Japanese Rugby Star To Be Banned For Growing Steroid-Aided Mustache

Japanese rugby star, Ryohei Yamanaka, is facing at least a six-month ban for trying to grow a mustache with a steroid-based cream to speed up the hair-growing process.  The cost of trying to look like a female Bulgarian weightlifter means Yamanaka could miss the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

The 22 year-old Yamanaka failed a drug test as he was preparing for Movember, a charity event where rugby players don't shave for a four-week period.

Apparently, Yamanaka looked more like Justin Bieber than Burt Reynolds and applied the cream to look a little older and have more facial hair not to shave.

The cream just happens to have a forbidden steroid in it.



Japanese rugby coach, John Kirwan, was surprised by the drug-test results, but doesn't expect rugby's governing boards to go easy on his fly-half.

"I don't think he was aware of the severity of it," said Kirwan.  "We spent 24-hours trying to find out what he had taken.  He got a hair-growth cream to try and grow a mo."

Yamanaka's poorly-planned attempt at growing a "mo" is expected to get him banned from competition at least through the World Cup in the fall and possibly up to two years.

"It was a little tube of hair-growth cream.  He just didn't think," said Kirwan.  "Apparently he failed the (B-Sample) too.  I gather he's innocent, but the (IRB) take a dim view.  He's lucky if he gets six months."

Yamanaka apologized for his attempt at looking manlier on Twitter by saying he was "sorry for causing such problems" but made it a point to say the cream was "not a hair-growth tonic which grows hair on the head."

Got to keep those priorities straight for the ladies.

Just think, after the ban, Yamanaka will have actually grown a real 'stache for the 2013 Movember.

The barren-faced Yamanaka should have done what we did in high school to impress the senior girls-- a light brush of your mom's mascara over your top lip.

The Army Needs New Trophies

When I saw the picture of this trophy, my inner juvenile humor kicked in.

It's the third place trophy for the 2010 Army National Guard Combatives Championships. This is just wrong from all angles. It's funny and highly suggestive at the same time. Only if you have the humor of an 8th grader.

Timberwolves Fire Kurt Rambis

In what was a no-brainer to most, the Minnesota Timberwolves fired Kurt Rambis according to a report by Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski.  

Timberwolves general manager David Kahn won't announce the decision until after the draft. Kahn had been uncommitted to Rambis after the season leading to speculation whether he was going to come back. Rambis was 32-132 in his two years as head coach. He left Rambis twisting in the wind, holding draft workouts and probably knew he was going to 86 him anyway.

Minnesota Timberwolves general manager David Kahn has decided to fire coach Kurt Rambis, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.



Kahn isn’t expected to announce the decision until after Thursday’s NBA draft, but he’s already begun collecting information on prospective replacements for Rambis, sources said…


Rambis has two years left on his original four-year contract. With the Timberwolves in the midst of a major rebuilding project, he went 32-132 as their coach, including a league-worst 17-65 this season.


Kahn told reporters he’d made the unusual request of asking Rambis to file a written report to him on changes Rambis would make if he returned as coach. He also said Rambis won’t attend the Timberwolves’ draft on Thursday night.


Kahn had wanted Rambis to become a better communicator with players. He also wanted him to design an offense away from the triangle and toward the open-court talents of rookie point guard Ricky Rubio. Rambis’ relationship with key young players, especially Kevin Love, had been frayed, at best.

I know anyone who has ever coached has wanted to be at the helm of their own operation, but Rambis had to know what he was getting into when he signed up for this. I'm not saying this is all his fault because Kahn has proven to be inept as a general manager. Rambis should've bolted out the door when he drafted the "point guards of the future" in one draft. The triangle wasn't going to work in Minnesota. You have to have special and disciplined players for that offense. It's not for everyone. Rambis didn't get a fair shake, but this marriage was doomed to fail.
 
      

Steelers Lobbying For Burress

A long shot for Plaxico Burress' services might be the Pittsburgh Steelers. It might be highly unlikely but it seems that there have been some unnamed coaches lobbying for Burress' return to the Steel City. Of course they don't have final say on personnel nor do they cut the checks around there so wo knows if the Steelers front office will take a chance on Plax after the lockout.

In addition to the unnamed coaches that would like to have Plax back, Hines Ward would like him back as well and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stopped short of saying he wants Plax at his youth football camp. 


"I've talked to Plax a number of times in the last couple of weeks," Roethlisberger said. "I told him, 'Hey, if you came back here that would be awesome, but I'm just happy to see you playing again' because he's a good guy."

Keep in mind that Big Ben and Plax were neighbors when they were teammates.

If the Steelers do happen to add Burresss that would likely mean the end of Antwan Randle-El. It would also cut down the playing time for promising youngsters Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders.

Mike Francesa Calls Tiki Barber's NBC Career a "Failure"

 The Tiki Barber Comeback Tour keeps getting better and better.  For the most part of a thirty minute radio interview on Wed., interviewer Mike Francesa ripped the ex-New York Giants running back and called Barber's broadcast stint on NBC a "failure."

Barber, who went on the WFAN show to discuss his plans for returning to the NFL this upcoming season after a four year retirement, went on the defensive after Francesa commented on Barber's release from NBC and his presumed grooming to be the next Matt Lauer on the "Today" show. 

"I don't consider my time at NBC a failure," said Barber.

"The guys at NBC, and I know all of them, they felt you did a bad job, and they said you thought you were entitled, said Francesa.

The radio host probably knows something.  Francesa does a Sunday night show in the same NBC building where the "Today" show broadcasts from.  Word travels fast in 30 Rock.



The interview started cordial enough until the the NBC exchange and then the discussion became contentious.  Barber even had his agent, Mark Lepselter, who was in on the call, throw some interference for the ex-running back.

Francesa wouldn't have any of it.

"You're on the line, Mark," interrupted Francesa. " You're not supposed to be his bodyguard."

Barber continued the verbal fray.

"I think it's unfair for you to label it that way," railed Barber.  "I think that's cowardly of someone to talk behind some one's back and not tell them.  I don't know what I could have done better at NBC."

"Tiki, you got fired," said Francesa.

"Oh Did I?  Did I?," questioned Barber.  "Mike, I don't think you know the whole story."

Just last month, Barber caused an uproar when he compared himself to Anne Frank, in a Sports Illustrated interview, after he was asked about hiding from the media in Lepselter's house.

Barber's last game with Big Blue was a wild-card playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the Giants 2006 season.  He left on bad terms with the front office and fans alike.

The ubiquitous running back jumped directly into the studios at NBC, where he was being prepped for his star turn on the network's morning news program and their NFL pregame shows--sort of an Al Roker, only with muscles.

Barber appeal didn't translate to the TV screen from the locker room.   He was a mediocre host and his spotlight burned out fast after a three year run.  Real fast.

The grinning Barber was let go by NBC after he reportedly left his pregnant-with-twins wife, Ginny, and two kids for an  young intern.

In Wed. interview, the 10-year NFL veteran tried to spike the ball in Francesa's face by claiming the sports-talk host wasn't good at his job either.

"You badger your listeners," said the defensive Barber.  "You badger your interview[ees]."

Barber didn't stop there and said it's not his fault for still being disliked by Giants fans.

"I'm sure it has to do with the fact I criticized Tom Coughlin and he goes on to win a Super Bowl," reasoned Barber.  "Or the conversation I had about Eli Manning that got blown out of proportion...I've always been opinionated."

Really, now?

Tiki, good luck playing with your brother Ronde down in Tampa.

For interview audio.

Kepergok Pocong

Mulai hari ini Sang Pocong gentayangan di Bioskop dengan tajuk Ada Apa Dengan Pocong. Dan dua minggu berikutnya dia kembali hadir di tengah penggemar film horror komedi sehingga para penonton jadi Kepergok Pocong. Hal ini tentunya akan menambah daftar panjang Pocong-Pocong yang mewarnai dunia perfilman kita.Film Kepergok Pocong yang di produseri oleh Gope T. Samtani dan di sutradarai oleh Nayato

HBO Developing Dramatic Boxing Series Based On Mike Tyson

HBO has ordered a pilot from Doug Ellin, the writer and producer of "Entourage," for a dramatic series based on the rise of a fictional Newark, N.J. boxer.  Ellin has enlisted Spike Lee and Mike Tyson to co-produce.

"Da Brick" is the title of the series about the up and coming fighter loosely-based on Tyson's own rise to fame as a boxer. 

The idea for the project stemmed from a conversation Tyson had with Ellin while the former heavyweight champion was doing a guest spot on "Entourage" in 2010.

"Why don't you do with my life what you did with Mark's [Wahlberg] life on 'Entourage?' Ellin said Tyson asked him while on the set.

Simple as that, a gritty new series was born.

The title "Da Brick" is a reference to Newark being know as "The Brickyard City" or "Brick City."

Ellin will act only as producer of the series with co-producer Jim Lefkowitz while "Entourage" ends it's eight year run on HBO.  The head writer will be John Ridley, Lee's co-writer in a film-in-development about the Los Angeles riots.

It is not known if Tyson will hone his "Hangover 2" acting chops and appear in a  role or guest spot on the series but, his wife, Lakiha Tyson will co-executive produce with Azim Spicer.

Lee's people have been scouring local New York City area boxing gyms for locations and actors.  The casting directors are looking for actors who "have chops" and fight experience.

By basing a series on the dwindling fight game, does HBO have a Pacquiao or a patsie on it's hands?

Wahlberg produced "The Fighter," last year's Academy Award nominated and winning film about boxer 'Irish' Mickey Ward and his brother Dicky, which successfully brought the world of boxing to the masses.

On the other hand, FX's "Lights Out," a fine series about a fighter coming out of retirement, was cancelled after a single critically-acclaimed season. 

Even if Tyson doesn't appear in the series, it will probably not be too difficult to separate the fiction from the facts regarding the one-man demolition crew.  There is too much of his life that was public domain.

Both inside and outside of the ring, Tyson's recollections alone bring a solid foundation of incidents for the writers to incorporate into the scripts.  The out-of-control fighter has endured both the glory, the scandals and the shame behind the sport.

I wonder if there will be pigeons and facial tattoos?