at the trade deadline.

By removing Del Negro now, the franchise may be able to use the opening as a selling point to potential free agents. Would LeBron James or Dwyane Wade sign with the Bulls if Phil Jackson agreed to return to Chicago? How about Doug Collins or Avery Johnson?

Though the Bulls do expect to have the position filled by the start of free agency, I fully expect that they’d put feelers out to see how their top free agent targets feel about their top coaching targets. They’d be fools not to.

Should fans be Tasered if they run onto the field?

In my 20-plus years of watching sports, I’ve never had the desire to run onto the field during an event. In fact, I don’t even find the humor in it. It’s annoying and therefore, I’m all for police officers taking the necessary measures to get the idiots off the field.

Steve Consalvi, some goofy 17-year-old who attended the Cardinals-Phillies game in Philadelphia on Monday night, decided that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to run onto the field at Citizens Bank Park. So he did. And he was Tasered. And apparently the stun dropped him like a sack of potatoes, prompting several Phillies players to hold their gloves up to their faces in order to mask their own laughter.

Now, the police department is investigating the matter and discussing whether or not using the stun gun was appropriate.

Personally, if it’s necessary, then I’m all for it. If someone runs onto the field during a sporting event, what usually happens? He or she gets tackled, right? So what’s the difference between taking someone down with the use of bodily force, or taking someone down with a stun gun? The end result is still the same – the asswipe is going down.

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Why Sharper wasn’t wanted on the open market

One of the bigger mysteries of the NFL offseason is why safety Darren Sharper, who essentially transformed the Saints’ defense last year with his playmaking ability, didn’t receive more attention on the open market. Even at 34, Sharper proved last year that he still has plenty of game left in his veteran legs.

But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Sharper had limited market value because he had microfracture surgery, which is believed to have taken place in early March. The procedure was originally announced as an arthroscopic surgery, which is much less serious than microfracture.

According to Schefter, Sharper’s status for Week 1 is in jeopardy and he may be limited in training camp. Combine that little fact with his age and it’s no wonder Sharper lasted so long on the open market before re-signing a one-year deal with the Saints on Monday.

I’m a little surprised that Sharper expected to sign a lucrative long-term deal knowing that his status for Week 1 was up in the air. Parlaying a great season into a new contract is one thing, but hoping to cash in big despite being a 34-year-old safety coming off major knee surgery is another.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

Houston’s pitch to Chris Bosh

Last Friday, Chris Bosh used his Twitter page to ask his fans where he should play and why. Some see the move as harmless, while others think he’s out of line for baiting his fans like that. The truth is probably somewhere in between. With the playoffs in full swing — and Bosh sitting at home — I suspect he was missing the limelight a little bit and needed the ego boost.

Regardless, the move confirms that Bosh is seriously considering changing zip codes this summer and Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle suggests that the Rockets can put together one hell of a pitch for the native Texan.

Chris Bosh will open his front door at 12:01 a.m. July 1 and see a smiling Daryl Morey standing between Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming.

How’s that for a first impression?

Just to be clear, Justice doesn’t know that this is the plan, but if it is, that would be a pretty serious pitch. While most of the other teams with cap space — Miami, New York, Chicago, in particular — will be chasing after LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, Houston may be the only team that has Bosh at the top of its list. And that may go a long way with Bosh, who has said in the past that he is the kind of player a franchise can build around.

The presence of Olajuwon and Yao would give a glimpse of the franchise’s past and potential future. Olajuwon won back-to-back titles in the ’90s while Yao is the big center that Bosh has always wanted to play with. (Remember, he thinks of himself as a power forward, not a center.)

The issue with the Rockets is that they don’t have any cap space and can’t sign Bosh outright. But if they can convince him to come to Houston, then the Rockets can then work out a deal with Toronto that is mutually beneficial. Marc Stein has a few ideas:

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