WebProNews

Tag: Sports

  • Twitter Will Stream NFL Games For Free

    Twitter Will Stream NFL Games For Free

    The NFL announced that it has chosen Twitter as its exclusive partner to digitally stream Thursday Night Football to a global audience across devices for free throughout the 2016 regular season. This will consist of ten games, which are broadcast by NBC and CBS. The games will also be simulcast on NFL Network.

    Games will be streamed without authentication to over 800 million registered and non-registered users via mobile, tablets, PCs, and connected TVs. This includes in-game highlights from Thursday Night Football and pre-game Periscope broadcasts from players and teams.

    This is obviously huge news for Twitter, which has struggled with user growth, though the company’s stock is currently plummeting. Twitter Investor Relations had this to say:

    “Twitter is where live events unfold and is the right partner for the NFL as we take the latest step in serving fans around the world live NFL football”, said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “There is a massive amount of NFL-related conversation happening on Twitter during our games and tapping into that audience, in addition to our viewers on broadcast and cable, will ensure Thursday Night Football is seen on an unprecedented number of platforms this season. This agreement also provides additional reach for those brands advertising with our broadcast partners.”

    Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey added, “This is about transforming the fan experience with football. People watch NFL games with Twitter today. Now they’ll be able to watch right on Twitter Thursday nights.”

    It will be interesting to see if this leads to similar streaming deals for Twitter with other sports and other types of programs.

    Twitter has been a partner of the NFL for several years through the Amplify program. Verizon, Yahoo, Amazon, and Facebook had shown interest in the deal prior to Twitter winning it.

    Image via NFL (Twitter)

  • MRSA Infection Threatens Daniel Fells’ Foot, Giants Dedicate Win to Hospitalized TE

    MRSA Infection Threatens Daniel Fells’ Foot, Giants Dedicate Win to Hospitalized TE

    An NFL player is battling a Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, and reports indicate that there is a possibility that he may lose his foot.

    Daniel Fells, who plays tight end for the New York Giants, has been in the hospital for over a week. According to NFL.com, Fells has had five surgeries and he’s facing even more.

    From NFL.com:

    The situation arose, the source said, when Fells suffered a toe injury, then an ankle injury. To treat it, Fells was given a cortisone shot. After a week of ankle and foot pain, Fells’ wife took him to the emergency room on Oct. 2 with a 104-degree temperature. There, they found his ankle was infected with MRSA, a dangerous staph infection that is resistant to many antibiotics.

    With doctors hoping to avoid amputating his foot, the more urgent fear is that the MRSA has gotten into the bone and that it could travel into his blood. That could have the gravest of consequences.

    The Giants dedicated Sunday night’s game to Fells

    And Fells was watching from the hospital.

    “My heart is with my brothers tonight. Get that W G-men. I love every one of you #thiswillnotdefeatme” Fells posted on Instagram Sunday afternoon.

    My heart is with my brothers tonight. Get that W G-men. I love every one of you #thiswillnotdefeatme

    A photo posted by Daniel Fells (@danielfells85) on

    The Giants did get the win, in dramatic fashion.

  • Duke Kahanamoku Google Doodle Shines Light On Legendary ‘Big Kahuna’

    Duke Kahanamoku Google Doodle Shines Light On Legendary ‘Big Kahuna’

    Duke Kahanamoku (or Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku) is the subject of a new Google doodle honoring his legacy as the man who is largely responsible for spreading the sport of surfing. Kahanamoku, who won five Olympic medals for swimming, and was also known as “The Duke” and “The Big Kahuna,” was born one hundred and twenty-five years ago today.

    While water-sports were his main claim to fame, Kahanamoku had quite a collection of professions.

    As Google explains, “The story of Duke Kahanamoku–the Hawaiian who, in 1912, first drew the world’s collective gaze upon the art of surfing–reads like mythology. Born in Honolulu in 1890, he is credited in over a dozen feature films, surfed the world’s most imposing swells before Californians knew what surfing was, won five Olympic medals in swimming and was elected sheriff of his beloved home county thirteen times.”

    duke-kahanamoku

    “The Big Kahuna was a tremendous athlete, to be sure, and by all accounts staggeringly cool, but he also had a proclivity for heroics–one morning in 1925, just as dawn crept into the summer sky over Newport Beach, a 40-foot fishing vessel called the Thelma found herself in the grip of a sudden and violent squall,” the company adds. “Waves hammered the Thelma’s deck, and the vessel succumbed to the thrashing breakers, stranding its crew in the surf. The Duke, who watched from the shore as he prepared for that morning’s ride, rushed headlong into the maelstrom with his surfboard and, along with three friends, managed to wrest twelve men from the clutches of the Pacific.”

    In other words, the man was a true hero, but as if that weren’t enough, as Google notes he also played a role in helping the Hawaiian Islands achieve statehood in 1959 about nine years before his death.

    Here’s some rare footage of what is said to be Kahanamoku at Waikiki Beach in 1939:

    Google is showing the doodle throughout North and much of South America as well as in much of Europe, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan. August 24 also happens to be Ukraine Independence Day, and in that country, Google is honoring that with its own doodle.

    Other subjects Google has run doodles for on August 24 over the years include the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, and the 112th birthday of writer Jorge Luis Borges.

    Images via Google, Wikimedia Commons

  • Gabby Douglas Intent On Reaching Elusive Olympic Feat

    In the world of gymnastics, time is the undefeatable enemy. Gymnastics is hard on the mind and body, making longevity in the sport a difficult task. Gabby Douglas, however, wants to take on that task and become the first two-time winner of the Olympic all-around title in 50 years.

    The first female gymnasts to accomplish this feat were the former Soviet Union’s Larisa Latynina and Věra Čáslavská of the Czech Republic. They were successive two-time all around champions, but arguably during a time when the sport was not as demanding. A number of other gymnasts have since come close but were unsuccessful and soon Douglas will have her chance at the elusive repeat.

    The American phenom won her first Olympic gold medal for the individual all-around in the 2012 Summer Olympics, and took home a second gold medal at the games for the all-round team competition. Soon after, Douglas started taking breaks, had inconsistent camps, and suddenly the hopes of a successful return was met by criticism.

    As a gymnast, taking a break is a major setback as months of training and repetition can turn to rust after just a few weeks of idleness. The mind might think that it’s still able, but the body won’t cooperate.

    But after all the skepticism and the rise of a new gymnastic superpower in Simone Biles, Douglas is ready to reclaim what she won years ago.

    “I never really wanted to retire. I wanted to take a little bit of a break, and then go for it,” said Douglas whose first real competition since the Olympics was at the Secret Classic in Hoffman Estates, Ill., held last Saturday.

    She came in second overall behind Biles, who beat her by 1.9 points. Though she came up short on Saturday,  Douglas is now older and wiser and certainly more motivated to become the next Olympic two-time champion.

    “My comeback wasn’t fake, guys,” said Douglas.

    Gymnastics fans have to wait and see if Gabby Douglas can successfully defend her title in 2016.

  • Tim Tebow Still Loved By NFL Fans, Quaterback’s Jersey Is A Best-Seller

    Tim Tebow has been all over social media since he arrived in Philadelphia. He makes the headlines again as his Eagles’ jersey made it to the 16th spot in NFLShop.com’s Top 25 best-selling jerseys for June.

    New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham topped the list with quarterback Marcus Mariota ranking second and Tom Brady who ranked third.

    Despite claiming to have upped his game, the 27-year-old quarterback may still be far from making it to the roster when the season starts, but that is not going to stop fans from buying his Eagles’ jersey from the online football apparel shop.

    The Heisman Trophy winner’s jersey outsold Ndamukong Suh, Marshawn Lynch, and Tony Romo, who garnered the 17th, 20th, and 24th spot on the list respectively.

    Although his jersey’s sales may not sound too high ranking, consider that his No. 11 jersey outsold plenty of big names in the NFL such as Drew Brees, LeSean McCoy, Richard Sherman, and Calvin Johnson to name a few.

    The Tebow-mania is showing little to no signs of fading away to the fandom abyss even though his last game in the NFL was for the Jets in 2012.

    Since then, he was signed by the Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly last April after impressing him in a workout. We’ve heard nothing but praise for the quarterback. Kelly even commended Tebow’s major improvement with his passing during the Eagles’ spring practices.

    DeMarco Murray, 27 years old and 9th of NFLShop.com’s best-selling jerseys list, called Tebow a “good player” in an interview with USA Today. “A very hardworking guy,” The running back for the Eagles’ added. “He comes to work every day ready to compete, and that’s what you can expect from him.”

  • Facebook ‘Today’s Games’ Feature Shows Sports Scores For Your Favorite Teams Alongside Your News Feed

    Facebook appears to be testing a new feature that shows users the day’s sports scores for teams they’re interested in. The feature is labeled “Today’s Games” and appears near the top of the page between the section that displays events you’ve been invited to and Trending.

    Screen shot 2015-07-01 at 4.59.09 PM

    Here, it’s showing me the Cincinnati Reds score because I like the team on Facebook. You can see the same score if you go to the Reds’ Facebook Page (as displayed at the top of this article).

    If you click the gear icon on the feature, you can set your preferences, or in other words, select the teams you want to see scores for. It appears to only let you do this for teams you actually like on the social network.

    Screen shot 2015-07-01 at 5.04.17 PM

    I’m not sure how long the feature has been in testing. I haven’t come across any other articles about it, and I’ve only found a couple of tweets about it. It looks like it’s been going on for about a month based on that.

    Facebook wants to be a better resource for news. This has been the case for years at this point, and is still evident in another test it’s doing with its search interface, which adds a News option. Well, I’d say sports scores for the teams people follow are pretty important news to users, so this makes it easy for people to keep an eye on that at a glance.

  • Erin Andrews: NHL Boyfriend Jarret Stoll Charged With Felony Cocaine Possession

    Los Angeles Kings hockey player, Jarret Stoll, was arrested on April 17 for possessing cocaine at the MGM Wet Republic pool in Las Vegas. Stoll, who is the boyfriend of FOX sportscaster and Dancing With the Stars host Erin Andrews, has now been charged with felony possession of a controlled substance.

    Staff members at the Wet Republic arrested Stoll after subjecting him to a voluntary search upon which they found MDMA and powdered cocaine in his pocket.

    Based on police reports, the hockey player admitted to possessing 3.3 grams of cocaine powder. Stoll was likely at the MGM Grand Hotel to attend the second year anniversary of the hotel’s popular club Hakkasan, the same event that featured DJ Tiësto and brought out singer Christina Aguilera.

    Stoll was taken into custody at the CCDC a few months ago but was later released on $5,000 bond.

    Reports from Los Angeles Times and TMZ stated that the charge was filed as part of a criminal complaint and was listed as one felony count of cocaine possession with the Clark County District Attorney’s office.

    According to the criminal complaint, Stoll would only be charged for possessing cocaine and not for having MDMA.

    District Attorney Steven Wolfson refused to comment on why the charge only included cocaine possession.

    Stoll, who turns 33 this Wednesday, could face up to four years in state prison if convicted on the cocaine charge. However, he could possibly receive a suspended sentence and probation at the discretion of the judge, per the Orange County Register.

    The LA Kings center is expected to return to court on July 1, the same day he becomes an unrestricted NHL free agent.

    A day before being arrested, Stoll was spotted on a date with his girlfriend Andrews at La Sosta Enoteca in Manhattan Beach California.

    Erin Andrews, 37, and Stoll began dating in 2012.

  • Muhammad Ali’s ‘Rope-A-Dope’ Should Not Be Glorified, Says Floyd Mayweather Jr.

    Floyd Mayweather Junior is already a legend in his own mind, and now he wants the world to know that he’s even better than Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson.

    In a recent interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, the outspoken pugilist said that “no one can ever brainwash me to make me believe that Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali were better than me.”

    He was gracious enough to acknowledge his respect for the veteran fighters, though.

    “But one thing I will [say]: I’m going to take my hat off to those guys and respect those guys because those are the guys that paved the way for me,” Mayweather said.

    Despite his professed respect for Ali, Mayweather didn’t seem too impressed with Ali’s fights with Leon Spinks and George Foreman.

    The heavyweight suffered a shocking defeat to a relatively inexperienced Spinks in 1978. Spinks had only fought 7 times before winning via split decision over the heavily favored Ali.

    The 38-year-old Mayweather also had some choice words to say about the “rope-a-dope” tactics Ali used against George Foreman in their classic Rumble in the Jungle.

    “So are you going to tell me that it’s cool to lay on the ropes and take punishment and let a man tire himself out from beating you and then he basically fatigued?” he asked before adding “You hit him with a few punches and he go down and quit, and you want to be glorified for that?”

    It’s quite easy to understand where Mayweather is coming from. The boxer is undefeated in 47 professional fights and is considered by most as the number 1 boxer pound-for-pound.

    But he might want to hold off on his gloating until he has faced off with Manny Pacquiao on May 2.

    The Filipino boxer is one of his biggest and most awaited challengers. A victory over Pacquiao could go a long way in making people believe that he’s better than boxing legends Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson.

  • ESPN’s Britt McHenry Should Be Fired, Says Twitter

    ESPN’s Britt McHenry Should Be Fired, Says Twitter

    According to a growing number of Twitter users, ESPN reporter Britt McHenry deserves a steeper punishment than a brief suspensions.

    The hastag #FireBrittMcHenry has surged in popularity, as people continue to scold the reporter for her actions, as well as ESPN for their decision to suspend her for one week.

    If you missed the Britt McHenry story, here’s a refresher.

    Earlier this week, a surveillance video caught the reporter and former Stetson University soccer player berating a towing company employee after her car was towed in Washington DC. McHenry insulted the employees’ weight, appearance, and level of education. The video went viral, garnered hundreds of thousands of views.

    “That’s why I have a degree and you don’t,” said McHenry at one point. “Maybe if I was missing some teeth, they would hire me here, huh?”

    Watch the video below:

    She later apologized for her actions, saying,

    “In an intense and stressful moment, I allowed my emotions to get the best of me and said some insulting and regrettable things. As frustrated as I was, I should always choose to be respectful and take the high road. I am so sorry for my actions and will learn from this mistake.”

    ESPN suspended her for one week.

    It appears it is the opinion of a good number of folks out there that this is not good enough.

    McHenry has not made a statement beyond her Twitter apology. The New York Post suggests that ESPN should reinstate McHenry until it has the full story. What do you think?

    Image via Britt McHenry, Twitter

  • Kentucky Wins Facebook’s NCAA Bracket, Obama’s Too

    If you’re having trouble finishing your NCAA tournament bracket, you could turn to the largest social network in the world or the leader of the free world for help.

    Facebook mined all the posts and comments about all the teams in the field and filled out a bracket based on which teams garnered the most attention. Facebook’s Final Four is Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio St., and Duke, with UK playing Duke for the title.

    According to number of mentions, Kentucky is crowned national champion.

    Post by Sports on Facebook.

    Admittedly, this isn’t a very good way to make tournament picks. People could be talking a lot about a team, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to win. But in the case of Kentucky, it doesn’t seem like a bad bet.

    Over in the oval office, President Obama has completed his bracket as well. His Final Four looks a bit different, with Kentucky, Duke, Villanova, and Arizona advancing. Obama has UK facing Nova in the finals, with UK coming out on top.

    We wouldn’t exactly call this a bold prediction, but Obama isn’t known for his bold tournament picks. You kind of have to be diplomatic when you’re the President – can’t go knocking out a #1 seed in the second round or anything.

    Image via Kentucky Wildcats, Facebook

  • Porn Consumption Tanked During the Super Bowl

    If there’s anything Americans love more than watching porn, it’s watching millionaires throw around a football.

    It takes a big event for people to give up the porn for a bit, and apparently the Super Bowl is such an event. According to Pornhub (SFW), who routinely publishes “insights” about site traffic in relation to major events, the United States as a whole were watching 25% less porn during Sunday night’s big game.

    And if you look at the regional markets of the teams involved in the game – Boston, Massachusetts and Seattle, Washington – you see an even bigger dip in porn watching (50% and 46%, respectively).

    Though traffic stayed low throughout most of the Super Bowl in most markets, Pornhub did notice one point where traffic kicked back up a bit – halftime.

    “Across the board, a slight relief from these overall game time traffic dips is noted around the mid-game mark when Ms. Perry was putting on her highly anticipated half time show which proved to be devoid of any nip slips. Despite the lack of wardrobe malfunctions, she did seem to do a pretty good job in getting the masses riled up, as these numbers suggest that viewers rubbed a quick one out then tuned back in for the last 2 quarters.”

    I mean, those dancing sharks were pretty rowdy.

    As soon as the game was over, porn consumption began to steadily rise. The biggest spike was in Massachusetts, as would be expected. Traffic in Seattle failed to grow to the same heights, and slowly trailed off, which is also unsurprising.

    Images via Pornhub Insights

  • Facebook’s New Super Bowl Hub Will Make Sure You See Some Stuff About the Super Bowl on Sunday

    Facebook, unsure if you’ll see anything about the Super Bowl in the days leading up to Sunday, has created a dedicated page for all things Big Game.

    Because it’s nearly impossible to find anything out there about the Super Bowl, likely due to the fact that none of your friends care about football, Facebook has created a more-elaborate “Trending” page that features real-time posts about the Super Bowl – from both your friends and groups as well as from other pages all across Facebook.

    There’s also a box for the live score, as well as other trending topics related to the Super Bowl.

    “From kickoff to the game’s final seconds, Super Bowl XLIX is likely to be one of the most talked-about moments on Facebook this year and we hope this new Super Bowl experience will bring people, athletes and journalists together in one ongoing conversation,” says Facebook.

    Because your personal news feed is only around 80-90% Super Bowl-related, Facebook has set up a convenient feed that’s 100% Super Bowl, all the time.

    Now, if it only had recipes.

    Image via Facebook

  • NFL Highlights Are Finally Coming to YouTube, Google Search

    NFL Highlights Are Finally Coming to YouTube, Google Search

    The NFL has finally joined YouTube. Welcome to the future, guys!

    The new channel is part of a deal with Google, which will see the NFL upload official highlights and more video content on YouTube.

    “It’s pretty simple: On any screen you watch YouTube, NFL’s YouTube channel will bring you the sights and sounds this week in Arizona, from pre-game analysis to the highlights that everyone will be talking about. After the Super Bowl, don’t let the worst Monday of the year get you down. NFL’s YouTube channel will post more videos all through the offseason,” says Tim Katz, Sports Partnerships Manager.

    Of course, it’s not that simple.

    Re/code has the details on the business end of it all:

    The NFL says Google will sell ads against the league’s information and clips and share revenue with the NFL; the deal also calls for Google to promote the NFL on YouTube and in other places.

    Of course, clips are all you’re going to see. The dream of the NFL allowing full games to be shown on YouTube, if even possible at all, is likely pretty far on down the road.

    There’s also a big search element to this deal. Google will integrate video clips into its search results.

    The NFL already has deals in place with the likes of Facebook and Twitter, and this deal with Google was a long time coming. It’s just nice to see the NFL make any moves to open up its content distribution – however microscopic they may be.

  • NHL, GoPro Partner for Live, POV Game Video

    GoPro’s first partnership with a major professional sports league goes to … the NHL.

    The NHL and the NHLPA have just announced they are teaming up with GoPro to strap cameras on players, which will allow for some pretty cool in-game footage from the point of view of the men on the ice.

    “GoPro is the perfect partner for us in our ongoing commitment to bring hockey fans closer to the game,” said Bob Chesterman, NHL Senior Vice President of Programming and Production. “As the preeminent leader in adaptable cameras, only GoPro has the technology to help us and our media partners showcase the beauty and intensity of hockey in new and deeper ways. Our partnership with GoPro will be a big win for both new and lifelong hockey fans.”

    The art of the dangle. Brought to you by @gopro.

    A video posted by NHL (@nhl) on

    You can expect to see the unique angles make their debut tis weekend, during NHL All-Star weekend, where video shot by the player-mounted GoPros will be broadcast live, in-game, and on the NHL and GoPro online channels.

    “This partnership marks a significant first step for GoPro into team sports, made possible because of NHL and NHLPA’s progressive thinking,” said Todd Ballard, Senior Director of Lifestyle Marketing at GoPro. “Together we will push the boundaries of video content production in hockey and provide fans of the sport with unique, immersive perspectives of the game that they’ve never seen before, from players and officials to in-goal and rink side.”

    As you would expect, this partnership includes a huge branding opportunity for GoPro, who will be featured all over the NHL’s broadcasts and social media presence.

  • Super Bowl Halftime: YouTube Enters the Mix with Its Own Show

    Super Bowl Halftime: YouTube Enters the Mix with Its Own Show

    Here’s a tough question. When the Patriots and the Seahawks go to the locker room for the halftime break, what would you rather watch to pass the time?

    Your choices are a) Katy Perry and Lenny Kravitz at the official Super Bowl halftime show; b) your drunk friend spilling salsa all over himself trying to refill the salsa bowl; or c) people diving into pools full of beer.

    If you answered c), you may want to check out YouTube for this year’s halftime festivities.

    “For the first time, YouTube will host a Halftime Show produced in collaboration with Collective Digital Studio that will be live streamed on the AdBlitz Channel. Filmed at the YouTube Space in L.A., the show will feature more than 20 YouTube creators and musicians with over 60M combined subscribers including Harley Morenstein from EpicMealTime, Freddie Wong, Rhett and Link, Toby Turner and more,” says YouTube.

    Bloomberg has a little more to share about the show. Apparently, alongside appearances by the aforementioned YouTube stars, there will be “so-called shower dives from a platform into a pool of beer, and a pool of cheese”.

    There will also be “fake ads” running throughout the show.

    “It’s a really good place to showcase our celebrities, our talent and our creators,” Suzie Reider, managing director of brand solutions at Google, told Bloomberg. “It will be fun afterwards to see what was Freddie Wong’s draw compared to Katy Perry and Lenny Kravitz.”

    For years, YouTube has provided a hub for Super Bowl ads, allowing users to view them in real time and vote on their favorites. This is its first foray into producing actual content for the Big Game.

    Image via Epic Meal Time, YouTube

  • Muhammad Ali Found Unresponsive, Rushed To Hopsital

    Muhammad Ali was brought to the ICU after house guests found the boxer unresponsive. According to reports, he is currently undergoing tests to find out what is wrong. A source told Radar Online, “He wasn’t responding. He went to bed Tuesday night, but didn’t wake up in the afternoon or evening the next day. He was sleeping for 24 hours.” The source added, “They thought he might be too exhausted.” This recent trip to the hospital comes just one week after Ali was treated for a urinary tract infection.

    Bob Gunnell, a spokesman for Ali, said that the legendary boxer was brought to the hospital again for further care following the previous hospitalization. “There were still issues with the urinary tract infection,” Gunnell said. According to reports, Ali is expected to be released on Friday, the day before his birthday.

    Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three years after he retired in 1981. Ever since then, he decided to devote his time to humanitarian efforts. However, his public appearances have diminished over recent years due to his deteriorating health. Despite this, Ali still enjoys going out and watching sports events, especially those involving his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

    While Ali hasn’t been seen publicly for a while, he remained active in social media prior to his hospitalization. Ali is an active Twitter user and has more than 405,000 followers. Back in December, he also signed up for the popular social networking site, Instagram. Ali has so far posted nine photos and has gained more than 120,000 followers.

    Ali’s first picture on Instagram shows him smiling, assuring fans that he’s still feeling well. He also posted a message to his beloved Louisville Cardinals, saying, “#Louisville Game Day! Go Cards!”

    A photo posted by Muhammad Ali (@muhammadali) on

    Known as “The Greatest”, Ali won the World Heavyweight title three times and had iconic rivalries with boxers Joe Frazier and George Foreman.

  • Jermaine Cunningham, Jets Linebacker, Arrested for Revenge Porn

    New Jersey has one of the oldest and harshest laws on the books regarding revenge porn, and New York Jets linebacker Jermaine Cunningham is currently feeling its effects.

    Cunningham was reportedly arrested on December 29th and charged with a number of offenses, including third-degree criminal mischief and third-degree invasion of privacy for the unlawful spreading of sexual images. He was also charged with fourth-degree unlawful weapons transport after police found a gun in his car.

    According to The Daily Dot, “the charge stems from alleged ‘dissemination of images of a sexual nature to another person’ without that person’s consent.” The victim in the case was apparently dating Cunningham.

    Revenge porn has been in the news as of late as state clamor to pass specific laws targeting the practice. As of today, 13 states have laws on the books the specifically deal with revenge porn – Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. A handful of other states, including Washington, New Mexico, Florida, Kentucky, and Alabama have had bills introduced in their state legislatures.

    Before these laws were enacted, victims of revenge porn rarely found recourse against exes who had published sexual imagery without their consent.

    Cunningham injured his Achilles’ tendon in training camp before the start of this season and hasn’t played all year. A Jets spokesman has given a curt statement, saying, “We are aware of the situation. This is a pending legal matter and we will have no comment.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Sprint’s NASCAR Sponsorship to End After 2016

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be no more after the 2016 season.

    Well, at least not under the name “Sprint”.

    Sprint has announced it has told NASCAR that it will not extend its sponsorship past 2016, citing a desire to focus on its “core business priorities”.

    “We are proud of our association with NASCAR’s top series but have made the decision not to extend our sponsorship beyond the next two years,” said Steve Gaffney, vice president-Marketing, Sprint. “As we look to the future, Sprint is focused on investing in maintaining a competitive edge and providing consumers with the best value in wireless. Sprint has long benefitted from the unprecedented level of brand integration available in NASCAR, and the passionate fan base that is the most loyal in sports. Without question, the NASCAR sponsorship property has been a valuable investment for us and will be for our successor.”

    NASCAR’s most prestigious endeavor has been known as the Sprint Cup Series since 2008. Nextel actually signed an agreement with NASCAR in 2004, and until 2008 it was called the Nextel Cup Series. Sprint and Nextel merged in 2008.

    Last year, Sprint and NASCAR extended the contract through 2016 – so NASCAR has a little bit of time to find another sponsor.

    “The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is a very unique, premium sports marketing platform with strong momentum, so we are very confident of moving forward in 2017 with an outstanding new partner,” NASCAR chief communications officer Brett Jewkes said in a statement. “In the meantime, we look forward to Sprint’s partnership on the best racing series in the world for the next two seasons.”

    Image via NASCAR, Facebook

  • New MSN Apps Released For iOS, Android

    New MSN Apps Released For iOS, Android

    Microsoft has launched some new MSN Apps for iOS, Android, and Amazon devices. These are platform expansions of apps currently available for Windows.

    There are six in all: Sports, Finance, News, Health & Fitness, Food & Drink, and Weather. They provide users with content from publishers and Microsoft’s partners as well as personalized experiences to let users follow topics of interest, sports updates for their favorite teams, and use diet/exercise tracking.

    “The MSN apps already sync across MSN.com, Windows and Windows phone devices, and now with availability on iOS, Android and Amazon devices, there is a new degree of scale across screens and platforms,” Microsoft said in a blog post. “The apps are customizable and intelligent, so you can choose your preferences in one place and enjoy content everywhere with your preferences syncing seamlessly across platforms and devices. For example – just in time for those New Year’s resolutions – you can use the Health & Fitness app to search from over 200,000 foods and log your calories in the Diet Tracker on your phone or tablet, while traveling or on the go. Then, access the same tracker on your computer at home.”

    “The apps are another example of Microsoft’s commitment to creating engaging and useful experiences for consumers, and continuing our investment in mobile and cross-screen platforms to provide scale and reach for our brand partners,” the company added.

    The new apps are available in 56 markets. They’ll make advertising available within the apps next month.

    Image via Microsoft

  • Adrian Peterson Appeals NFL Suspension

    Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is in New York this week to appeal his NFL suspension. According to an ABC News report, Peterson believes assurances he received from NFL executives stating that his suspension would be short could convince the NFL to alter the suspension.

    On November 18 the NFL announced that Peterson had been suspended without pay for at least the rest of the 2014 season. The suspension stems from child abuse charges that were filed against Peterson earlier this year.

    On September 12 Peterson was indicted on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child. In early November the NFL star settled the charges by pleading no contest to one charge of misdemeanor reckless assault. Peterson had expected the plea deal to resolve his professional difficulties but is now facing an indefinite suspension.

    Shortly after he was indicted Peterson released a statement making it clear that, as advised by his lawyers, he will not be discussing the case publicly. Peterson did state, however, that he “never intended” to injure his son and that he was practicing a form of discipline that was used on himself as a child. From the statement:

    I have learned a lot and have had to reevaluate how I discipline my son going forward. But deep in my heart I have always believed I could have been one of those kids that was lost in the streets without the discipline instilled in me by my parents and other relatives. I have always believed that the way my parents disciplined me has a great deal to do with the success I have enjoyed as a man. I love my son and I will continue to become a better parent and learn from any mistakes I ever make.

    The ordeal has put Peterson’s professional football career in jeopardy and has caused other difficulties for the athlete. Like fellow NFL star Ray Rice, Peterson has lost his Nike sponsorship deal.

    Peterson’s suspension marks yet another scandal for the star running back. On October 11, 2013 Peterson’s son, whom he had never met, was beaten and later died. More recently Peterson has been accused of misusing charity funds.

  • Gracie Gold Advances to Grand Prix Final

    Figure skater and 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics team bronze medalist Gracie Gold won the women’s free skate at the NHK Trophy event in Osaka, Japan on Saturday. The victory allowed her to come in first overall and to secure a spot in the Grand Prix Final.

    Gold, the 2014 U.S. national champion, was in first place after the short program, and went on to finish the free skate with 191.16 points, ahead of Alena Leonova of Russia (186.40 points) and Satoko Miyahara of Japan (179.02 points). The event marked the first senior Grand Prix victory for Gold.

    Gold, 19, is the 2012 World Junior silver medalist, the 2013 U.S. national silver medalist and placed fifth overall at the 2014 World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan.

    Olympic skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan finished fourth in the men’s competition, which allowed him to qualify for the Grand Prix. Hanyu finished with 229.80 points, behind of Daisuke Murakami of Japan, who won the event with 246.07 points

    Champs

    Gracie Goldさん(@graciegold95)が投稿した写真 –

    In related news, in May Gold backed out of a prom date she agreed to, after being asked by a fan. Malibu High School student Dyer Pettijohn, then 17, compiled a video clip asking Gold, then 18, to be his senior prom date, which he describes as the sort of “quintessential high school experience, that (she) was never able to have.”

    Here is the clip:

    While Gold was making an appearance on Extra, she was asked if she’d seen the video, only to have gentleman caller Pettijohn appear, holding a bouquet of flowers.

    Gold agreed to go to the prom in Malibu, and told Pettijohn, “If it works out, I would love to.”

    Due to her gig with figure skating tour Stars On Ice, Gold was forced to cancel. Pettijohn claims he was not too let down, and was keeping his options open, and commented, “She (Gold) was incredibly gracious and gave me tickets to see her show last Saturday in Anaheim. I talked to her after, and we’re still trying to meet up once her busy schedule permits.”