Mayweather Arrested, Team USA Advances, Saints Beat Vikes, & Other Headline Truths

TheDailySportsHerald.com presents our quick truths on today's top headlines in the world of sports. The truth shall set you free . . .

#6
HEADLINE: Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Arrested for Grand Larceny
TRUTH: Money May cannot seem to stay out of his own way.

First, he goes off on an ignorant, trash-talking rant designed to grab himself a little attention, only to later issue a quick apology after realizing that his insults toward Asians could cost him some endorsement money. Now he picks up an arrest after some baby mama drama in which he allegedly took his ex-girlfriend's iPhone and was physically abusive.

All this means one thing for boxing fans: Pacquiao-Mayweather should definitely happen sometime in 2011.

Between the IRS, the lawyers, and the overall drop in his income, Mayweather will need Pacquiao for another big payday. When only legacy was involved, Mayweather hesitated and the fight fell apart. Now that there is a financial need, expect this long-awaited superfight to happen.


#5
HEADLINE: Lithuania Eliminates Argentina in the 2010 FIBA World Championships, 104-85
TRUTH: With Spain, Greece, Brazil, and Argentina all out of the tournament, the road to the gold just got much easier for Team USA.

Meanwhile, Argentina should not hang their heads over their early exit. Playing without star guard Manu Ginobili and gritty forward Andres Nocioni, Argentina won perhaps the game of tournament with their 93-89 defeat of traditional rival Brazil. Argentina's Luis Scola thus far has been the player of the tournament, averaging 27.8 points per game.


#4
HEADLINE: New Orleans Saints Defeat the Minnnesota Vikings, 14-9
TRUTH: The NFL's season-opener was a far cry from the high-scoring thriller that these two teams played in last season's NFC Championship game. Both squads revealed room for improvement, as the Saints' special teams bungled two field goals, and Brett Favre looked out-of-sync with his receivers.

What we ultimately learned is that the Saints D is still effective, and that the Vikings offense will struggle this season without receiver Sidney Rice.

With Rice out of the lineup, Favre often relied on tight end Visanthe Shiancoe as his go-to guy. However, when Shiancoe began to get some extra attention from the defense, nobody else could step up with any consistency. Favre and Percy Harvin were not on the same page for much of the evening, and Minnesota managed only two scores.


#3
HEADLINE: Beckham Expected to Return to the Galaxy in September
TRUTH: Maybe the MLS' Beckham "experiment" has worked somewhat after all. Despite Beckham being out of the lineup with a torn Achilles, the Galaxy's attendance numbers have dropped little, if at all. Certainly Landon Donovan, the team's winning record, and the recent World Cup are all factors in that support, but so is the higher national profile that Beckham has provided.

Expect Beckham to be brought along very slowly, playing 15-20 minutes at most during his first two to three games.


#2
HEADLINE: Ron Artest Speaks Out for Mental Health Treatment and Awareness
TRUTH: This headline may be a punchline waiting to happen, but regardless of how the mainstream press views him, Artest undeniably is doing some great stuff here.

Artest is one of the few athletes who will honestly speak his mind and reveal his own vulnerabilities. Artest has undergone psychological counseling since his teenage years, and thus, he can provide young people with a first-hand perspective of how to deal with mental health issues. Moreover, his advocacy of non-medication, talk-oriented treatment, is a conservative, low-key approach that should appeal to those students grappling with life's problems.

Artest has even stated that he might sell his coveted championship ring in order to generate funding for mental health services. At a time when LeBron James and many other NBA stars live in an ego-filled bubble, clueless as to the world around them, it is refreshing to see Artest's depth of commitment on this important issue.


#1
HEADLINE: Team USA Defeats Russia, 89-79
TRUTH: On the 38th anniversary of one of the most infamous - some might say fixed - basketball games in history, Team USA exacted some revenge on Russia with a 89-79 victory.

The U.S. was led by Kevin Durant's 33 points, 19 of which came in the first half. Chauncey Billups also contributed 15 points, including 4 treys, while Lamar Odom grabbed 12 boards.

But it was reserve guard Russell Westbrook who really turned the game in the Americans favor with a big second half.

Westbrook poured in 10 of his 12 points in the second half with some thunderous breakaway dunks, a timely steal, and a spot-up three. His energy and athletic forays to the hole gave the U.S. a much-needed spark, allowing them to pull away from the defensively-sound Russians.

As for that '72 game, some of the lessons learned from that day have been implemented with this current team.

In '72, the Americans failed to bring their best, as UCLA star Bill Walton was not a team member. Today, USA Basketball tries to field a quality squad of 12 NBA players, albeit one that is somewhat undersized in this case.

In '72, Head Coach Hank Iba insisted on playing a slow, ball-control offense despite the Americans' superior athletic advantage over their competition. Today, there are no such mistakes, as this current team lives off its superiority in transition.

Of course, the incompetency of FIBA officials is one thing that has yet to change.

By Mike Elliott
Staff Editor for TheDailySportsHerald.com