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Last night's fight was filled to the brim with celebrities and VIPs

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Mayweather-PacquiaoIt was a star-studded affair Saturday night as tons of celebrities and sports stars turned up at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to watch as Floyd Mayweather beat Manny Pacquiao in the fight of the century.

With only 900 ringside seats, many were filled with A-list names.

It all started when Jimmy Kimmel made a hilarious appearance in Pacquiao's entourage as he walked to the ring.

Jimmy Kimmel Manny Pacquiao Kimmel tweeted a photo of his outfit for the evening:

Mayweather, meanwhile, had Justin Bieber by his side before the fight.

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Jamie Fox sang the national anthem to an unimpressed crowd.

Jamie Fox fight vegasOther than Mayweather and Pacquiao, the biggest stars of the night were Beyoncé and Jay Z, who watched the fight ringside next to Mary J.Blige.

Beyonce Jay Z fight vegasDiddy and girlfriend Cassie also put on their finest for the fight.

Diddy Cassie fight vegasMike Tyson was there.

Mike TysonAnd Ben Affleck.

Ben Affleck"Birdman" star Michael Keaton attended with Sugar Ray Leonard.

Michael Keaton Sugar Ray leonardActor Jake Gyllenhaal sat ringside with director Antoine Fuqua and Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos.

Jake Gyllenhaal Ted SarandosHugh Dancy, Claire Danes, Bridgid Coulter, and Don Cheadle also had solid seats.

Claire Danes Don CheadleRobert De Niro was eager for the match to begin.

Robert De NiroNicki Minaj brought fiancé Meek Mill.

Nicki MinajRapper Lil Wayne arrived with girlfriend Christina Milian.

BLil Wayne Christina Milian fightDenzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua hugged it out.

Denzel Washington fightMichael Jordan looked calm with wife Yvette Prieto.

Michael Jordan wife yvetteAndre Agassi, with wife Steffi Graf, had more emotion. Check out that puka shell necklace.

Andre Agassi Steffi GrafTom Brady, fresh from the Kentucky Derby earlier that day, took time to chat with reporters.

Tom Brady boxingMichael Strahan let others do the talking this time.

Michael StrahanActor Liev Schreiber greeted fans.

Liev SchreiberMark Wahlberg was also in a friendly mood.

Mark WahlbergAdrien Brody smiled for the cameras.

Adrien BrodyClint Eastwood watched intently.

Clint EastwoodDiane Kruger and Joshua Jackson attended the Showtime and HBO VIP Pre-Fight Party.

Diane Kruger Joshua JacksonAs did Michael J. Fox.

Michael j foxParis Hilton is a clearly Pac fan.

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Drew Barrymore made it a date night with husband Will Koppelman.

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Others made it a star-studded night as they watched from home.

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SEE ALSO: Floyd Mayweather beats Manny Pacquiao in the fight of the century

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NOW WATCH: Here's how Floyd Mayweather spends his millions









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Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn break up after 3 years of dating — read their statements

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Toger Woods Lindsey Vonn

Championship golfer Tiger Woods and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn have ended their relationship after nearly three years of dating, the former couple announced separately Sunday night.

Vonn, 30, wrote on her Facebook page:

After nearly three years together, Tiger and I have mutually decided to end our relationship. I will always cherish the memories that we've created together. Unfortunately, we both lead incredibly hectic lives that force us to spend a majority of our time apart. I will always admire and respect Tiger. He and his beautiful family will always hold a special place in my heart.

Woods, 39, took to his personal website:

Lindsey and I have mutually decided to stop dating. I have great admiration, respect and love for Lindsey and I'll always cherish our time together. She has been amazing with Sam and Charlie and my entire family. Unfortunately, we lead very hectic lives and are both competing in demanding sports. It's difficult to spend time together.

The couple first announced they were dating via a Facebook post by Woods in 2012:

This season has been great so far and I'm happy with my wins at Torrey and Doral. Something nice that's happened off the course was meeting Lindsey Vonn. Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating. We thank you for your support and for respecting our privacy. We want to continue our relationship, privately, as an ordinary couple and continue to compete as athletes.

tiger woods lindsey vonn facebook post
Since then, the two were frequently spotted at each other's events.

As recently as last month, Vonn accompanied Woods to the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, where she was seen doting on Woods' son, Charlie, and daughter, Sam.

Lindsey Vonn Tiger Woods kids
Tiger Woods Lindsey Vonn In February, Woods supported Vonn after she crossed the finish line of the giant slalom in Red Tail Stadium at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Tiger Woods Lindsey Vonn He was also by her side at the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Downhill in December 2013 in Val d'Isere, France.

Tiger Woods Lindsey Vonn In July 2013, Vonn went with Woods to the 142nd Open Championship at Muirfield.

Tiger Woods Lindsey Vonn They first made their debut as a couple at the Met Ball in May 2013.

tiger woods and lindsey vonnThe relationship was Woods' first since his many affairs were revealed in 2009.

Vonn filed for divorce in November 2011, according to TMZ, and it was finalized in January 2013.

SEE ALSO: Lindsey Vonn put a real squirrel on Tiger Woods' neck

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NOW WATCH: Here Are The Handicaps For A Bunch Of Celebrity Golfers








There was a 'mole' in Manny Pacquiao's camp before the Mayweather fight

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pacquiao mayweather fight

In his news conference after his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao revealed that he fought with an injured right shoulder.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said the injury — which the Pacquiao promoter said was a torn rotator cuff — happened about a month ago and Pacquiao was denied a numbing injection by the Nevada State Athletic Commission before the fight.

The day after the fight, Pacquiao revealed something else in a news conference with Filipino media: Mayweather found out about the injury before the fight through a leak.

"You saw he was pulling my hand. He was doing that because he knew," he told Rappler.com. "He was pulling it. He was holding me, then he was targeting this. I'm sure he found out. Somebody leaked it to him. They knew."

Dashon Johnson, a Pacquiao sparring partner, wrote a Facebook post after the fight saying that not only was the shoulder injury legitimate, but it was supposed to be a secret. According to Johnson, he was even sent home because Pacquiao couldn't spar with the injury:

We were asked not to mention anything to anyone but yes Manny got hurt during this camp with his right shoulder and it was messed up pretty bad! So bad his sparring partners including myself were asked to go home a few weeks out before the actual fight, which means a lot of work he could have put in for this fight was brought to a halt due to the fact that he could not spar really anymore and didn't want to mess it up more than he already had.

It sounds as if Pacquiao's camp had trouble keeping things in-house before the fight. FightHype.com's Ben Thompson reported on the Friday before the fight that Mayweather's camp knew everything Pacquiao was doing leading up to the fight.

"According to an eyewitness close to Pacquiao's camp, intimate details of his training regimen, from how many rounds he sparred to how many times he used the bathroom, have been leaked over the past several weeks," Thompson reported.

Thompson added: "According to another source, much more information has been leaked; the type of detailed information that only those around him on a daily basis would know."

Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe seemed to acknowledge the Mayweather camp was getting leaked information from Team Pacquiao. In an interview with Yahoo's Kevin Iole before the fight, Ellerbe said: "Freddie Roach thinks he runs a tight camp, but I know everything that's happening there. I heard it's been a very rough camp. And now, I think it's dawning on Manny Pacquiao exactly what he's up against."

FightHype also points out that Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, told Seconds Out in mid-April that he had to send someone home from Pacquiao's training camp because the person had a preexisting connection with Mayweather. When asked to clarify whether there had been a mole in the camp, Roach said, "Yeah."

But even if Mayweather knew about the shoulder, did it matter?

Pacquiao fans criticized Mayweather for grabbing and clinching Pacquiao whenever he closed within striking distance. But that has always been Mayweather's style.

One of Mayweather's cleanest shots of the fight, which was made into a GIF by Deadspin, landed on Pacquiao's chin and right shoulder:

mayweather hits pacquiao shoulder

Mayweather won by a considerable margin. While he was criticized after the fight for his impeccable defense, he actually threw and landed more punches:

Pacquiao was always the underdog. The shoulder injury — and the fact Mayweather apparently knew about it — made his job tougher, but it's a stretch to say it was really the determining factor in the fight.

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NOW WATCH: Why Floyd Mayweather is impossible to beat








Why the San Antonio Spurs aren't going away anytime soon

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kawhi leonard

The San Antonio Spurs were eliminated from the playoffs by the Los Angeles Clippers in a thrilling Game 7 Saturday night that came down to a game-winning shot from Chris Paul.

The Spurs and Clippers were two of the best teams in the NBA this year — unfortunately, somebody had to go out in the first round.

While it's an early elimination for defending champion Spurs, they're set up perfectly to continue the unprecedented run of dominance that began in 1998.

With 10 players hitting free agency this summer, the Spurs have over $30 million in cap space and the opportunity to rebuild the team.

Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, at 39 and 37, respectively, are free agents, and though they both could continue playing for a year or two, they could also retire.

If they do retire, the Spurs could rebuild around a younger core while trying use cap space to attract top free agents.

This begins with Kawhi Leonard, who has taken his game to the next level. Leonard won Defensive Player of the Year this year and Finals MVP in 2014. He's a defensive menace at 23 years old and is beginning to take over on offense. The Spurs let him become a free agent this summer, but because he's a restricted free agent, the Spurs can (and almost definitely) will match any offer he gets.

With Leonard, Parker, Tiago Splitter, and Boris Diaw still under contract, the Spurs would still have a core group of players, plus a ton of roster flexibility and the ability to go after big-name free agents. LaMarcus Aldridge is expected to explore his options this summer, and as a Texas native, his name has been linked to the Spurs. They could also target Marc Gasol, arguably the best center in the NBA, who would fit the Spurs' offensive and defensive systems perfectly.

It's a very uncertain offseason for the Spurs. They'll likely have to settle the futures of Duncan and Ginobili before re-signing Leonard. After that, they can explore a number of different directions, potentially building around one of the best young players in the NBA, an experienced championship core, and another All-Star.

San Antonio has made the playoffs 18 years in a row, and they've somehow managed to set up a future where they can keep that streak alive.

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NOW WATCH: How LeBron James spends his money








Why there won't be a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch

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Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather

The latest Fight of the Century came and went on Saturday night with Floyd Mayweather Jr. beating Manny Pacquiao in an unanimous decision.

In boxing, a big, lucrative matchup is typically followed up by a bigger, even more lucrative rematch. If the fighters split the first two fights, all the better, because that means a third fight and more millions for the fighters and everybody involved.

But Mayweather-Pacquiao I was not your standard fight and there are several reasons there will never be a Mayweather-Pacquiao II.

The fighters waited too long.

Mayweather is 38. Pacquiao is 36.

If this fight had taken place five years ago or even three years ago, there would have been time to fit in a rematch. However, Mayweather has just one fight left on his contract with Showtime and Pacquiao's deal with Top Rank promotions and HBO expires at the end of 2016, which means he probably has just three fights left before he turns his attention to his many other interests.

Mayweather has made it clear that he his next fight will be his last and that he will soon relinquish his title belts.

One problem for Mayweather is that he has been upfront about no longer loving the sport. During a press conference prior to this fight, Mayweather said, "Do I love the sport of boxing like I once loved it? Absolutely not."

 Floyd Mayweather.

A rematch would be far too complex.

Nothing is ever easy in boxing where so many different sides must come together to stage a fight. The Mayweather-Pacquiao fight took those complexities to a new level and if not for the sheer anticipation of the fight and the money involved, it probably would have never happened.

While there was an agreement in place between the fighters months ago, the promoters did not reach an agreement with the MGM Grand casino until ten days before the fight, delaying the distribution of tickets and leading some to wonder if the fight would even take place.

On top of that, there was the unique situation where Mayweather (Showtime) and Pacquiao (HBO) were contracted to different pay-per-view providers, meaning the two rival networks had to work together and assume co-broadcasting roles.

Prior to the fight, HBO boxing commentator Jim Lampley, while pointing out both HBO and Showtime commentators were calling the fight, said it best, "You will probably never see this again."

But most importantly ...

Nobody wants a rematch.

This fight wasn't Marvin Hagler vs. Tommy Hearns where both fighters came straight out from the opening bell and tried to knock the other's head off.

With Mayweather's defensive genius, this fight was more of a chess match than many casual sports fans were ready for. The aesthetics of the match were further hampered by an unreported shoulder injury suffered by Pacquiao prior to the fight.

Many fans were left wondering why they had spent $100 for a fight with so little obvious action.

Even those close to the sport acknowledged that it wasn't an exciting fight.

Jeremy Schaap of ESPN called the fight "fairly boring."

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated called the it "a disappointment."

To make matters worse, Mayweather won the fight handedly and there is little reason to believe Pacquiao would fare much better in a rematch, a rematch that would not draw nearly as many pay-per-view buys.

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather says he made an extra $150 million by waiting five years for this fight. Pacquiao also more than doubled his take by turning down Mayweather's $40 million offer to fight in 2012.

It's a good thing they were able to maximize their earnings, because there won't be a chance to make even more on a rematch.

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NOW WATCH: Why Floyd Mayweather is impossible to beat








Motorsports Monday: Iran wants build a Formula One track on an island in the Persian Gulf

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Formula One Bahrain GPHere's everything you need to know about the wonderful world of motorsports this week.

The Iranian Government is planning to enter the world of Formula One

The head honcho of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization — Masoud Soltanifar — announced last week that the Middle Eastern nation intends to build a Formula One specification race track.

According to NBC Sports, Iran plans to build the facility on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Soltanifar believes the Qeshm Island facility, just across the Persian Gulf from the UAE, has the potential to be one of Formula One's more beautiful destinations, INRA reported.

This proposal is Iran's latest attempt at an F1 race track. A previous plan to build a facility near Tehran failed. There's no word whether F1 has any plans to organize a race in Iran.

Dale Earnhardt Jr NASCARJR. wins at Talladega!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. took his first victory of the season over the weekend at the Talladega Superspeedway. JR's #88 Chevy led 67 of 188 laps on his way to a narrow win over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson.

Pole sitter Jeff Gordon finished way back in 31st position after a pit lane speeding violation forced the #24 Chevy to the back of the pack with just 26 laps left. Series points leader Kevin Harvick maintained his grip atop the championship standings with a strong 8th-place finish.

Volkswagen Beetle RacingVolkswagen could be headed back to F1.

With the recent resignation of long-time VW Group chairman Ferdinand Piech, the company's prolonged self-imposed exile from Formula One may be coming to an end. 

According to BBC Sports, sources inside the German auto industry say that the only thing keeping VW Group's family of brands out of the sport was Piech's personal animus towards F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone. With Piech gone, the barriers to F1 seem to have lifted.

VW's Audi brand — enjoying a 15-year-reign over endurance sports car racing — has conducted a feasibility study on the prospects of F1. It is also believed that Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen's current CEO and Piech's likely successor, is a strong proponent of racing, Motorsports.com reported.

In the last year, Audi has quietly snapped up some serious F1 talent, hiring of former Scuderia Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali as well as ex-Williams/BMW engineer and race car designer Jorg Zander.

SEE ALSO: Motorsports Monday: NASCAR is investigating a massive pit lane fire that sent three people to the hospital

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The Jets didn't trade up for Marcus Mariota, and it worked out perfectly

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Leonard Williams

The New York Jets didn't get the quarterback that some thought they were going after in the NFL Draft, but they ultimately ended up with one of the best drafts of any team.

Leading up to the draft, the biggest mystery was whether or not the Tennessee Titans would trade the No. 2 pick to a team that wanted Marcus Mariota. The Jets, who owned the No. 6 pick, seemed to be in the best position to make a move since they had the best pick to offer in return.

At the end of the day the Titans kept the pick and selected Mariota — a move that now appears to have been the plan all along. It turned out to be the best thing to happen to the Jets. Instead of trading up, the Jets made what many analysts are calling two of the best picks in the draft.

1st round — Leonard Williams, DL (USC)

The big win for the Jets started early when they stayed at No. 6 and made a classic best-player-available pick, landing USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams, a player many had graded as the best player in the draft.

Defensive line was not considered a big need for the Jets. They already have two great players in Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson and a third very good player, Damon Harrison, in a 3-4 defense.

However, both Wilkerson and Harrison will be eligible for free agency next winter. In the meantime Williams can rotate in and learn before potentially becoming a full-time starter in 2016.

4th round Bryce Petty, QB (Baylor)

The Jets may not have landed Mariota, but they may have picked up the next-best thing in quarterback Bryce Petty.

Petty is more of a project than some of the other top quarterbacks in the draft. But by all accounts he has all the physical tools to be a successful NFL quarterback and the early feeling is that the Jets got a steal by nabbing him in the fourth round.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. on ESPN Radio explained why this was such a great pick for the Jets:

"They hit the jackpot with Bryce Petty. I think the Jets did what Buffalo could have done or what other teams should have done and taken Petty in the third round. They get him in the fourth and if Geno [Smith] is not the guy then you at least give your fans something, 'Two years down the road, we can have Bryce Petty.' Not this year, but the following year, why not? He is not going to be a 5-year project here."

The key here for the Jets is that they have a quarterback with experience in Geno Smith who can run the team in 2015.

With the Petty pick, the Jets can gave Smith one more year to show if he can be a playoff-caliber quarterback while Petty adjusts to the NFL, and then give Petty a shot if Smith doesn't show dramatic improvement.

Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, and Bryce Petty

Mariota can still turn out to be a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. But in the absence of making that move, the Jets made the best of the situation and still landed a good quarterback and maybe the best player in the draft.

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NOW WATCH: Why Floyd Mayweather is impossible to beat








Tampa Bay Bucs coach explains why Jameis Winston's off-field concerns didn't stop them from drafting him

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jameis winston bucs

Though the NFL world had long expected the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take Jameis Winston No. 1 overall in the NFL draft, the pick isn't without risks.

Winston was involved in several off-the-field incidents at Florida State.

Most seriously, he was investigated but never charged after being accused of sexual assault by a fellow student in 2013.

MMQB's Peter King wrote about the Bucs' decision to draft Winston. According to King, the Bucs hired a team of private investigators and spoke to more than 75 people during the investigation into Winston's off-field life.

The Bucs felt the investigation was thorough, and head coach Lovie Smith explained why they still decided to draft him:

"So we had some incidents in college about Jameis to consider. The crab legs, shooting BB guns, standing in the cafeteria and shouting things out. You know, you do stupid things sometimes when you’re 20, 21 years old. You get off track. You say later, ‘I wish I hadn’t done those things.’ But then there was a serious accusation we had to come to grips with. [The accusation that he sexually assaulted a Florida State student, Kinsman.] That was investigated three times. No charges were filed. I understand something happened. But when do you get to the point where you say, ‘We have to let the courts decide, and we abide by their ruling?’ They did not charge Jameis with anything. And at that point, I am going to make the judgment that I am not going to hold this incident against him."

Erica Kinsman, the former student who accused Winston of rape, is now suing him in civil court.

Smith went on to add, "I’m about second chances in life. You know when you do something at the age of 19 or 20, people tend to want to say about you that that’s who you are. And I don’t think what you do at 19 should dictate what you are, or who you are, for the rest of your life."

Winston will be under immense pressure to perform up to expectations on and off the field. The Bucs clearly think the investment was worth the risk.

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The NFL Draft was dominated by the state of Florida

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Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was the first named called at the NFL Draft, but neither the school nor the state were even close to being done.

Of the 256 players selected in the draft, 11 went to school at Florida State, tops among all schools. The University of Florida (8) and Miami (7) joined FSU among the top five. In all, 31 players were drafted from schools in the state of Florida, 12.1% of all players chosen.

Overall, 98 different schools had players chosen, with SEC schools leading the way with 54 players. They were followed by the ACC (47), Pac-12 (39), Big Ten (35), and Big 12 (25).

NFL Draft

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NOW WATCH: Here's how Floyd Mayweather spends his millions








Manny Pacquiao was denied treatment for his injured shoulder before the Mayweather fight because of a paperwork blunder

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manny pacquiao punched by mayweather

Floyd Mayweather defeated Manny Pacquiao in a unanimous decision in the biggest boxing match in decades on Saturday night.

Afterward, Pacquiao said he fought with an injured shoulder, and later added that he thought someone leaked information about the injury to Mayweather's camp so that Mayweather could attack it during the fight.

According to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, Pacquiao suffered a tear in a joint under his rotator cuff while sparring during training. Pugmire reports that Pacquiao could have received a numbing injection for it before the fight, but a paperwork snafu involving his promoter, Top Rank, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) prevented it.

According to Pugmire, Pacquiao received a cortisone shot to help the injury during training, and an orthopedist told his camp that the USADA would approve the treatment before the fight. However, the USADA never told the NSAC about the approved treatment, Pugmire reports, and when Pacquiao's camp requested the shot before the fight, the NSAC denied it because the injury wasn't reported to them beforehand.

NSAC chairman Francisco Aguilar told Pugmire, "If the injury was disclosed at the weigh-in, we could've had a conversation and handled it differently. When you come at 6:30 with the fight at 8, that's a different conversation."

According to Greg Logan of Newsday, Aguilar also said that a questionnaire given to Pacquiao and Mayweather before the fight asked about preexisting injuries, and Pacquiao said he had none:

"On that questionnaire, one question is: 'Do you have an injury in your shoulder?' He checked 'No.' Had he checked 'Yes,' our doctors could have followed up with additional questions. He could have shared the MRI with those doctors, and we could have figured out an opportunity for him to have the medication he claimed he needs."

Aguilar told David Mayo of the Grand Rapids Press that the injection could have been approved if Pacquiao's camp had told the NSAC about it earlier:

"These are not prohibited substances. But why they might be, on fight night, by the commission, is you want the fighter to enter the ring in a natural state. Had we known prior to (the fight), we would have sent any (exam results) over to the doctors to review and come up with a treatment plan for Mr. Pacquiao that is acceptable to commission doctors."

Pacquiao never tried to delay the fight in the days and weeks before because he thought he could get the injection on fight night, Pugmire reports.

manny pacquiao shoulder

Pacquaio told the LA Times about the injury:

"It felt like a needle was being stuck into my shoulder. I backed off because of the pain. It's very important to have confidence in your right and left, and when you're hurt, you're thinking about that, too."

When Mayweather was asked about Pacquiao's injury after the fight, he said, "I had injuries also going into this fight... Both of my arms was injured, both of my hands was injured, but like I said before, I will always find a way to win." 

The chances of a healthier rematch are slim, however. Mayweather said he only plans to fight one more time before retiring. His manager and father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., said a rematch wouldn't be necessary because the results would be the same.

Many people feel the fight happened several years too late, with both boxers already on the decline. Pacquiao's injury now raises questions of how he would have faired in the fight had he at least been healthy.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Floyd Mayweather is impossible to beat








Somebody made a fantastic Nintendo re-creation of Saturday's 'Fight of the Century'

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What happens when you replace Nintendo classic "Punch-Out!!" character Little Mac with Manny Pacquiao, and ear-biting boxing champion Mike Tyson with notoriously bad person Floyd Mayweather?

You get this hilariously sad video, care of the folks at Noober Goober Gaming.

They recreated the fight in all its glory for a YouTube product all of us born in the 80's will love:

Punch Out Gif1

And then some choice words from the two fighters in all its NES glory:

Punch Out Gif2

Here's the full video for your throwback pleasure:

SEE ALSO: Why there won't be a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch

AND: Manny Pacquiao: 'I thought I won the fight. He didn't do nothing'

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Stephen Curry — the NBA's MVP — has the biggest bargain contract in the league

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Stephen Curry

Three years after injuries threatened to derail his career, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is the NBA's MVP.

Though Curry was an immediately productive player upon entering the league in 2009 — an elite shooter and crafty ball-handler who looked like a borderline perennial All-Star — he struggled to stay on the court in his third year.

In 2011-12, Curry played just 26 games and was having recurring ankle problems. By the 2012 season, he'd already had two offseason ankle surgeries, and there were worries that his career would be cut short if the issues were chronic.

Despite these worries, the Warriors and Curry agreed to a four-year, $44 million extension in October 2012. Even though it was well below the maximum extension of five-years, $80 million that Curry was eligible for, the contract was considered a risk.

Grantland's Zach Lowe glowed about Curry's potential in a post about the extension, but called it a "huge bet" because "nobody has any idea if he can stay on the floor."

ProBasketball Talk's Brett Pollakoff said at the time, "The deal seems like a better one for Curry than it does for the Warriors on the surface, as the team is betting all that money that Curry’s ankle problems are a thing of the past, and that he can once again be a productive player who missed only 10 games combined over his first two NBA seasons."

Pollakoff spoke to then Warriors GM Bob Meyers, who said of the extension: "Time will tell, but we felt like obviously we put $44 million dollars on the table (to show) that we believe in him. It’s a big belief in his health; you can bet against it or you can bet on it, and we decided to bet on it."

Now, the combined $23.4 million Curry will make over the next two seasons is the best bargain in the NBA. Not only is Curry the NBA's MVP, he's the most dangerous shooter in the league — a player capable of blowing up any defensive scheme and taking over any game at any time.

His contract gives the Warriors a huge advantage going forward. Curry isn't even their third-highest player going forward. The Warriors' nucleus of Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bogut, and Draymond Green (assuming they re-sign him this offseason) will all make eight-figure salaries going forward, but with the huge camp jump in 2016 and 2017, the Warriors should have the ability to add even more talent around that group.

That advantage will end for the Warriors in 2017 when Curry becomes a free agent and re-signing him will cost them over $30 million per season. In the meantime, the Warriors took a gamble on a promising, but risky prospect and came out far on top.

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NOW WATCH: How LeBron James spends his money








Manny Pacquiao's hidden shoulder injury is turning into a complete debacle

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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao

The more we learn about Manny Pacquiao's right shoulder injury, the uglier it looks for all sides involved.

The shoulder injury Pacquiao suffered before his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. was much more serious than it initially sounded, and it turns out Pacquiao will need surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.

While the immediate effect of the surgery is to sideline Pacquiao for up to a year and eliminate the already-dim hopes for a rematch with Mayweather, who won Saturday's match by unanimous decision, the injury has caused a further mess as people try to figure out who knew about it, why it wasn't reported, and why Pacquiao was denied treatment before the fight.

According to Dashon Johnson, one of Pacquiao's sparring partners, the injury occurred a "few weeks" before Saturday's fight and was so significant that the sparring partners were sent home because Pacquiao couldn't fight with the injury. Johnson said he was instructed to keep it a secret.

Despite supposedly being unable to fully train in the weeks before the fight, Pacquiao signed a medical questionnaire "under penalty of perjury" at the weigh-in with a check mark "No" next to the question, "Have you had any injury to your shoulders, elbow, or hands that needed evaluation or examination?"

Here is that form via Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports.

Manny Pacquiao pre-fight medical

The head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) told the Associated Press that Pacquiao either "made a terrible mistake to not follow the rules or they were trying not to give information to the other side."

If Pacquiao were trying to keep the injury hidden from Mayweather, it may have been a futile move as there is evidence a "mole" in Pacquiao's camp leaked information to Team Mayweather prior to the fight. If true, Mayweather almost certainly knew about the injury.

Further complicating matters, according to a statement released by the Pacquiao promoter Top Rank, Pacquiao's side did notify Usada about the injury and had treatment approved including possible injections of Toradol (a non-steroidal prescription medication) and lidocaine (designed to numb the area of the injury).

The approval for those treatments was received from Usada "at least five days before the fight."

The Nevada State Athletic Commission, however, told the Los Angeles Times it was not made aware of the treatment plan and blocked the injections on the night of the fight. Chairman Francisco Aguilar said there was no proof of injury and he was not comfortable allowing Pacquiao to fight with a numbed shoulder, as that could make an existing injury worse.

A last-minute appeal that included confirmation of the treatment from the chairman of Usada was denied.

While Top Rank says the shoulder did improve leading up to the fight, Pacquiao reportedly was not 100% on the night of the fight, and he later told the Times he reinjured the shoulder in the fourth round of the fight.

Aguilar also said the Nevada state attorney general's office would look into the matter and that Pacquiao could face disciplinary action, including fine or suspension, for not accurately answering the questionnaire before the fight, according to an AP report.

Pacquiao's camp contended that its fighter was not making excuses for his performance. This mess, however, does raise the question about whether the fight should have been postponed and whether the viewing and betting public were deceived to keep the richest bout of all time on schedule.

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Nike blew the door wide open for Under Armour's success

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steph curry

Before Stephen Curry was Under Armour's biggest star, he was rejected by Nike.

Nike passed over the basketball star twice, Darren Rovell at ESPN reports.

"Two years ago, Nike had a chance to pay Curry a lot of money and lock him up for the future. After offering less than $2.5 million a year, Nike had a second chance — this time to match Under Armour's new offer," Rovell writes. "Unsure that Curry would ever be able to sell signature shoes, Nike let him go."

Curry, who on Monday was named the NBA's 2014-2015 MVP, is proving that Nike underestimated him.

The athlete's Under Armour shoe, Curry One, is "essentially sold out, save for sizes 14, 15, and 16," according to ESPN.

The Curry One is also the best-selling item on Under Armour's website.

Under Armour executives tell ESPN Curry has a "unique blend" that appeals to customers.

under armour curry one

"On the court, he plays basketball like it's a video game and someone young players can, and want to, emulate because of his size, handle, shot, strong work ethic, and basketball IQ," an executive said. "Off the court, his humility, authenticity, and leadership style are qualities that fans of all ages appreciate and respect."

The company has also scored notable endorsement deals with boxing legend Muhammad Ali and golf champion Jordan Spieth.

Under Armour is the second-largest US sportswear company behind Nike, with more than $3 billion in revenue last year.

The brand still has only a fraction of Nike's $28 billion in annual revenue.

Nike and Under Armour Revenue

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Blake Griffin is putting it all together, and suddenly the Clippers look like title contenders

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blake griffin

The Los Angeles Clippers have won three-straight playoff games thanks in large part to Blake Griffin, who has taken his game to a new level.

The Clippers staved off elimination in a Game 6 in San Antonio, knocked off the Spurs in Game 7, and stole Game 1 from the Rockets in Houston Monday night without Chris Paul, giving them homecourt advantage in the second round.

In these three huge wins, Griffin has been a monster. He's averaging 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game while shooting 50% from the field and 90% from the free throw line.

In the playoffs, Griffin already has three triple-doubles — one less than his career total in five NBA seasons.

Basketball Insider's Tommy Beer put Griffin's postseason into context:

Griffin's postseason explosion comes after a regular season that saw him regress in many statistical categories — points per game, field goal percentage, rebounds, steals, and blocks — from the season before. When Griffin missed 15 games with a staph infection in his elbow, the Clippers continued to play well, causing some people to question how integral he was to their team going forward.

He's left no question about that in these playoffs. With Griffin on the floor, the Clippers have outscored opponents by over six points per 100 possessions, a big number when considering how close their seven-game series with the Spurs was. When Griffin is on the bench, the Clippers are getting clobbered — their defensive rating has plummeted to 132.1 and they've been outscored by 32 points per 100 possessions.

Doc Rivers has been forced to play Griffin heavy minutes due to the Clippers' weak bench. Griffin is averaging 41 minutes per game in these playoffs and he's played an NBA-high 328 minutes in the postseason. The fatigue may have caused him to make big-time blunders in losses to the Spurs — a last-second turnover in Game 2 and missed free throws in Game 5 — but they shouldn't overshadow how important he's been.

Griffin's offensive versatility in the playoffs has been huge for the Clippers. He's put to rest fears from the regular season that he's become too reliant on jump shots and doesn't attack the rim the same way he did his first four years in the league.

According to Basketball-Reference, in the regular season, 33% of Griffin's shots came from 0-3 feet, 19% came from 3-10 feet, and 38% came from 16 feet to the three-point line. In the playoffs, Griffin has distributed his shots more evenly, taking 38.5% of his shots from 0-3 feet, 23% from 3-10 feet, and 24% from 16 feet to the three-point line. While his shooting percentages have dipped, a common occurrence in the playoffs, his mixture of moves make him more difficult to defend.

He's unstoppable going to the rim:

Blake Griffin dunk on Aron Baynes

While the Spurs lacked the athletic, mobile bigs to stay in front of Griffin, the Rockets match up better. Still, Griffin remains bigger and stronger than any of the Houston's power forwards, so he can use those advantages in the post:

Blake Griffin post up Rockets

And with Griffin becoming a force around the basket and a reliable midrange shooter, he's opening up shots for his teammates.

Blake Griffin pass Spurs 

The above clip is an example of poor rotations by the Spurs, but Griffin passes up an okay midrange shot for a great shot from Chris Paul.

Here, Griffin makes a terrific fake pass to a cutting DeAndre Jordan and finds a wide open Austin Rivers. The Rockets will grant Rivers, a career 32% three-point shooter, open shots, but you can't ask Griffin to get him a better look:

Blake Griffin pass Rockets

Clippers forward Matt Barnes described Griffin's dominance to USA Today's Sam Amick:

"Ooh, man. He's the best player on the court every night, and I think he knows that. That's big for us. I think he had so much so fast (earlier in his career) that the world expected (too much) and it's been a learning process. He's definitely one of the best players, and the best player on our team. His maturity, to know when to attack, to know when to make plays, to really be a legitimate point forward and put pressure on the other team, playing both ends. He's been big for us."

Griffin has been carrying the Clippers. They managed to beat a deep Spurs team that most people considered the second-best team in the West. Despite an abysmal bench, L.A. still managed to beat the Spurs twice in a row in Games 6 and 7 to win the series.

That the Clippers were able to steal Game 1 from the Rockets on the road without Paul bodes poorly for the Rockets. The Clippers shifted homecourt back in their favor, and theoretically, should be even better when Paul plays again. If the Clippers can push past the Rockets, they'll face the Golden State Warriors, the heavy favorite to win the title. Golden State beat the Clippers three times to one in the regular season. In addition, Draymond Green is one of the only players in the NBA that can match up with Griffin. With the Warriors' hounding defense and Green's versatility, the Clippers will have to be creative in opening up space for Griffin, and they'll need a good dose of Griffin's versatility to power them through.

There's reason to believe Griffin could make that series competitive, particularly if Paul is healthy.

If the Clippers were ever worried that the Paul-Griffin-Jordan trifecta wasn't good enough to compete for a title, they should be relieved. While they will likely need a much-improved bench to truly compete for the championship, they're standing on the doorstep, and Griffin is a huge reason why.

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Floyd Mayweather says he'd fight Manny Pacquiao in a rematch in 2016

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mayweather pacquiao unanimous decision

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is open to a rematch against Manny Pacquiao.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith says Mayweather sent him a text message on Tuesday saying, "I will fight him in a year after his surgery."

Pacquiao is expected to be sidelined for nine to 12 months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. The injury occurred weeks before the Mayweather fight, and there are widespread questions about how it affected the fight and why it wasn't disclosed before May 2.

There are a multitude of reasons to be pessimistic about a rematch happening. The issues that prevented the fight from happening for six years to begin with are still there: the two fighters are repped by different cable networks, promoters, and managers. There's also Mayweather's stated desire to retire in September.

Most importantly of all, no one is clamoring for the rematch the way people were clamoring for Mayweather-Pacquiao I for the better part of a decade. Mayweather's win was so total and aesthetically displeasing that, as Mayweather's father said, there's no reason to believe the second fight would be any different.

There's only one reason think we'll get a rematch: money. 

Mayweather-Pacquiao II wouldn't break pay-per-view and revenue records like Mayweather-Pacquiao I is expected to, but it'd still be a huge fight. Even if half as many people buy the fight on pay-per-view, it'd still be the richest fight of the year.

As Mayweather Sr. said, a rematch is unnecessary. But that doesn't mean it won't happen if both sides want one last big check before retiring.

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Business Insider is hiring an experienced sports reporter

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Business Insider is looking for a reporter to join our sports team.

This job is for someone who cares about sports, loves telling smart, compelling stories, and has a knack for finding original angles on the biggest stories in sports.

The sports reporter will:

  • Write about the NFL, NBA, and other big leagues.
  • Cover major events like the Olympics and World Cup.
  • Write several succinct posts a day while simultaneously working on longer features and slideshows.
  • Occasionally cover important sporting events on nights and weekends.

The ideal candidate should be a strong writer, have 1-3 years of experience in a newsroom, have an understanding of digital media, and love sports. Knowledge of a wide variety of sports is an asset, as is experience with social media and basic Photoshop skills.

Interested? Submit your resume and a cover letter HERE.

Please note: This job requires that you work full-time from our Manhattan headquarters. Business Insider offers competitive compensation packages complete with benefits. 

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Stephen Curry gave up millions because he didn't think he was ready for the NBA in 2008

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Stephen Curry

In 2008, Stephen Curry made the decision to stay in college, passing up millions in the NBA Draft, and it turned out to be a great move for the NBA's newest MVP.

In March 2008, Curry led Davidson to the Elite 8, where they lost to eventual national champion Kansas 59-57.

Curry, who caught fire during the tournament, had become a national sensation. Rather cashing in on that newfound fame with an immediate jump to the NBA, Curry came out the day after the Kansas game and announced that he would return to Davidson for his junior season.

Not only was Curry passing up the chance to earn millions in the 2008-09 season, he was also bucking one of the biggest reasons young players enter the NBA Draft even before they are ready. That is, they want to get to the NBA as soon as possible in order to get to their potentially more lucrative second contract sooner.

But Curry saw the bigger picture. When he made his announcement, his reasoning was simple.

"I don't think I'm ready," he said at the time.

The biggest issue was that Curry had spent his first two seasons at Davidson playing shooting guard with the older Jason Richards running the point.

Prior to announcing his return to Davidson for his junior year, one scouting report from DraftExpress.com praised Curry's shooting ability but projected him as a career backup guard in large part because he was too small to be a shooting guard and nobody knew if he could play point guard:

"He can be prone to having his shot blocked, which is due to his size just as much as it’s due to him having to take so many closely contested shots every game ... There are many question marks surrounding his game at the next level, ranging from his size to his position to how his skills will translate in general, but his talent, clutch ability, and the intangibles he brings to the table are undeniable. It’s tough to project his role at the next level at this stage of his development, but even without dramatic improvement, a Jannero Pargo or Juan Carlos Navarro type role is not very much of a stretch. If he improves on his point guard skills or grows another inch or two while adding some strength, full-fledged careers at either the PG or SG position are not out of the picture."

Stephen Curry

The next season, Davidson failed to reach the NCAA Tournament, losing in the second round of the NIT, and Curry fell off the radar of most fans. However, he had accomplished what he returned to school to do.

Curry was now a point guard and much more valuable to NBA teams.

Eleven months after their previous report on Curry, DraftExpress.com was singing a different tune and praising his decision to return to school.

"The biggest revelation of this season is the relative ease in which Curry has converted to the point guard position. Still obviously possessing a shoot-first mentality, Curry has looked fairly unselfish running his team’s offense, displaying excellent court vision and a real knack for getting teammates involved (relative to the team’s situation). He does a good job on the pick and roll, and is a much more creative passer than we were previously able to see, capable of handling the ball with either hand and being very adept at playing at different speeds. Although he’s probably never going to be a pure playmaker in the Steve Nash or Chris Paul mold, he plays the game at an excellent pace, looks extremely poised at all times, and appears to show a good enough feel for the game to at least develop into a capable facilitator."

That sounds an awful lot like the Curry we see today. By staying an extra year, Curry went from being a mid- or late-first-round pick to the sixth pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Injuries ultimately slowed his progress and the Warriors were able to extend Curry with what has turned out to be the biggest bargain contract in the NBA in 2012. But at the same time, Curry was able to avoid being pigeon-holed into being a back-up role player and is instead the NBA's reigning MVP.

Stephen Curry

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