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Cyndi Lauper And Other National Anthem Disasters

Posted 9/12/11 10:06 am EST by in Music, Sports


Cyndi Lauper

Singers be warned: There is one song you are not allowed to mess up – "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Before this weekend's U.S. Open women's semi-final match between Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki in New York, Cyndi Lauper was tasked with singing the National Anthem and she didn't exactly do it justice. Wearing a short Statue of Liberty dress, Lauper started into the song following a moment of silence for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and flubbed the lyrics. Instead of singing, "O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming," Lauper sang, "O’er the ramparts, we watched as our flag was still streaming."

And people are not pleased about it. Twitter lit up soon afterward with none-too-kind comments for the eccentric singer, but she's far from the first to come under fire for botching "The Star-Spangled Banner." Read More...

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Gatorade Honors High School Athletes Of The Year Morgan Brian And Dylan Bundy

Posted 7/15/11 3:55 pm EST by in Sports


By Christina Garibaldi

Earlier this week MTV News hit up the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Awards Dinner, where twelve student-athletes from across the country were recognized for their achievements both on-and-off the field. Yet only two could take home the grand prize, and this year it went to soccer player Morgan Brian and baseball player Dylan Bundy.

Morgan became the first soccer player to receive the award in its nine-year history. “I’m the first soccer player to win it’” Morgan said after accepting the award. “So I wasn’t expecting it.” Morgan is headed to the University of Virginia next year, where we are sure she will continue to dominate the soccer field.

Dylan took home the male Athlete of the Year Award and his future is looking pretty bright. He was the fourth overall selection in the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft and you can see him next year on the mound pitching for the Baltimore Orioles.

“This is going to be my favorite award I’ve ever received,” Dylan said upon receiving the award.

And if that wasn’t enough, the two winners got to walk the red carpet at the ESPY Awards, rubbing elbows with some of the biggest names in sports—and Justin Beiber! Read More...

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Gatorade Honors High School Athletes Of The Year Brandon Knight And Chiney Ogwumike

Posted 7/15/10 2:00 pm EST by in Sports


At Wednesday night's (July 14) ESPY Awards, a cavalcade of famous athletes received awards for excellence in their respective sports. They included Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, World Cup hero Landon Donovan and Olympic skiing sensation Lindsey Vonn. But there were a pair of elite competitors who walked the red carpet last night who had already received their awards. And though you may not recognize their names now, you're sure to hear more about them in the future.

Brandon Knight and Chiney Ogwumike were the male and female winners of the 2010 Gatorade Athlete of the Year Award, which they scored at a special luncheon on Wednesday afternoon. They were joined by the other 10 finalists for the prize as well as great stars like Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love and WNBA legend Lisa Leslie.

Knight, a basketball star at Pine Crest High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida who is headed to the University of Kentucky in the fall, joins greats like LeBron James and Greg Oden as the only player to be named Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year twice, which puts him in awfully exclusive company. That doesn't intimidate Knight — in fact, it empowers him. "I don't think it's intimidating," Knight told MTV News. "I feel like if you do what you're supposed to do and work hard, then some day you'll achieve the status they have worked to achieve also. It could be intimidating, but it's really a motivational thing, to be honest." Knight, who considers himself a big fan of Drake and a devotee of the Miami Heat, not only put up insane numbers during his high school career (he averaged 32 points and nine rebounds while taking his team to the finals in his senior year) but also managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA and give back to his community through service at school and church.

Ogwumike's resumé is no less impressive. Also a basketball player, she lead her squad at Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas to a state championship while averaging 23 points and 13 rebounds (including 31 points and 18 boards in the state finals). In addition to the rest of the prizes and accolades she has received for her skills on the court, she managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA while also serving as Student Body President, vice president of her school's Civil Rights Club and giving back to her community through her church. While she appreciates the basketball accolades, it's the recognition of her service that really makes her proud. "This award honors academic excellence, athletic success and character. I think the character part is where I truly found myself," she told MTV News. "The charity work that I have done has really become a part of me, and I think it's wonderful that they recognize that as part of my success. That really has meant the most to me." Ogwumike is headed to Stanford to play basketball (in fact, she is already there at summer school) and was excited about meeting some of her idols. "On the court, I look up to Lisa Leslie, and she was actually seated right next to me at the luncheon. It was crazy!" she said.

Both of the young stars then walked the red carpet at the ESPY Awards and were honored guests at the ceremony. They haven't won any national championships or owned any college basketball records, but hoops fans will certainly be hearing their names for years to come.

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LeBron James' Big Night: On ESPN, With Kanye West, In Miami

Posted 7/9/10 11:00 am EST by in Sports


After months of preparation, speculation and predictions, the decision finally came down on Thursday night. LeBron James, perhaps the most coveted free agent in the history of the NBA (and maybe in all of professional sports), announced live on ESPN that he will be playing basketball alongside Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and the rest of the players of the Miami Heat. Though the details of his contract have not yet been disclosed (the same goes for the new deals for Wade and Bosh), it's certainly going to be lucrative, not only for LeBron but also for the Heat (who have now elevated themselves to one of the four or five teams in the NBA's most elite echelon) and the city of Miami.

James had quite a busy night, actually. The special — called simply "The Decision" — aired live on ESPN. Host Jim Gray discussed James' goals and motivations, and the superstar also spent some time talking about his work with the Boys and Girls Club of America (ESPN donated their national ad time money to the organization). Also present at the announcement? Kanye West, who wasn't involved in the show but did sit in the audience, presumably for moral support (though one would think West would be upset James didn't sign with his hometown Chicago Bulls).

Once the cameras stopped rolling, it wasn't over for LeBron. He jumped on a plane and headed for his new basketball home. Obviously, the fervor surrounding his arrival was great, and he was greeted as the latest superstar to call the southern tip of Florida home.

(Click here for more photos from LeBron James' big night, including scenes from "The Decision," his arrival in Miami and an appearance by Kanye West!)

What do you think of LeBron James' decision to go to Miami? Let us know in the comments!

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The Chicago Blackhawks Win The Stanley Cup

Posted 6/10/10 9:30 am EST by in Sports


Despite their unlikely surge through the playoffs, the Philadelphia Flyers fell to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night (June 9) in the sixth game of the Stanley Cup finals. They did not go quietly, as they delivered a game-tying goal late in the third period and a few hard-hitting minutes of overtime before Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane blasted the puck between the legs of Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton from an absolutely impossible angle and tucked it into the back of the net for the final goal of the NHL season. It's been a crazy year for Kane, who was also on the team that represented the United States at the Winter Olympics, so he now has a Stanley Cup win to go with his silver medal.

Along with the rest of his teammates on the Blackhawks, Kane will be getting his name inscribed on the Stanley Cup, the most iconic trophy in all of professional sports. It's a special prize because there exists only one (unlike other sports, where a fresh trophy is made every year, so there are currently dozens of Lombardi Trophies out there) and it's the same one that has been used since organized hockey was awarding prizes to champions. All of the greatest players in the history of the game — from Rocket Richard and Gordie Howe to Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux — have their names on the cup, and when official Stanley Cup handler Mike Bolt paid a visit to the MTV Newsroom (with the legendary trophy in tow), he gave us the rundown of the history of Lord Stanley's famous prize.

So congratulations to the Blackhawks, who last won the Cup in 1961. It's been a long time coming, and they certainly proved that they are the best team in hockey.

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How The Stanley Cup Made My Career

Posted 4/15/10 5:30 pm EST by in Sports


By Nick Neofitidis

The truth is I'm a spoiled brat. Even though MTV News doesn't pay me like a millionaire (I'm working on that, by the way), the perks that come with the job are pretty insane. I have been to Africa with 50 Cent, have partied with Young Jeezy and Rick Ross, interviewed everyone from Jessica Alba to Micky Rourke and have a photo album on Facebook that garners as much attention as it does haters. But nothing — and I really do mean nothing — compares to the most recent celebrity visit we had on Wednesday (April 14): Lord Stanley's Cup.

That's right sports fans! The most coveted trophy in all of sports made its way into the MTV Newsroom for a highly-anticipated visit. I was as giddy as a school boy about the visit and snapped enough photos to fill three albums. We were not allowed to hoist the trophy (that's reserved for the players, of course), but I pretty much got away with everything else.

Being a diehard New York Rangers fan, I naturally brought my Mark Messier jersey for the photo ops. I took close ups, wides and the classic hugging shot. Then just when you think I couldn't be more crazy, I went in for the kill and smacked a kiss on that trophy like it was 1994 all over again! I even managed to get a pencil carbon copy of the 1994 Rangers Stanley Cup Championship engraving (which features the names of New York hockey legends like Messier, Mike Richter, Brian Leetch and Adam Graves). Truthfully, there is only one way yesterday could have been sweeter and that would have been if I was able to go home and watch my team in the playoffs. It's a tortured life being a Rangers fan, but I'm confident that they'll be bringing the Cup back home sooner rather than later.

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The Stanley Cup: Inside Hockey's Holy Grail

Posted 4/15/10 1:45 pm EST by in Sports


On Wednesday night (April 14), the road to the Stanley Cup kicked off with the first batch of games in the NHL playoffs. The drama has already escalated, as the eighth-seeded Colorado Avalanche took the first game against the top-seeded San Jose Sharks, while the Ottawa Senators managed to upset the defending champion Penguins on their home ice in Pittsburgh. There are many more games to be played, but only one of the 16 squads who qualified for the playoffs will be able to hoist up the most coveted trophy in all of sports at the end of it.

As a warm-up, the Stanley Cup stopped into the MTV Newsroom on Wednesday. It was accompanied by Mike Bolt, one of four official "Keepers of the Cup" who brings the trophy around the world (it's on the road roughly 320 days out of the year, which is remarkable). The Cup was first presented in 1893 to the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association and became the top prize in the National Hockey League in 1926. It started out simply as the bowl at the top, but was re-designed several times to allow for every team and player to have their name etched on the trophy's lower rings.

But what happens when the names fill up the Cup entirely? Bolt, a cornucopia of Stanley Cup facts, schooled us on the science of the rings and pointed out exactly where this year's champion will sit once the playoffs come to an end.

The Stanley Cup has become something of a celebrity in its own right. It has "acted" on soap opera "Guiding Light" and primetime drama "Boston Legal," appeared at parties thrown by Maxim magazine, had dinner with Susan Sarandon (where it got a surprise visit from Mark Wahlberg, who happened to be in the restaurant) and apparently got crunk with Lil Jon. Who will get to party with the Cup once the playoffs wrap up? Will the Boston Bruins bring it back to Beantown, or is this the year the Washington Capitals break on through? Is San Jose for real? Only the Stanley Cup knows, and it isn't telling.

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The Stanley Cup Visits The MTV Newsroom

Posted 4/14/10 5:00 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Sports


We get a lot of special guests in the MTV Newsroom, from all-star rappers to big name film directors to chart-topping pop stars to hot young actresses. But today's special guest is over 100 years old and has been known to make grown men collapse and weep. One of the most beloved icons in all of professional sports, this special guest is about to go on a whirlwind tour of North America, and no matter what, it will still be standing once the final buzzer sounds in the last game of the championship series.

Who was our special guest? The Stanley Cup, the top prize in the National Hockey League and the most coveted and recognizable trophy in the history of organized athletics. To commemorate the beginning of the NHL playoffs (which start tonight on Versus), Mike Bolt — the official "Keeper of the Cup" — brought Lord Stanley's trophy to the Newsroom for a bit of history, a few great stories and the opportunity for plenty of Newsroom denizens (and hockey fans) to get their picture taken with the trophy.

It looks impressive on television, but up close, it's pretty remarkable. Forged out of silver and nickel alloy, the Cup stands about three feet tall and weighs a hefty 35 pounds (way larger than, say, the MTV Musical March Madness trophy). It wears the mark of its 117 years on its sleeve, as there are numerous dents and dings all along the upper bowl (the oldest portion of the trophy). Bolt is one of four "Keepers" who stays with the Cup and ushers it around the world (the prize is on the road roughly 320 days a year, according to Bolt). The modern NHL tradition dictates that every player on the championship team gets to spend a day with the cup, and Bolt told us about a number of his favorite cup sightings (though it's still not allowed to go to a strip club).

Stay tuned tomorrow for video of the conversation with Mike Bolt and more of the Stanley Cup, and be sure to check out all the NHL playoff action starting tonight.

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Merlin Olsen: A Tribute To A Man And His Beard

Posted 3/11/10 2:36 pm EST by in Sports


Early Thursday (March 11) morning, Merlin Olsen, Hall of Fame tackle for the Los Angeles Rams/"Little House on the Prairie" sidekick/FTD flowers pitchman/facial-hair pioneer/best dude named Merlin since, well, the original Merlin, died at a hospital in Duarte, California. He was 69 years old.

Born in Utah, Olsen starred as a defensive tackle at Utah State University, and was drafted by both the NFL and its upstart rival league, the AFL. He ended up signing with the NFL's Los Angeles Rams, where he would anchor one of the all-time great defensive fronts, the so-called "Fearsome Foursome." After an illustrious 15-year career, he retired and worked as a color commentator, and began a memorable run as Michael Landon's sidekick on "Little House on the Prairie." That led to other TV work, including a stint as a pitchman for FTD Florists (here he is rocking a pith helmet and hawking a rainbow-colored "Pick Me Up" bouquet in a 1987 spot) and a starring role on the short-lived drama "Father Murphy," with Olsen as the titular frontier friar.

He certainly wasn't the first athlete to make the jump to TV (he wasn't even the first football player of his generation to do so,) but he may were well have been the best. Despite his burly appearance — he was listed at 6-foot-5, 270 pounds — there was a warmth to his performances, a genial kindness. I can remember watching him on "Little House" as a kid and thinking that Merlin Olsen was a nice guy. And his beard was truly epic. It was velvety, yet rugged, the perfect blend of mountain-man and 1970's man about town. It was the kind of thing a young boy could aspire to. It made him look a friendly lion, or even a late-period Orson Welles.

It's no wonder that, in 2004's "Anchorman," Will Ferrell's Ron Burgundy — himself a fan of the facial hair — casually mentions that he is close friends with Olsen. It was a statement that carried a lot of weight. After all, Merlin Olsen was a nice guy. With a really nice beard. He will be missed.

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2010 Winter Olympics Wrap-Up: Katie Uhlaender Reflects On Closing Ceremony, Friend's Victory

Posted 3/2/10 11:30 am EST by in Sports


MTV News dispatched a team to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics, and not only got the inside scoop from some of the top athletes at the games but also made some friends along the way. We asked new pal skeleton participant Katie Uhlaender to write about her experience in Vancouver.

By Katie Uhlaender

The closing ceremony is always a moment of reflection. You think about all you have put into getting to the Olympic games, everything that happened, and are again presented with the opportunity to do it all over again. In the midst of all that, you have a mixture of emotions from all the athletes. For some, Vancouver was the last competition of their career, while for others it was a time of celebration in just making it or winning a medal. For a few, it was a huge disappointment to leave without having won.

As a member of Team U.S.A., it was a combination of disappointment, pride and inspiration for me. I obviously wish my competition had gone better, but when you consider everything the team has accomplished (37 total medals, the most any country has won in any Olympics in history), I was proud to be a part of that. There really are no words to express the pride I have in wearing U.S.A. at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

As the team gathered in the hockey arena to get ready to walk into the closing ceremony, I walked through the crowd to say goodbye to those I could and get pictures for proof of lasting memories. I hadn't seen my good friend [gold medal-winning bobsled driver] Steve Holcomb yet, and was texting him to try and find him. He is a friend that had been there for me through my father's death, drove up on weekends while I was unable to move or walk after shattering my knee cap and couldn't have a better understanding of how much it has taken for me to get to Vancouver. At the same time, I've been there for him through the complications of his sight loss, his possible retirement, girl troubles and the stress of competing on tour.

I finally saw him, standing there with his gold medal around his neck, and I was overwhelmed with emotion. I ran to him and gave the biggest hug ever. I told him, "Can you believe it? I couldn't be more proud of you." He looked at me and said, "You have no idea." At that point the wind must have blown or something and stirred up some dust, because both our eyes were filled with tears.

To watch one of my best friends win at the Olympics and to have been able to walk in both the opening and closing ceremonies with him as a part of Team U.S.A. is something I hope to experience again in Sochi. But next time, I hope our hug is accompanied by the clinking sound of both of our medals.

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