This Week in Sports – NHL Referees Being Paid Off?!

BY MARCEL MARIAK

Tennis: Fans Devastated – Serena Williams withdraws from Miami Open.

Tennis fans around the world were left shocked and disappointed last week when women’s tennis icon, Serena Williams, announced she would be pulling out of the upcoming Miami Open. Citing oral surgery as the reason, Williams becomes the latest tennis celebrity to retire from the competition.

Having won the Miami Open a record eight times already, tennis fans around the globe were excited to see if Williams could add another tally mark to her dominant career; unfortunately, they’ll have to wait another year. Williams released a statement about her upsetting absence, “Miami is a special tournament for me because it’s my home. I am sad I won’t be able to see the incredible fans this year, but I look forward to coming back soon.”

Hockey: Mic’d Up Madness – Are NHL referees being paid to fix games?
Sports are more than just a game. For some, they are part of their culture. For others, they’re a way to bond with family. But for others, like sports gamblers and club managers, sport is serious business. As such, it’s no surprise that there have been elaborate cheating schemes concocted in the past to fix matchup results and swindle the system. During a game between the Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings, a broadcasting error may have uncovered a league-wide match-fixing conspiracy!

As the game broadcast was going to a commercial break during the second period, the referee, Tim Peel’s, Mic’d Up microphone was momentarily broadcasted live. While the broadcast was quickly cut out, it had played long enough for everyone to hear the referee make a concerning comment, “It wasn’t much but I wanted to get a [explicit] penalty against Nashville early in the…” NHL fans were immediately furious after hearing this broadcast. Not only does it seriously harm the integrity of the game, but it also poses a bigger, more ominous question: if referees were biased in this game, how many other games are being fixed? Was this a one-off comment, or is there a serious fraud conspiracy in the NHL? And if so, who’s involved?

Basketball: LeBron James Injured – Postseason position hangs in the balance!
Just when Lakers fans thought things couldn’t get much worse, their star player, LeBron James, sustained a game-injury. With Anthony Davis getting a calf-strain just weeks prior, and the Lakers in an intense post-season positioning battle, the last thing the team needed was another injured all-star.

In a game against the Atlanta Hawks, James was forced to retire from the match in the second quarter. During a scramble for the ball, Hawks shooting guard Solomon Hill tripped and fell on James’ leg, twisting the all-star’s ankle in the process. Despite clearly being in a good amount of pain James stayed in the game for one more play, sinking a 3-pointer from the corner before leaving the court and retiring from the game. Post-game x-rays showed no bone damage, but an MRI scan revealed that James had a severely sprained ankle. Initially, LeBron’s medical suspension was indefinite but it was eventually announced that he would be missing for at least a couple of weeks.

With the Lakers now fighting hard for a good post-season position, LeBron’s absence from the court will certainly be felt by the team and it may throw a wrench into the gears of their playoff game plan.

Boxing: Tyson v. Holyfield 3 – The date is almost official!
Unless you’re a boxing historian, you’ll be hard-pressed to think of a rivalry more prolific than that of Tyson v. Holyfield. Not only are the two warriors both legends and icons of the sport, but their previous bouts are also steeped in controversy. When the two last met in the ring over two decades ago, their matchup went down in history as one of the famous boxing bouts ever. Appropriately dubbed ‘The Bite Fight’, the bout ended by disqualification when Tyson bit a part of Holyfield’s ear off during a clinch.

Unsurprisingly, the boxing community was outraged by Tyson’s actions in the ring and the fight gained massive notoriety as a result.

Now, despite their controversial past, the two icons are looking to step into the ring for one final showdown! Although both boxers are reportedly looking towards the bout, recent reports from Holyfield’s camp stated that Tyson rejected an AUD$32 million offer (equivalent to CAD$3,057,315). Despite this, the 54-year-old Tyson claims that he is very close to signing the paperwork and making his fight with Holyfield official, “The only thing we have to do is get some small, fundamental paperwork done and then it’s all to the races for me and Evander.”