Playoff time often creates a sense of hostility between fans, opposing players and yes, sometimes the food that gets shared between them.
Food poisoning apparently is not an uncommon practice if you want to try and take down your favorite team's favorite. Even earlier this year, personal trainer Tim Grover attributed tainted hotel room service for Michael Jordan's famous "flu game".
But San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker didn't even have to worry about ill-prepared food earlier Friday in Memphis. He wasn't even given the chance to be served at popular establishment.
Parker attempted to eat at Restaurant Iris, but was promptly denied upon entry.
The owner confirmed as much but gave a slightly different reason than the "he plays for the team that's up 2-0 on the Grizzlies" logic.
Postgame interviews usually follow a similar script.
The reporter asks someone from the winning team a few questions about the game, what it means for the team, and what to look for in the future.
In a way, they're a necessary evil with regards to the television broadcast.
The Cincinnati Bearcats, though, take a bit of a different stance on the idea. Sure, one of the players always chats with someone from BearcatsTV, and there's nothing novel about that. But it's what the player's teammates do while the interview is being conducted that is worth a look. And at least a few laughs.
Have you ever visited a sports news parody site? If so, you know they're pretty funny. If not, you may work for the New England Sports Network.
On Thursday, the site published a story saying Chicago Bears great Brian Urlacher signed a one-day contract with the Green Bay Packers so he could "go out a winner."
Funny, because Urlacher's Bears are a big-time rival of the Packers.
Well, as DeadSpin pointed out, the New England Sports Network thought it was a real story and ran with it as part of their sports ticker during an ACC baseball game.
We've got to credit Deadspin.com for finding this gem.
And it is, indeed, a gem.
A South Carolina 4A state championship soccer game between Irmo and Lexington was not settled after two overtime periods, so they turned to penalty kicks.
And as anyone who has watched soccer knows, that situation is none-too-favorable for a keeper.
Anyway, the score was tied at 3-3 heading into the last round of kicks, which is when Irmo's Mattison Gossett lined up for his chance against Lexinton goalie Jacob Parton.
Parton, who basically had to guess where Gossett was going to kick the ball, did so correctly. He moved to his right and dove to the ground, getting his hands on the ball and seemingly making the save.
However, the ball bounced off his hands and, while the keeper was celebrating the save, rolled into the net anyway. Oops.
As far as ways to lose a game, this one easily has to rank as one of the most painful.
And even though the league has "cracked down" and is fining players for taking dives in attempts to draw fouls on opponents, there is still a healthy amount of the act going on.
Case in point -- Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals in San Antonio Tuesday night. In a four-point game with under 30 seconds left, Manu Ginobili of the Spurs loses the ball and Memphis' Zach Randolph passes it ahead to Tony Allen. Ginobili challenges the play, prevents the layup and gets called for a flagrant foul.
Allen writhed on the floor in "pain", holding his head like he was about to die.
Except replays show that not only was Ginobili's foul not flagrant, but Allen's head was never touched by the San Antonio guard -- nor did it hit the floor at any time.
Allen, miraculously healed, would go on to hit both free throws and his teammate, Mike Conley, sent the game into overtime with a jump shot.
However, the Spurs prevailed 93-89 to take a 2-0 series lead.
"Cheaters never prosper," the old saying goes. Well, we guess floppers never win either.
Such was the case for Jeon Jun-woo of the Korean League's Lotte Giants, who fell to the NC Dinos by a score of 6-4 last week. That alone isn't too funny or even Haboob worthy, but the fact that the player thought he hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning was.
Jun-woo was so confident the ball was leaving the yard that he started celebrating, only to see it land in the left fielder's glove.
It was very Willie Mays Hayes-esque, and because we're cool like this, below is a clip from Major League II.
The Arizona Diamondbacks couldn't complete their three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins Sunday, falling 2-1 in South Florida.
But during the course of the game, the team produced one of the best catches in baseball this season.
Leading off the eighth inning, Adeiny Hechavarria tried to bunt against D-backs reliever Josh Collmenter. The Marlins' shortstop popped it up however, and Arizona catcher Miguel Montero made a sliding attempt to catch the ball down the third base line.
It popped out of his glove and off of Collmenter's bare hand. As the pitcher avoided his sliding catcher, he snared the ball with his bare hand.
Unlike Carl Lewis and Roseanne Barr, Canadian singer Alexis Normand has a beautiful voice.
Unfortunately, Normand still managed to secure a spot alongside the infamous duo on the all-time list of worst anthem singers.
Before the 2013 Memorial Cup junior hockey championships between the Halifax Mooseheads and Portland Winterhawks Saturday in Saskatchewan, Normand came on the ice to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" and looked to have no problems with the first part of the performance.
However about quarter of the way through, the wheels began to fall off quickly for the Canadian singer, as she delivered a moment that would have made Francis Scott Key roll over in his grave.
Let's not be too hard on Normand, after all she already feels bad enough.
I'm embarrassed and deeply sorry. I wish I'd had more time to learn the American anthem. Thanks so much for the crowd's help! #memorialcup
