Maris Dilevka is a 20-year old winger for HK Liepājas Metalurgs of the Belarusian Extraleague. Last week, their game against Neman Grodno needed a shootout after overtime failed to produce a goal to break the 2-2 tie.

Through four rounds, each team had scored once, and then up stepped Dilevka, who decided to get a little fancy:

That sort of reminds you of Jori Lehtera's attempt during the KHL All-Star Game earlier this month, though it appears Dilevka genuinely was looking to finish on the backhand and was fortunate the puck was moving at a favorable angle to go into the net on its own.

That would end up being the winning tally as HK Liepājas Metalurgs would grab the 3-2 win.

Between this shootout attempt by and Alex Burrows' last night, let's hope players continue to get more and more creative as opposed to the old skate, skate, backhand, forehand, shoot into pads.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis found himself in a Super Bowl week controversy on Tuesday after he was asked about possibly taking a banned substance to help his remarkable recovery from a torn triceps earlier this season.

Sports With Alternatives To Steroids (S.W.A.T.S) a company that was spotlighted by Yahoo! Sports online magazine ThePostGame.com in 2011 for providing a product that has a substance banned by the NFL, may have provided Lewis with deer-antler velvet extract spray after his triceps injury this year. That spray includes IGF-1, which is banned by the NFL.

[Related: Ray Lewis dealing with pain of ailing grandmother]

Sports Illustrated wrote that Lewis had gone to S.W.A.T.S., which uses unconventional supplements to treat players and boost their performance, after his triceps injury in October and had perhaps used the deer-antler spray. ESPN.com reported that Lewis told the team he did not use the substance.

The SI story says S.W.A.T.S. owner Mitch Ross provided the products, but wanted Lewis to give S.W.A.T.S. credit when he returned. That didn't happen when someone asked Lewis about the report a few questions into his media-day availability.

"Two years ago that was the same report, I wouldn't give that report or him any of my press," Lewis said during his news conference, which was broadcast on the NFL Network. "He's not worthy of that. Next question."

Ravens coach John Harbaugh was asked about it as well.

"My understanding is Ray has passed every random substance test that he's taken throughout the course of his whole career," Harbaugh said. "So there's never been a test that has shown up anything along those lines."

Lewis also brought up the lack of a positive test.

"Every test I've ever took in the NFL, there's never been a question if I've ever even thought of using anything," Lewis said at media day, in a clip shown by ESPN. "So to even entertain stupidity like that, tell him to try to get his story off somebody else."

[Related: Ray Lewis, a polarizing figure, is the Ravens' driving force]

In the SI story, Lewis was asked about his involvement with S.W.A.T.S.

"Nobody helped me out with the rehab," Lewis told the magazine. "I've been doing S.W.A.T.S. for a couple years through Hue Jackson, that's it. That's my only connection to them."

ThePostGame.com reported two years ago that the NFL told Jackson, who was then coach of the Oakland Raiders, to sever ties with the company because it marketed products that contained the banned IGF-1.

The SI story said Ross videotaped a phone call with Lewis just after he tore his triceps on Oct. 14. Here is a passage from SI's story regarding that phone call:

Ross prescribed a deluxe program, including holographic stickers on the right elbow; copious quantities of the powder additive; sleeping in front of a beam-ray light programmed with frequencies for tissue regeneration and pain relief; drinking negatively charged water; a 10-per-day regimen of the deer-antler pills that will "rebuild your brain via your small intestines" (and which Lewis said he hadn't been taking, then swallowed four during the conversation); and spritzes of deer-antler velvet extract (the Ultimate Spray) every two hours.

"Spray on my elbow every two hours?" Lewis asked.

"No," Ross said, "under your tongue."

Toward the end of the talk, Lewis asked Ross to "just pile me up and just send me everything you got, because I got to get back on this this week."

That's not the only controversy Lewis was asked about at media day. He was also asked about the January 2000 stabbings in Atlanta that left two people dead, in which he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor obstruction of justice and has been a popular topic again with his return to the Super Bowl.

[Buy Super Bowl XLVII tickets | Buy Super Bowl XLVII merchandise]

"I truly believe, if you take a 13-year break on anything, as hard as it is for them, as hard as it is about the things for you want me to speak about or you want to report about, I just don't believe, honestly, that this is not the appropriate time for that," Lewis said. "Because the sympathy I have for that family or what me and my family have endured because of all of that, nobody here is really qualified to ask those questions.

"I feel that this is God's time and whatever His time is, let it be His will. Don't try to please everybody with your words or try to make everybody's story sound right. At this time I would rather direct my questions in other places. I live with that every day. You maybe can take a break from it. I don't. I live with it every day of my life, and I'd rather not speak of that today."

Don't miss a thing from New Orleans this week!
Follow @YShutdownCorner, and the Shutdown Corner Facebook page!

More Super Bowl content from Yahoo! Sports:

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Ravens' Brendon Ayanbadejo has personal, social issues on mind
• Heat's Chris Bosh a Hall of Famer? He thinks so
• Lateral Hazard: Tiger Woods in the swing of things

If Joe Flacco is smart, and judging by his choice of gummy bears he's the smartest quarterback in the NFL, his new endorsement deal with Haribo Gold Bears would be this simple:

In exchange for being seen with Haribo Gold Bears, client receives all the product he wants for life.

Done and done. I should have been a lawyer. As it is, Flacco probably gets paid in gold bears and green money. That, along with previous deals with Nike and a regional bank, should help bolster the quarterback's bank account.

Also, thanks to this revelation, the Baltimore Ravens have become more than just Ray Lewis when it comes to media stardom. Now we know three things about Joe Flacco:

• He went to Delaware

• He's a free agent at the end of the season and wants to be paid like Peyton Manning

• He likes the gummy bears that I like.

[Y! Sports Fan Shop: Buy Super Bowl XLVII merchandise]

Actually, the great reason behind the Haribo endorsement is that Flacco really does like the sweetest of treats, Darren Rovell of ESPN reports:

"He didn't do a deal with a clothing company or a law firm," said his agent, Joe Linta. "He did it for a company that makes gummy bears. But that's Joe. He likes the product."

So why Flacco?

Well, the company's U.S. headquarters has been in Baltimore since 1982 and Haribo's advertising is done by a Baltimore firm called TBC. The chairman and creative director for the firm is Allan Charles, father of actor Josh Charles, who stars in "The Good Wife." Josh is a die-hard Ravens fan.

"We don't do typical sponsorships," said Christian Jegen, president of Haribo North America. "We'll only do something with an athlete if we hear he really enjoys our products."

Still, gummy bears might seem an odd choice for a pro athlete to endorse. But how many times have you wondered, "Gee, I have my doubts as to if Hollywood's Claire Danes really uses Lysol," or something like that? It's not hard to imagine Flacco gobbling up handfuls of Gold Bears. (His favorite flavor is pineapple.)

Sure, the common wisdom on gelatinis gummy candy is that it "hibernates in your colon," but with the right gummy bears, it's the journey that matters. And it's the yummiest of journeys when it comes to these particular gummy bears. It can be a frustrating love affair, sometimes.

Have you ever gone into a Walgreens and looked on the Haribo Gold Bears rack and it's empty? Of course you have, it's like that several times a month! And they can't be gummy worms or gummy dinosaurs or gummy Go-Bots. They have to be bears. And they must be Haribo. Because of the run on product it will inspire, Flacco's endorsement isn't going to help this recurring crisis. Especially if the Ravens win the Super Bowl.

Don't miss a thing from New Orleans this week!
Follow @YShutdownCorner and the Shutdown Corner Facebook page!

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Ray Lewis dealing with pain of ailing grandmother
• Colin Kaepernick taking silence-is-golden approach to media circus
• Alex Rodriguez the biggest name in new PED report | Denials

On Saturday night, Minnesota Timberwolves second year guard Ricky Rubio played what was easily his best game of the 2012-13 season. The point man made four of nine shots, a modest mark that still lifted his shooting percentage on the year from 23 percent to 25.7 percent. He scored 14 points, a season high, with eight assists, just two turnovers in 29 minutes, and five steals. His go-ahead lay-up in the final minute of the contest would have been the game winner had Charlotte’s Gerald Henderson not connected on a three-pointer on this ridiculous “play.”

So you can imagine the frustration for readers of the local Star-Tribune when they opened up their Sunday paper to a sports section that was completely devoid of Ricky Rubio photos. Kevin Love remains injured, so the paper had no use for shots of the team’s other star, and the Bobcats final was in well ahead of press time. On top of that, Ricky just played like Ricky for the first time since before his ACL tear in March of 2012. What gives?

One reader, a diligent sort named David Holmes, was less than happy at his local paper’s coverage of Rubio’s night. So he decided to send off a strongly-worded letter. Via Timberwolves scribe Alex Conover, as texted to him by Patrick Middleton:

We agree. We understand the pressures behind putting out both Sunday editions of the paper, but you better have a real good excuse for deciding against printing a picture of Ricky Rubio in any instance, much less on the heels of his best game of the season.

The mind behind the letter is a local artist with a significant and impressive résumé, one that local residents took notice of in late summer of 2012 when he decided to replicate da Vinci’s Mona Lisa expertly on his home driveway. Check out Holmes’ Tumblr, if you get the chance after looking up Rubio images.

Clearly this was all done with tongue placed firmly in cheek, and the Star-Tribune was good sports in printing the letter. Also, here’s a picture of Ricky Rubio:

Maybe it was pure luck. Maybe it was a mix of luck and skill. Whatever it was, West Michigan Flight AAU player Zack Zenner’s buzzer beater at the end of a quarter of a recent Flight game has to be on any list of best buzzer beaters of 2013.

As you can see in the video above, which was first brought to Prep Rally’s attention by Bob’s Blitz, Zenner was the unwitting recipient of a desperation pass from a teammate following an inbounds pass behind the basket with just seconds remaining in a quarter.

While the original recipient of the inbounds pass was in a perfectly decent shooting position behind the 3-point arc, he instead threw up a flailing pass to Zenner who was farther out and, in fact, barely in bounds. Without time or balance to think, Zenner pulled in the surprising pass to him and tossed up a heave of a shot while collapsing toward the sideline.

Clearly, he was just trying to keep the ball in play. Incredibly, he hit a shot that will clearly go down in Flight lore.

As you can hear from the video, the videographer in the crowd was immediately asked if she had captured the shot, which she excitedly had.

According to a Twitter conversation between the blog Last Angry Fan and Zenner himself, the budding prep star scored 15 points in the game. He couldn’t remember which tournament the game was played in, or where the opponent was from (hey, lay off, he’s a teenager), but he did remember they were called the Rockets.

No matter where it came from, Zenner’s buzzer beater is clearly one of the shots of the season, and will be no matter what comes in the days and weeks ahead.

Want more on the best stories in high school sports? Visit RivalsHigh or connect with Prep Rally on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The Mets actually had a winning record at the All-Star break (46-40) last season but ultimately finished 74-88 and in fourth place in the NL East. The offense, pitching and defense were all middling to poor, and an already strong division got even tougher, as the Nationals and Braves might both be among the best teams in all of baseball in 2013 after adding more pieces during the offseason. New York locked up David Wright long-term, signing him to a new eight-year contract extension, but otherwise this is a franchise in rebuild mode, so patience is going to be required, especially playing in the NL East. Still, there are some really interesting young arms on this roster, so the future could eventually be bright.

One other quick note before we move onto the pressing questions is that despite moving the fences in before the start of last year, Citi Field continued to play as a pitcher’s park, tying for 23rd in runs according to Park Factors. However, it did seem to help hitters when it came to home runs, as the stadium ranked 12th in long balls (in 2011, it ranked 28th and it came in at 27th the year before that). It’s a small sample that could mean nothing, but it’s something that could be worth paying attention to moving forward.

Here are some pressing questions regarding the Mets entering the 2013 season:

Q: What’s the deal with Ike Davis?

A: After a solid rookie season, Davis looked like a possible future star over the first six weeks of his sophomore campaign, posting a .302/.383/.543 line before a fluke collision with David Wright injured his ankle so badly he wouldn’t play again after May 10. Primed for a breakout entering his third year, fully recovered from the ankle injury, Davis then suddenly contracted Valley Fever last spring, which almost certainly led to his horrific start – as of June 10, he had five homers with an unsightly .167/.248/.285 line. Davis would then go on to hit 27 home runs over the final 3.5 months of the season, and he somehow finished with 90 RBI on the year despite batting just .227.

It’s probably safe to throw last season’s results out the window, but if you wanted to delve deeper, his .246 BABIP looks especially unlucky since he had a career-high 21.1 LD%, and he hit more fly balls than groundballs for the first time ever, which is a positive sign that his second half power surge is sustainable. Davis has been nothing short of terrible against left-handers over the past two years, but he actually hit southpaws better than righties during his rookie season, and the Mets are going to give him every chance to be an everyday player in 2013. First base is deep as usual, and Davis is a prime example of why it’s perfectly fine to wait on the position in fantasy leagues.

Q: Am I crazy, or does this rotation actually look decent?

A: Jon Niese, Matt Harvey, Johan Santana, Shaun Marcum and Dillon Gee have the potential to be a well above average starting rotation, and that's before mentioning top prospect Zack Wheeler, and imagine if they didn't trade R.A. Dickey. Niese just posted a 3.2:1 K:BB ratio with a 48.3 GB% and continues to get better. Harvey has a fastball that averaged 94.7 mph last season (which would've ranked as third-highest among all starters had he qualified) with a plus slider. He needs to improve his control, but Harvey has an impressive minor league track record and just produced a 10.6 K rate as a 23-year-old in the bigs. He very well could be a future No. 1 starter.

After tossing back-to-back shutouts, including a no hitter, Santana's ERA stood at 2.38 on June 1. However, the no-no came at a price, as he was left in to throw 134 pitches in the outing (that included five walks), which seemed especially curious for someone who had just missed an entire season thanks to arm surgery. From that point forward, Santana sported an 8.27 ERA. In fact, over his final five starts, Santana allowed 33 earned runs over 19.0 innings before the Mets mercifully shut him down for good, although the damage had already been done to fantasy owners. Santana was likely dealing with a few nagging injuries at the time, but his back appeared to be the biggest issue, although none of them required surgery, and he's expected to be ready for Opening Day. He's a nice mid-round sleeper.

A tender elbow cost Marcum more than two months last season, and while the results weren't there after he returned, his peripherals were fine, and he looked healthy enough. Still, durability concerns likely led to his affordable contract, as he was inked to a one-year, $4 million deal with New York (consider Kansas City opted to pay Ervin Santana $13 million next season, and his arm might very well be even more precarious than Marcum's). Marcum is the softest tossing righty in all of baseball (only Dickey averaged fewer mph with his fastball), although only one other starter relied on his heater less (again Dickey, but the knuckleballer doesn't count), throwing it just 30.6 percent of the time. The overreliance on breaking pitches likely has something to do with his persistent arm problems, but Marcum was a good (and cheap) gamble by the Mets. Last year's 3.70 ERA was his highest since 2007 (4.13), and three of those seasons he was pitching in the AL East...Meanwhile, Gee just posted a 97:29 K:BB ratio over 109.2 innings. His SwStr% (10.6) ranked 14th in MLB last year (had he qualified), tied with Felix Hernandez. In other words, he might be among baseball's best No. 5 starters.

Q: Who’s going to close?

A: As strong as the rotation is, the Mets' bullpen has question marks, led by the back-end role. Frank Francisco is coming off a season in which he had a 5.53 ERA and 1.61 WHIP. His K rate (9.99) was strong but his BB rate (4.46) was awful, and an inability to stay off the DL remained a concern. Francisco enters the season as the favorite for the closer’s role, but Bobby Parnell is right behind him and might be the better pitcher at this stage of their careers. He not only throws gas (he averaged 95.7 mph with his fastball last season), but Parnell’s 2.86 GB/FB ratio was the eighth highest in baseball (minimum 60.0 innings pitched). Either way, because of the uncertainty, New York’s closing options should be among the last drafted in fantasy leagues this year.

Q: How ugly is the outfield?

A: Pretty ugly, with Lucas Duda projected to start in left, Kirk Nieuwenhuis set to man center and Mike Baxter slated to play right. While some platoons may be involved here, let’s take a quick glance at the projected starters. Duda had an .852 OPS in 2011 and hit 15 homers over 401 at-bats last season, but he was mostly exposed, as he finished with a .239/.329/.389 line. Nieuwenhuis posted a .315 OBP, struck out 98 times over 282 ABs and was caught stealing as often as he was successful. Baxter has a career .769 OPS over 2,673 at-bats in the minors. Oh, and they still owe $21 million to the recently released Jason Bay, who hit .233/.317/.369 with 26 home runs over three years with the Mets. It’s safe to say this team’s outfield situation is the biggest mess in baseball.

Q: What about the prospects?

A: With Matt Harvey graduating to the majors, Zack Wheeler is the team’s clear prize in the minors, and one of the best prospects in all of baseball. (As a Giants fan, it’s tough to complain after winning two of the past three World Series, but trading a top-five prospect for 44 games of Carlos Beltran (who didn’t even bring back a draft pick) let’s just say wasn’t ideal. But I digress.) Wheeler isn’t exactly can’t miss, but his stuff continues to impress scouts, and he posted a 3.26 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and an 8.9 K rate between Double and Triple-A last season at age 22. He sure looks like a keeper, although in redraft fantasy leagues he might not make a huge impact in 2013.

Jenrry Mejia is another interesting hurler in the team’s system, but he’ll likely make more of an impact in New York in middle relief than as a starter, at least in the short term. Travis d’Arnaud is the other prospect worth mentioning, as he was the key (along with Noah Syndegard, who’s also relevant in dynasty leagues and yet another intriguing arm in the Mets’ system) return in the Dickey deal. d’Arnaud was hitting .333/.380/.595 before a knee injury ended his season prematurely last year, although it came in the hitter-friendly PCL league, and it was accompanied by a 59:19 K:BB ratio over 279 at-bats. Still, d’Arnaud is a legit prospect, although he may not be a major factor in 2013 fantasy leagues considering his age and coming off a major knee injury.

Quick Hits: David Wright was hitting .353 with a 1.029 OPS as of July 29, and while he regressed from there on out, he finished as the 24th most valuable fantasy player. Here are his K rates from 2008-2012: 16.0, 22.7, 24.0, 21.7 and 16.7. Your guess is as good as mine moving forward. After Miguel Cabrera, I don’t really have a strong opinion among Adrian Beltre, Evan Longoria, Hanley Ramirez, David Wright and Ryan Zimmerman regarding which 3B should be drafted next, other than the obvious advice to take whoever comes cheapest...Daniel Murphy hardly took advantage of his full-time role last year, hitting six homers over 571 at-bats. Cumulatively he ranked 15th, but among second basemen who qualified on a per-game basis, only Mark Ellis was less valuable than Murphy last season among second basemen…Ruben Tejada is even less interesting in fantasy terms, although if you’re in need of cheap power, new starting catcher John Buck has averaged 16.0 homers over the past three years while averaging a modest 406 at-bats, so he’s definitely on the radar in NL-only leagues, despite the BA risk…That is one magic loogie.

Western Michigan and Nevada both introduced new helmets for the upcoming season.

The Broncos are embracing their gold and brown colors with these helmets, which look a little bit like Boise State’s Pro Combat helmets from last season. The helmet features a Bronco logo on one side and the player’s number on the other.

Ken Wilson, Nevada's assistant athletic director for football operations, tweeted out the Wolf Pack’s new helmet, which has the sleek Wolf Pack logo but in addition to navy, the helmet also comes in silver and white.

I’m actually a little surprised the new helmets didn’t have a picture of a running Colin Kaepernick on them.

---
Want to join the conversation? Hit us up on Twitter @YahooDrSaturday and be sure to "Like" Dr. Saturday on Facebook for football conversations and stuff you won't see on the blog.

David Beckham is training with Arsenal as he aims to stay fit during his search for a new club. According to Arsene Wenger, Beckham was the one who called him up to ask if he could train with the team, as he did with Spurs in 2011, and it would seem his arrival came as a pleasant surprise to some members of the Arsenal squad. Namely Lukas Podolski.

"David, can you sign this picture: 'To my friend Lukas, you're really good at thumbs up'?"

"Sorry, can I just get in this one too? My thumb didn't look right in the last picture. Jack, don't do the thumb. That's my thing. You're ruining my thing!"

"David. Hey David, wait up! Don't say anything until I get there. Per, run faster or move! You're a human traffic jam!"

"He hasn't moved at all in an hour. He's the best."

"Why is he making Cazorla laugh? I am so much better at laughing than him!"

"It's like the ball is stuck to his feet. I need to get more tattoos."

Back in August, fresh off his team's five-game NBA title win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat triggerman Mario Chalmers said he belongs "in the front end of the top 10" among NBA point guards. Clearly, the past five months have seen the 26-year-old undergo a crisis of confidence — according to Fox Sports Florida's Chris Tomasson, Chalmers has now dropped himself to "the middle."

[Also: NBA Power Rankings: Spurs are new No. 1]

The middle of the top 10, that is.

"I'd say top 10," the Miami Heat fifth-year man said of where he ranks. “I'm not in the lower part (of the top 10), I'm in the middle part. I just have confidence in myself. I think I can compete with the best of them."

All of this is coming from a guy averaging 7.7 points and 3.4 assists. But Chalmers doesn't care how many snickers are heard about where he believes he ranks among point guards.

"That's how I feel no matter what people say or what people think," Chalmers said.

This is where we remind you that, among 74 NBA point guards averaging at least 6.1 minutes per game, Chalmers ranks 55th in Player Efficiency Rating and 52nd in Estimated Wins Added, and that he's 42nd among 65 qualifying guards in assist-to-turnover ratio. Also, that Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday and Deron Williams all exist, as do currently/formerly injured star lead guards Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Steve Nash and Ricky Rubio. "The middle part" of the top 10 is very wrong; "top 10" is also wrong.

In fact, given the play of guys like the Toronto tandem of Kyle Lowry and Jose Calderon, Kemba Walker, Brandon Jennings, Mike Conley, Jeff Teague and rookie Damian Lillard, even "the middle part" of the second 10 might be a stretch this season. The case becomes even more difficult to make when you consider that Chalmers' individual defensive marks in points allowed per possession on isolation plays, spot-up shots and in defending ball-handlers in the pick-and-roll game — widely considered perhaps his most valuable asset as an NBA player — are all worse this year than last, according to Synergy Sports Technology, and that his early-season "plus playmaking" has regressed toward his career assist-per-36 and high-value-assist (dimes leading to buckets at the rim or from 3-point range) levels.

And this is where we remind you that none of that really matters so long as Chalmers actually thinks he's that good, because that level of confidence is what's propelled his journey from Alaska to Lawrence to South Beach, and he knows it. More from Tomasson:

"I've always had a chip on my shoulder for being from Alaska," Chalmers said. "A lot of people said I wouldn’t make it. A lot of people said I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing now, and that has kept me going."

And as long as it keeps him going and he keeps fitting into a Heat scheme that calls for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to do most of the ball-handling while shooters spread the floor and cash in, especially from the short corners — where Chalmers is knocking 'em down at a 47.6 percent clip this season, according to NBA.com's stat tool — then we doubt coach Erik Spoelstra's going to mind his point guard's overconfidence too much. Especially if it leaves the door open for big nights, like 10 for 13 from 3-point range to give the stars a night off or 25 points on 15 shots in an NBA Finals game to give the stars a boost.

[Also: Former NBA All-Star Allen Iverson declines a D-League invitation]

The good news is that if Chalmers ever runs out of shoulder-chip fuel, it's a good bet that his teammates won't have any problem yelling at him and making fun of him to get him back in the right frame of mind. And hey, if even that fails at some point later this season, he can just make sure to re-watch the video of his Kansas jersey getting raised to the rafters at Allen Fieldhouse, take another look at his "Mister Clutch" bicep tattoos (no, seriously) and feel his internal confidence bar refill completely.

Outside the Game from Yahoo! Sports:

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Report: Ravens' Ray Lewis used banned deer-antler spray during rehab
• Yankees star Alex Rodriguez joins list of disgraced athletes
• Forde Minutes: Seven more intriguing players to watch

Marshall Henderson's debut season in the SEC has been nothing short of, well, interesting thus far, and tonight should provide another chapter as the Ole Miss junior tries to backup some offseason trash talk by beating Kentucky.

When Henderson signed with Ole Miss in April, he said he was looking forward to playing Kentucky this season so he could show the Wildcats who the "real national champ is." It was a reference to winning the JUCO national title last season at South Plains College in Texas. Kentucky obviously won the national title in Division I.

[Also: Forde Minutes: Seven more intriguing players to watch]

Several media outlets in Kentucky reminded Wildcats fans of Henderson's comments today. It's not as if the Wildcats need any further motivation to shut down Henderson, the SEC's leading scorer at 19.2 points a game, tonight, but now they have some. Kentucky is in danger of missing the NCAA tournament with six losses already.

Henderson hasn't even played every team in the SEC yet and he's already becoming the most intriguing -- some might say hated -- player in the conference. He and his teammates are coming off a win at Auburn last week in which he made the game-clinching free throws and then taunted the Auburn student section by popping his jersey toward in their direction and screaming at them. His behavior was greeted with curse words, objects hurled in his direction and plenty of middle fingers.

[Also: East Carolina hoops player sorry for punching foe in face]

Tonight is the first time that Ole Miss and Kentucky have played with the Rebels boasting a national ranking -- No. 16 -- and the Wildcats out of the polls since 2001. Ole Miss has won nine straight and is 6-0 in the SEC tied with Florida at the top of the conference standings. It hasn't won seven straight conference games since 1998.

Kentucky has held its past three opponents to less than 40 percent shooting. Can it make it four? Henderson has scored in double figures in all but one game this season and in 15 straight.

Follow Kyle on Twitter @KyleRingo

Outside the Game from Yahoo! Sports:

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Why J.J. Redick had to attend Justin Bieber show
• Ray Lewis dealing with pain of ailing grandmother
• Alex Rodriguez the biggest name in new PED report
• Syracuse down to seven scholarship players

Check out UFC on Fox 6 pictures from the always-amazing Tracy Lee. She caught images of Demetrious Johnson outlasting John Dodson, Quinton Jackson's final UFC fight, and more from Saturday night's fights. To see more of Lee's work, follow her on Twitter.

Every NFL player faces the moment of truth. Most careers end suddenly, and all of a sudden there needs to be a Plan B.

Bryan Scott had that moment when he was cut by the Tennessee Titans in 2007.

"I said, ‘Wow, my career really could be over now, so what’s next?’" Scott told Yahoo! Sports.

Fortunately for Scott the Buffalo Bills called and gave him a job, and he's been a key contributor to their defense ever since as a safety and then linebacker. But had the Bills or anyone else not called, Scott probably would have been OK.

[Also: Ray Rice ready to emerge from shadows in Super Bowl]

Scott has never considered himself just a football player, and is just as talented in his other passion, which is music.

Scott was, not surprisingly, a standout athlete in high school, but also was in the choir and band, something you don't see a lot of in high school.

"A lot of times people are like, 'Why are you doing that, you’re supposed to be just a high school joke, or you’re supposed to be a band geek, why are you trying to do both?'" Scott said. "My message really was, whatever you’re passionate about, just follow it."

What is unique about Scott's musical ability is he came by it pretty naturally. He learned drums, then baritone saxophone, then tenor saxophone and then piano, mostly just teaching himself.

"I never took lessons, I just kind of watched my sister take lessons," Scott said.

While kids might look up to Scott and want to be a NFL player like him, Scott's message to children is to explore every avenue in life. He started the "Pick Your Passion Foundation for the Arts" and used profits from a song he made called "Dedicated" to help the foundation.

[Also: Former NFL star Hines Ward moonlights as zombie]

Scott wants to show kids that they can be great at many things.

"I get a lot out of working with them," Scott said. "It’s kept me well-rounded and balanced. And I really think children need that."

Don't miss a thing from New Orleans this week!
Follow @YShutdownCorner, and the Shutdown Corner Facebook page!

Super Bowl coverage from Yahoo! Sports:

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Report: Ravens' Ray Lewis used banned deer-antler spray during rehab
• Former NBA All-Star Allen Iverson declines a D-League invitation
• Alex Rodriguez the biggest name in new PED report | Denials

AZ Alkmaar's dominant performance at Den Bosch in the quarterfinals of the Dutch Cup was marred by racist chants at American striker Jozy Altidore, prompting officials to momentarily stop play. Down 4-0 and with two Den Bosch players shown straight red cards within the first hour of play, the home fans were feeling nasty and reportedly aimed monkey chants at AZ's Altidore and threw bottles.

From Reuters:

Referee Reinold Wiedemeijer spoke to club officials when the chanting broke out in the first half and instructed second-tier Den Bosch to put a message over the public address system, warning the crowd he would stop the match if the abuse carried on.

Altidore had scored his career-high 20th goal of the season by converting a penalty in the 39th minute and when the referee ordered both teams off the pitch in the second half, the 23-year-old urged them to play on.

Former U.S. national team midfielder and current AZ Alkmaar director of football Ernie Stewart (speaking in the video above) was at the match and expressed his disappointment in the incident to the press during the stoppage. The suspension of play only lasted a few minutes though, and when the match resumed, AZ added a fifth goal.

UPDATE: Here's Jozy's classy response to what happened...

Last week, former NFL general manager Ted Sundquist told Rich Cimini of ESPN New York that during his recent interview for the then-vacant New York Jets general manager post, owner Woody Johnson said that trading for quarterback Tim Tebow was something was "forced" on himself and team president Neil Glatt.

[Also: Report: Ravens' Ray Lewis used banned deer-antler spray during rehab]

Johnson denied that was case, but is now receiving a mulligan of sorts from former GM Mike Tannenbaum, who tells Cimini that acquiring Tebow from the Denver Broncos was his idea.

"I'm disappointed it didn't work out, just like I'm disappointed when certain draft choices don't work out," Tannenbaum told ESPNNewYork.com Tuesday. "We put in a lot of time and effort. We had a rationale for it. At the end of the day, it didn't go as we had planned.

"Once we met on it and talked about it, ultimately that was my decision to trade for Tim," Tannenbaum said.

The Jets traded picks in the fourth- and sixth-round of the 2012 NFL Draft for Tebow and agreed to repay the Broncos a prorated portion ($2.53 million, $1.53 million of which is due in 2013) of a salary advance that Tebow received in 2011. Tebow could not unseat Mark Sanchez from the top spot on the quarterback depth chart and was primarily used as a personal punt protector on special teams. According to official playing-time documents, Tebow logged just 73 plays on offense, 59 plays on special teams and when head coach Rex Ryan decided to bench an ineffective Sanchez for a Week 16 game with the San Diego Chargers, he named 2011 seventh-round pick Greg McElroy the starter, bypassing Tebow, who then declined to participate in "Wildcat" plays designed for him in what turned out to be a 27-17 loss.

Tebow is expected to be traded or released by the Jets this offseason.

"We thought there was a role for him," said Tannenbaum. "Working with Rex every day, and seeing the way the league has evolved with the ball being in the quarterback's hands and making plays with your feet, we thought it would give us a chance to make our offense more dynamic. It just didn't work out that way."

Tannenbaum has kept a very low profile and his interview with Cimini are his first public comments since being fired by Johnson on Dec. 31. Between the Tebow trade, the contract extension and money guaranteed to Sanchez last March, the Jets' salary cap being a mess that new GM John Idzik will have to clean up, and how GM positions, unlike coaching vacancies, are rarely filled by former GMs (Bruce Allen of the Washington Redskins is the only former GM in a GM-type role) it's hard to imagine another team giving Tannenbaum the keys to the franchise, so there really was no reason for him to be anything but brutally honest about a situation that only people in Denver thought worked out well.

Don't miss a thing from New Orleans this week!
Follow @YShutdownCorner, and the Shutdown Corner Facebook page!

NFL video from Yahoo! Sports:

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Ravens' Brendon Ayanbadejo awaits son's heart surgery
• NBA Power Rankings: Spurs are new No. 1
• Yankees star Alex Rodriguez joins list of disgraced athletes
• Does Tiger Woods' early-season win mean he's back?

Welcome to Teeing Off, where Devil Ball editor Shane Bacon and national columnist Jay Busbee take a day's topic and smack it all over the course. Suggest a future topic by hitting us on Twitter at @shanebacon and @jaybusbee. Today we look ahead to see what this win at Torrey Pines could do for Tiger Woods' year.

Busbee: TIGER'S BACK TIGER'S BACK OH THANK YOU HEAVEN TIGER'S BA- all right, enough. Woods played exceptionally well in notching his 75th career Tour victory on Sunday. The easy storyline is that he's "back," but let's dig a little deeper than that, shall we? Woods is obviously playing better than he has in years, but does that, to your mind, constitute "back"?

Bacon: I think 2012 gave us the narrative that Tiger is "back." Three wins was pretty salty, but for some reason this win felt different. He rolled over the field without much fight back from the contenders (seriously, did ANYONE make a push on Sunday/Monday?), and while he did "stumble" on the way in, he still won by four. I think that four wins since March of last year shows that he CAN win again in bunches, and I think that'll happen this year. With the momentum of a win in your first start on tour has to be a recipe for that huge year we've been waiting for from Tiger, isn't it?

Busbee: Without a doubt. Winning, like losing, is contagious in golf. If Woods feels like he's got all elements of his game in sync -- tee, short game, green -- he'll be more confident and more able to take chances, rather than playing scared (or at least cautious). We've heard all the statistics--Woods only wins Augusta when he's won already that season, et cetera--but the simple truth is that he's playing with the kind of authority we haven't seen from him since before the scandal hit. He may have done damage to his knees that will keep him from a Vijay Singh-like run into his 40s, but he's got several more years of top-flight golf ahead of him. Want to venture a guess on majors?

Bacon: I'll stick to my theory that the British is the best shot for Tiger to win because I'm not sure he's straight enough off the tee to beat up Augusta or Merion, but honestly, if he's hitting it like this isn't he the honest favorite (unlike the Vegas favorite that he normally is) at all the majors? I think Tiger is primed for a run and despite the end of his run on Monday I think he looked as focused as I've seen him in a while. I almost feel like Tiger is sick of all the talk about guys like Rory and Dustin and wants to squash them in 2013. Say he wins Augusta, what happens to the golfing world then?!

Busbee: The golfing world would go into fits of ecstasy that would make the NFL media's love for Ray Lewis look like cold-eyed disdain. And why not? Golf's been in a bit of a lull ever since Woods turned south, and a Woods rebound would bring back the casual viewer. Of course, the hardcores would bitch about how much more rewarding it is to watch Nick Watney (sorry, Nick), but we both know that this sport has to cater to both the day-in, day-outs and the "how's Tiger doing?" viewers. A Tiger win at Augusta would reignite all the talk about catching Jack, and it would do nothing less than transform the entire season. This would be like Jordan coming back with the Wizards ... and winning a championship.

Bacon: And we all know the real winner here if Tiger goes on another run like he did in the early 2000s? Us!

NFL video from Yahoo! Sports:

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Alex Rodriguez the biggest name in new PED report
• Report: Ravens' Ray Lewis used banned deer-antler spray during rehab
• Ravens' Brendon Ayanbadejo awaits son's heart surgery

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Adorable actress Amanda Seyfried was very concerned about the Los Angeles Kings last night. Also pictured: An Islanders fan. [Life in Hockeywood]

• The Phoenix Coyotes’ saga appears at an end, according to Mike Sunnucks: “Greg Jamison’s investment group is slated to finally close on its purchase of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team, according to sources familiar with the deal.” [Biz Journal]

• The Chicago Blackhawks’ local ratings are absolutely insane. [CSN Chicago]

• Are the New York Rangers getting a dance team, and will it be called the Rangerettes? [NY Rangers Blog]

• Lambert on the P.K. Subban contract: “So yes, Bergevin stuck to his guns, and he will pay through the nose for doing so. That’s not all that smart to me. But hey, at least the fans won’t chant ‘We want PK!’ at every game now. That’s gotta be worth the extra headaches and money this deal will carry down the line.” [Backhand Shelf]

• Is it finally time for the Colorado Avalanche to ink Ryan O’Reilly? From Allan Muir: “Sherman knows what O’Reilly is worth to him – something in the neighborhood of $3.5 million per season — and that’s what he’s willing to pay. The Subban and Benn deals prove there’s no reason for him to budge from that. So O’Reilly can sit the rest of the year and hope that a trade (unlikely) or an offer sheet (unlikelier) is on the horizon. Or he can come to grips with the new market reality and get a deal done.” [SI]

• Mikhail Grigorenko remains with the Buffalo Sabres. [Sabres Edge]

• The New Jersey Devils have a 30-year-old “rookie” named Matt Anderson playing tonight: “It’s something you work pretty hard for. I’m a 30-year-old rookie here, first time here. It’s something you prepare for for a long time. It’s something I always believed in myself I could do and I’m going to try to make the most of my opportunity here and contribute however I can.” [Fire & Ice]

• Wayne Gretzky wonders if today's Edmonton Oilers have the players who will sacrifice like his Edmonton Oilers did. [Cult of Hockey]

• Chemmy reviews NHL GameCenter Live. [PPP]

• Why did Tomas Holmstrom decide to wear No. 96? [Malik]

• Michal Rozsival is day-to-day with a lower-body injury for the Blackhawks. [CSN Chicago]

• Can the Washington Capitals’ spiffy new second line keep it going? [Capitals Insider]

• On Evander Kane’s season of redemption with the Jets. [THW]

• Remember when Perry Pearn was fired nine games into the Montreal Canadiens’ season last year? As the Jets assistant told the media today: “I’m a little bit nervous right now, because we’re getting to that stage of the season, five or six games in …” [Sun]

• Kari Lehtonen’s getting another start for the Dallas Stars. [Dallas Stars Blog]

• Someone was robbed of a goal. Literally. [Patch]

Finally, this is kinda cool: The Kings celebrate their 25 millionth fan, bestowing upon him a great many cool items:

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Report: Ravens' Ray Lewis used banned deer-antler spray during rehab
• Former NBA All-Star Allen Iverson declines a D-League invitation
• Yankees star Alex Rodriguez joins list of disgraced athletes
• Forde Minutes: Seven more intriguing players to watch

When the Miami Heat won the NBA championship in June of 2012, they did so mainly on the strength of LeBron James’ emerging interior game. LeBron wasn’t endlessly tossing down jump hook after jump hook in that championship round, and to his credit his strength as a creative scorer and passer in the low post had been in place for years, but his comfort level on the mid and low block was light years ahead of where it was in years’ past. He was starting possessions from 12 or 15 feet away from the hoop instead of the customary 25, and it made all the difference in Miami’s world (championship).

The most obvious link to the step from hesitant post-worker to championship-grabbing post-dominator was the trip to Texas James made in the summer of 2011. Two-time NBA champion and 1994 MVP Hakeem Olajuwon put James through the paces in a training session we talked about here, and just today (via Twitter user @ningrim), video of the workout has surfaced.

It’s for the basketball junkies, to be sure, but it’s a fun watch that has me dying to find my way to the low block in an empty gym. Watch:

As you can see, the video is less about LeBron taking endless amounts of jump hooks over imaginary defenders. Rather, it seems to be more focused on clearing James’ mind as he works closer to the basket. How there doesn’t have to be a set play, and how James can use his big man size and guard skills (something Olajuwon had in spades) to keep defenders on edge.

Really, the whole workout seems kind of loose, and that’s probably what put LeBron over the top. Hakeem isn’t teaching him efficient and perfect-to-the-centimeter approaches to nailing short shots, these aren’t tight releases that you’d see from someone like Alonzo Mourning. Rather, there are a lot of twirls in this clip. Lots of spins and loose jab-steps. It really seems like an exercise in exploring options and feeling safe in your arsenal, rather than perfecting options.

LeBron James was introduced to us years ago as some sort of ridiculous Magic Johnson/Michael Jordan hybrid. He spent the bulk of his high school, AAU, and Cleveland Cavaliers career attempting to break down defenses with a dribble while his eyes faced the basket the entire time. Considering the teammates LeBron had around him, it was a sound approach most of the time because few can stay in front of James even if they’re aware of his approach and intent.

In the 2011 Finals, though? When the Mavs went to a modified zone and James looked clueless, while his team begged for a creative type to work in the teeth of that defense close to the hoop? He failed his team. There’s no way around it.

And then he went to work. And he went to the low post, and the Miami Heat went to a championship parade as a result.

Thanks, LeBron. Thanks, Hakeem. Anything’s better than dribbling into a one-on-five.

"You can't go home again" is a figurative saying in the United States, meaning once you leave the nest for the first time, it's never quite the same once you happen to go back. For athletes who defected from Cuba, ones such as major league right-hander Jose Contreras, "You can't go home again" has had a harshly literal meaning.

Since defecting in 2002, Conteras has made a lot of money pitching in the U.S. for the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies. But unlike foreign players from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, he could never buy a ticket home because of political barriers. Making the separation even tougher for Contreras: Being unable see his mother, who has been in a hospital recovering from a limb amputation. No matter that Contreras was one of the most successful and famous Cuban athletes of the past 20 years, nicknamed "The Bronze Titan" by Fidel Castro himself — defectors weren't welcome.

Starting on Jan. 14, that began to change, and Contreras has become the first high-profile athlete to take advantage of immigration changes in Cuba that allow political defectors to visit home. CNN did a terrific feature on Contreras, including the video of him playing in a pickup game during his return:

Contreras said it was an important sign that the door had finally been opened to allow defectors to come back

"They shouldn't be afraid, and (sports stars who defected) will keep continuing to return," he said. "It's the dream of anyone who lives outside Cuba, to be able to return and be with your family and the fans here."

And there is no shortage of hometown pride for Contreras. While Cuba's government may disavow sports stars who leave to pursue careers in the United States, many Cubans quietly root for countrymen who achieve success abroad.

Throughout the pickup baseball game, players wandered off the field to embrace Contreras, some with tears in their eyes.

"I am really happy to have him back and to see each other again and remember things we did together," Cuban pitcher Pedro Luis Lazo said. "Thank God he can come back now when he wants. We will be seeing each other a lot more now."

Playing baseball with your friends in a park and comforting your mom — talk about things we take for granted living here. One of these days, Cuban defectors probably are going to make these trips routinely. Someday further, athletes won't be defecting because no one will need to. That'll be a good day for Cuba, the U.S. and for baseball.

It's hard to say if Contreras will pitch in the majors again once he returns to North America. He's 41 and has been injured in recent seasons. But at least Contreras can go home again. Finally.

Count down to spring training by following
@AnswerDave, @bigleaguestew, @KevinKaduk on Twitter,
along with the BLS Facebook page!

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without the services of defenseman Mike Komisarek against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night because he did something stupid.

And while that rationale could typically infer any number of on-ice lapses in sportsmanship and/or defense, it appears he suffered some strange freak injury to his eye.

Said Coach Randy Carlyle, via Chris Johnston of Sportsnet:

"It was one of those things that you'd like to take back in your life I think, when you do something stupid," Carlyle said before Tuesday's game against Buffalo. "It was crazy."

Even though doctors actually cleared Komisarek to play, Carlyle and the coaching staff elected to keep him off the ice as a precaution.

OK, so where did the fiberglass come from? If you guessed “surfing accident” … well, it’s winter in Toronto, dummy.

Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star has this theory:

“It’s believed a smashed stick incident led to the problem.”

From Terry Koshan of the Sun:

It’s not clear whether Komisarek might have smashed a stick during practice on Monday. But Carlyle didn’t appear to be all bent out of shape about it.

We’ll just go ahead and assume Komisarek smashed a stick in a fit of rage, resulting in a chip being wedged in his eye. And not, like, someone taking a stick and smashing him in the face, although that would be an effective way to keep him out of the lineup.

NFL video from Yahoo! Sports:

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Does Tiger Woods' early-season win mean he's back?
• Report: Ravens' Ray Lewis used banned deer-antler spray during rehab
• Super Bowl QB Joe Flacco signs gummy-bear endorsement deal
• Yankees star Alex Rodriguez joins list of disgraced athletes

Well, will you look at that? America's girlfriend Katherine Webb made an appearance at the Superdome on Tuesday to "work" the Super Bowl media day for "Inside Edition." It was an assignment that made sense, of course. The gal pal of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron has been the sweetheart of the moment ever since she ended up in the googly-eyed sights of broadcaster Brent Musburger. She's going to draw eyeballs and ratings, something our Yahoo! Sports blog team knows only too well.

However, as our own Dr. Saturday notes, it appeared as if Ms. Webb — who was led around by a team of "handlers" — was taking more questions than she was asking. That no doubt infuriated Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, who harrumphed that media day was all about "people coming to try to make things about them." (Gee Jay, who would do such a thing?)

But Webb, of course, was far from the only media member looking to work her way into the spotlight. As usual, the media day event attracted a score of "reporters" looking to make the scene. While we generally do enjoy the circus they create, we also reserve the right to mock them for the absurdity of their presence.

So, without further delay, here are 10 reporters they probably shouldn't have let get close to the 49ers and Ravens at the Superdome on Tuesday afternoon:

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

Don't miss a thing from New Orleans this week!
Follow @YShutdownCorner and the Shutdown Corner Facebook page!