NBA referee suicide

Troy Raymond, a former NBA referee, shot and killed himself in a New Orleans hotel room earlier this week. His wife was found strangled in their Houston home the same day.

Since working in the NBA, Raymond had been refereeing college basketball games.

NFL HGH Testing

NFL players union and negotiators for the league are looking to reach an agreement on HGH testing before the season begins.

The league doesn’t currently test players for Human Growth Hormone.

HGH, also referred to as GH or simply growth hormone, is a protein-based hormone that stimulates growth, reproduction, and regeneration in humans as well as animals.

Many oppose the use of HGH, which is available as a supplement on the Internet, in pro sports.

Mike Jacobs, a minor league basebal player with the Rockies Class AAA, recently tested positive for the performance enhancing HGH and received a 50 game suspension.

Conan 2011 reviews

conan 2011 reviewsThe remake of “Conan the Barbarian” which opened this week in theaters is receiving less than favorable reviews, according to an AP report.

“Fright Night” and “One Day” opened to much better reviews, based on their averaged scores from Metacritic, Rotten Tomatoes, and Movie Review Intelligence.

Conan the Barbarian, the 2011 remake, was originally titled Conan 3D. It stars Jason Mamoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan, Said Taghmaoui, Leo Howard, Bob Sapp, and Ron Perlman and was directed by Marcus Nispel.

Peyton Manning neck injury

Peyton Manning will skip the rest of the NFL pre-season in order to continue recovering from neck surgery, according to an AP report.

In July, the Indianapolis Colts’ star QB signed a $90 million contract.

Colts backup quarterbck Curtis Painter has started both preseason games.

Biffle on pole at Michigan

Greg Biffle will take the pole at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday after running a qualifying lap of more than 190 mph on Friday.

Kyle Busch, Sprint Cup Chase points leader, starts eighth.

The Pure Michigan 400 starts at 1:20 pm on Sunday, August 21, 2011.

Highest paid NASCAR drivers

dale earnhardt jr highest paid nascar drivers

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the highest paid NASCAR driver in 2011, didn’t see a win in that year.  Kevin Harvick, 5th on the Forbes list, has the most wins – three.

According to a 2011 Forbes report, here are the 10 highest paid NASCAR drivers, along with the number of Sprint Cup wins they’ve achieved to date in 2011.

1. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – $29 million (0 Sprint Cup Wins)
2. Jeff Gordon – $25 million (2 Sprint Cup Wins)
3. Jimmie Johnson – $24 million (1 Sprint Cup Win)
4. Tony Stewart – $18 million (0 Sprint Cup Wins)
5. Kevin Harvick – $15 million (3 Sprint Cup Wins)
6. Carl Edwards – $14 million (2 Sprint Cup Wins)
7. Kyle Busch – $13 million (2 Sprint Cup Wins)
8. Kasey Kahne – $11.5 million (0 Sprint Cup Wins)
9. (Tie) Denny Hamlin – $9 million (1 Sprint Cup Win)
10. (Tie) Matt Kenseth – $9 million (2 Sprint Cup Wins)

Eight drivers not in the top 10 earners have won a Sprint Cup race in 2011. None of these has won more than 1 race.

1. Trevor Bayne (1)
2. Regan Smith (1)
3. Brad Keselowski (1)
4. Denny Hamlin (1)
5. Ryan Newman (1)
6. Marcus Ambrose (1)
7. Kurt Busch (1)
8. Paul Menard (1)

Miami Football Scandal

According to reports, the University of Miami is being investigated for alleged violations involving impermissible benefits for football players. These benefits included cash, entertainment, travel, jewelry, and prostitutes.

At the center of the investigation is Nevin Shapiro, a former Miami booster currently serving jail time for his role in a $930 million Ponzi scheme.

Watkins Glen Crash 2011

In the NASCAR Sprit Cup Series race at Watkins Glen 2011, Australian Marcos Ambrose took his first Sprint Cup Series win.

David Reutimann, David Ragan, and Tony Stewart crashed on the last lap, along with others. All escaped serious injury. This video shows Reutimann’s car flying through the air and slamming into the wall.

Bristol Night Race 2011

irwin tools nascar sprint cup race

The Bristol Night Race is one of the most anticipated events in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup series schedule.

Dubbed the Irwin Tools Night Race, this year’s event will be televised live on ABC on August 27, 2011, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Kyle Busch won the 2010 event, with David Reutimann and Jamie McMurray placing second and third, respectively.

For place and time, see NASCAR race schedule.

Watkins Glen Rain Delay

kyle busch watkins glen

Rain in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York postponed Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.

The race is scheduled to start on Monday, August 15 at 10 a.m., although there’s a 60% chance of rain in the region on Monday morning.

Kyle Busch will start on the pole.

For more information on upcoming races, see the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Schedule.