Zack Hample the guy who held Alex Rodriguez"s 3,000th hit ball hostage looks like he"s in some hot water.
The issue: Twitter users are accusing Hample of paying for a ticket that should have gone to a Department of Defense member or MLB employee.
Hample, 38, shouldn"t have been allowed inside the game between the Marlins and Braves at Fort Bragg because tickets to the game were non-transferrable and those who attended and didn"t fall in either of those categories could be removed, fans said.
Apparently, this wasn"t OK:
Hample, a noted ballhawk who exchanged Rodriguez"s milestone ball for a sweet deal with the Yankees and a $150,000 charitable donation, defended himself, however.
Hample was recently back in the news. Last week, he complained when Brian McCann"s home run smashed him in the face and when he tried catching Didi Gregorius" home run, but instead got "body-slammed" by a fan.
Before giving back A-Rod"s 3,000th hitball, he mocked a fan who returned Derek Jeter"s 3,000th hit ball for free. Hample has said he"s caught approximately 9,000 b***s.
Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.
The nation"s largest military installation promises one of the more patriotic celebrations in the country this Independence Day.
The annual July Fourth event at Fort Bragg"s Main Post Parade Field will feature national recording artists Cheap Trick, Chris Stapleton and Natalie Stovall and The Drive, as well as performances by the 82nd Airborne Division Band and All American Chorus.
As always, the headliner for the day-long event will be the popular fireworks display, punctuated by more than 100 rounds fired from a howitzer cannon during a performance of the "1812 Overture.""
An estimated 40,000 people from Fort Bragg and the surrounding communities are expected to attend.
If you"re one of them, these are some things you may need to know:
Cost:Free. The Fort Bragg Fourth of July celebration has no entrance fee, but vendors will be on site selling food and crafts. "Kiddieland," which includes rides and attractions for children, costs $10.
Location:The Main Post Parade Field is in the heart of Fort Bragg"s historic district, but expect roads to be clogged or blocked near the festivities.
Public parking will be available near Womack Army Medical Center off Reilly Road, at the Soldier Support Center off Normandy Drive, at Throckmorton Library off Randolph Street, and near the U.S. Army Forces Command headquarters and the Fort Bragg Training and Education Center on Knox Street.
Access:Typical Fort Bragg access rules apply, with attendees without Department of Defense identification needing to obtain a visitor"s pass from the All American Visitor"s Center near the All American Access Control Point.
Entertainment:The schedule of events for the Monday celebration is as follows:
1 p.m.: Parade field opens
3 p.m.: Food vendors open
3-8 p.m.: Kiddieland opens
3-4 p.m.: Natalie Stovall and The Drive in concert
4:30-5:45 p.m.: Cheap Trick in concert
6-6:30 p.m.: USASOC Black Daggers Parachute Demonstration Team
6:30-7:45 p.m.: Chris Stapleton in concert
7:45-7:58 p.m.: Senior commander presentations, remarks and sponsor recognition
8:10-8:42 p.m.: Flag ceremony and national anthem performed by the 82nd Division All American Chorus
8:43-9:42 p.m.: 82nd Division All American Band featuring the "1812 Overture"" with cannon fire
9:42-10 p.m.: Fireworks "Concert in the Sky"
What NOT to bring:The list of prohibited items is a long one. Among the items barred from the Parade Field:
No bags larger than 16 by 16 by 8 inches
No aluminum bottles
No glass containers, except for baby bottles with milk or juice for small children
No weapons of any kind, including baseball bats, sticks and clubs
No illegal substances, including narcotics and drug paraphernalia
No aerosol cans, such as hair spray or mace
No unmanned aerial vehicles, to include toy planes, helicopters and drones
No video equipment
No barbecue grills
No large chains or necklaces (exceeding 3/8 inches thick or 24 inches long) and spiked jewelry or chains attached to pants
No fireworks or explosives
No metal chairs or stools
No tents (except for vendors)
No umbrellas, beach b***s or other inflatables, water guns, skateboards, roller blades, scooters or hover boards
No pets (except service dogs)
No laser pointers
No canes, except for those with medical conditions
No artificial noise makers
No signs, banners, flags or selfie sticks
No gang-related clothing or accessories or obscene, vulgar or offensive clothing
If football is a gentlemans sport played by hooligans, road cycling is a sport for hipsters thats practised only by the brave. So forget about Vardy et al and get stuck into this years Tour de France Allez! Allez! Allez which got under way on Saturday with Froome and the rest of Team Sky getting on their bikes at Mont-Saint-Michel. As is customary at this time of year, Londoners are pulling on the padded shorts and gearing up for their own bike-filled summer. There have never been more opportunities for cyclists in town, whether youre a pedalling pro or barely free from stabilisers.
Where to train
Chris Froome has adjusted his training to peak in the final week of the Tour, so dont worry if youre starting a little late in the year. If youre inspired but havent straddled a saddle since school, its worth getting in the zone at a spin class. Power up those thighs ready for a bunch sprint when its all about strength not stamina, win a few stages and then pull a Mario Cipollini and retire before you hit the Pyrenees. Try Psycle, with studios in Canary Wharf and Fitzrovia, or pedal to the metal at BOOM Cycle.
The VeloPark in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has facilities for pretty much anything you can do on two wheels, from BMX to mountain biking to laps of the velodrome for perfecting your individual time-trial skills.
Athlete Lab, near Monument, might be an inside gym but the bikes it uses to train arent your average wobbly exercise machines. Instead it uses Adjustabikes, designed to replicate road bikes and ensure your riding position is the same as it would be pedalling through the great outdoors.
And if you fancy yourself as King of the Mountains, take in a birds-eye view of London at BOOM Cycles pop-up events at Tower Bridge (July 20) and The Roof Gardens (August 4).
The best routes in London
Team Sky is all about data research and marginal gains to stay on top. Keep track of your statistics with Strava, the app obsession of every cyclist, which analyses your rides, recommends routes, pits you against fellow riders and pinpoints handy stop-off cafs. This years tour ends with four punishing climbs in the penultimate stage, so channel Colombian climber Nairo Quintana and hit the popular 85.6-mile London to Box Hill route (which also has six cafs, including Rapha and Grind, to help you refuel), or head through the stunning countryside to Hertford and back (47.2 miles).
If youre concerned about coming up as the Lanterne Rouge (the rider in last place), there are always Londons parks: Regents and Richmond are particular cycling havens. AndThames is made for riverside riding: head north-east to Lee Valley or south to the Wandle Route, which runs from Croydon to Wandsworth.
Cycling caps - in pictures Stay in the peloton
The safest place to be to make it to the finish line in one piece is the main group. So set the pace at female-led Queen of the Mountains club, which was set up after recognising that women want to be on two wheels but not necessarily alongside middle-aged men in Lycra zooming along in a testosterone-fuelled pack. Men are welcome to join, but its the women who control the speed.
Then theres Rapha, the super-cool Piccadilly cycle shop, with globally affiliated club attached: annual RCC Summits give the chance for members to go on tour internationally. Its hosting themed rides throughout the Tour (look out for The Giant of Provence Ride, celebrating the great Mont Ventoux) and will keep you up to date with race results through in-house newspaper The Doppio.
Stop by the team car
Its fair to say most of us dont have a mechanic riding behind us at all times but Micycle in Islington comes close. It not only sells bikes, it has a bike ambulance for stranded broken wheels. Then theres Machine in Borough, which sells every bike gadget you can think of, including crocheted seat-covers and pizza- cutters, and also runs a bicycle- recycling scheme. A little further south, theres the wonderful Brixton Cycles, which also runs a cycling club instantly recognisable thanks to its AC/DC-style branding whose neon-yellow front doors conceal a much-loved 30-year-old co-operative of bike-lovers.
Fuel up
If youre out on your bike in London I would recommend Look Mum No Hands! in Clerkenwell for a coffee stop, says Olympic gold medallist Dani King. Ive only been a few times but each time was great food and lots going on. That great food includes some excellent burgers and giant slices of cake (much better than a caffeinated energy gel), as well as Square Mile coffee and a healthy selection of craft beer to be slurped while watching the race every afternoon on its big screens. Or take your domestiques down to The Spoke in Archway, whose bacon sarnies are favoured by Boom Cycle studio founder Hilary Gilbert, or Pearson in East Sheen, which offers chiropractice, physiotherapy and sports massage alongside its coffee.
Lead-out men
Chris Froome is obviously the one to watch his right-hand man Richie Porte defected to the American team BMC but Froomes still got good support from replacement Geraint Thomas, who won the Portuguese Volta ao Algarve race in February and the Paris-Nice in March. His main competitor is pocket-rocket Quintana, who came close to nicking the Maillot Jaune last year, but never write off Alberto Contador. The Spaniard famous for giving snarky trash-talk in his post-race interviews is always a threat in the mountains and you do not want him in your slipstream.
Keep eyes peeled for smokin-hot bad boy biker Peter The Terminator Sagan, who rides for Tinkoff. While his team-mates pedal with purpose, Sagan cracks out wheelies, photobombs other riders during post-stage interviews and still managed to win the green jersey last year. Hes pretty low-key: his medieval-themed wedding last year involved him riding a pennyfarthing bike across a tightrope.
Breakaway
If a mere four hours of Lycra-covered bums per day isnt enough for you, head to the O2 on Saturday for Rockstars Red Hook Crit. Although not if youre a sensitive sort: riders use brakeless, fixed- gear bikes, resulting in a spectacular number of crashes on average, only 20 or so of the 85 participants even make it across the finishing line. Dani King is taking part this year; go and support (and wince). And cheer on the hardcore Ride 24ers taking part in the London to Paris ride July 16-18 after all, they may soon need visas to do it.
Dwight Howard Full Highlights 2016.01.18 at Clippers - 36 Pts, 26 Rebs, MONSTER!
Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images
Matthew Dellavedova agreed to a four-year, $38.4 million offer sheet with the Bucks. Will the Cavaliers match it?
Matthew Dellavedova agreed to a four-year, $38.4 million offer sheet with the Bucks. Will the Cavaliers match it?
Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images
Hawks add Dwight Howard, re-sign Kent Bazemore
A person with knowledge of the situation says Dwight Howard has agreed to join the Atlanta Hawks, who also re-signed Kent Bazemore.
Howard received a three-year contract worth $70.5 million, while Bazemore will get $70 million over four years, the person told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because contracts cant be signed until July 7.
Howard returns to his hometown after three seasons in Houston, where he battled injuries and wasnt the force he was earlier in his career. He managed just 13.7 points per game last season, lowest since he averaged 12 as a rookie for Orlando after being taken with the No. 1 selection in the 2004 draft out of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy.
Bazemore, who turned 27 on Friday, started 68 games for the Hawks, averaging 11.6 points.
Staying and going: All-Stars Andre Drummond and DeMar DeRozan are staying put, as are Hassan Whiteside and Nicolas Batum.
Many more are on the move, and some are getting paid like they never could have imagined.
Chandler Parsons, Joakim Noah, Evan Turner and Timofey Mozgov were among the players cashing in Friday during the first day of free agency and, really, of a new era in the NBA.
Former St. Marys guard Matthew Dellavedova will get richer, too, agreeing to terms on a four-year, $38.4 million offer sheet with Milwaukee although the Cleveland Cavaliers have the option to match it.
With revenue rising and the salary cap soaring right along with it, good players were being paid like All-Stars, while All-Stars were getting contracts that used to go only to superstars.
And the players at the top of the class havent even started agreeing to deals yet. Kevin Durant, who met with the Warriors on Friday, and Al Horford probably cant wait to see what they get after watching what lesser players on the market have already received.
For example:
Parsons four years, $94 million from Memphis.
Noah four years, $72 million from New York.
Turner four years, $70 million from Portland.
Mozgov four years, $64 million from the Lakers.
Their timing was even better than their play, as they became free agents at the ideal moment. With the NBAs national TV contracts worth more than $2.6 billion beginning with next season, the salary cap, which is tied to revenue, will soar well beyond its previous record to $90 million to $95 million.
Some players didnt have to wait long to claim their share. Drummonds five-year maximum deal to stay in Detroit will be worth $130 million, a bit more than the $128 million Bradley Beal got to remain in Washington. DeRozan will do a little better in Toronto and Charlotte kept Batum for $120 million.
But the Hornets lost a couple of key players from their 48-win team, as Jeremy Lin got a three-year, $36 million contract from Brooklyn, and the Pacers lured Al Jefferson to Indiana with a three-year, $30 million contract.
Citing a source familiar with the contract, the AP said the Utah Jazz have agreed to terms with Joe Johnson on a two-year deal worth $22 million.
None of the contracts can be signed until Thursday, after next seasons salary cap is set.
El tercer y ltimo concierto que hoy tiene programado la Banda MS en el Auditorio Nacional se llevar a cabo con normalidad, aun con lo ocurrido la madrugada de este sbado en la zona de Polanco de la Ciudad de Mxico, donde su vocalista Alan Ramrez fue baleado, aseguraron voceros de la agrupacin,
La noticia fue confirmada por los representantes del grupo, que aguarda la recuperacin de su compaero, quien recibi un impacto de bala en el cuello afuera de un hotel ubicado en Campos Elseos.
La misma fuente seal que en unas horas se dictar una conferencia de prensa para abundar sobre el estado de salud de Ramrez, el sentir de la banda y los detalles de la presentacin de este da, la tercera que tiene pactada la agrupacin en el "Coloso de Reforma".
Radioactive: Sonoma - "I"m driving like an [expletive] right now..." - "NASCAR Race Hub"
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 2, 2016) NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame today announced longtime High Point (N.C.) Enterprise reporter and sports editor Benny Phillips as the sixth recipient of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.
Phillips spent 48 years with the Enterprise, serving as its sports editor for 32 of them. He will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on Jan. 20, 2017 and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In addition to his time at the Enterprise, Phillips wrote for Stock Car Racing magazine for 27 years and spent 12 years with TBS. The prestigious Squier-Hall Award is the latest in a long list of accolades bestowed upon Phillips during, and after, his exemplary career. Phillips was named the NMPA Writer of the Year seven times, won the NMPA Joe Littlejohn Award in 1977, the IMHOF Henry T. McLemore Award in 1978, the Buddy Shuman Award in 1986 and the NMPA George Cunningham Award in 1988.
Phillips, who battled polio throughout his life, died in 2012 at the age of 74.
"Benny Phillips told the engaging stories that transformed our drivers into heroes, and with it developed a deserved reputation as a trusted confidant whose determination and affable personality made him a beloved fixture in the NASCAR garage," said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO. "Benny delivered the stories of our sport to millions of NASCAR fans on a daily basis through newspapers, books, magazines and television. This award has been given only to the giants of his industry, and unquestionably, Benny was exactly that."
Phillips penned four books, including Dale Earnhardts autobiography "Determined," which he co-authored with fellow NASCAR reporter Ben Blake.
Phillips was among eight nominees voted upon by a panel comprised of NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame executives, journalists, public relations representatives and former competitors. The Squier-Hall Award was created in 2012 to honor the contributions of media to the success of the sport. Legendary broadcasters Ken Squier and Barney Hall, for whom the award is named, were its initial recipients. Chris Economaki, Tom Higgins and Steve Byrnes have since won the award.
The other seven nominees were:
Norma "Dusty" Brandel:The first woman to report from inside the NASCAR garage.
Russ Catlin:One of the best-known early racing writers and historians, served as editor of "Speed Age" magazine.
Shav Glick:Covered motorsports for the Los Angeles Times for 37 years, bringing NASCAR coverage to the West Coast.
Bob Jenkins:Served as the lead NASCAR lap-by-lap anchor at ESPN from 1982-2000.
Bob Moore:Spent more than 20 years as a NASCAR beat writer including stints with the Daytona Beach News-Journal and The Charlotte Observer.
T. Taylor Warren:Best known for his three-wide photo of the 1959 Daytona500 finish, he covered every Daytona500 until his death in 2008.
Steve Waid:Covered NASCAR for more than 40 years for the Roanoke Times & World News, NASCAR Scene and NASCAR Illustrated.
