The footage here is a bit grainy, but not so grainy as to convince me that this video isn't what it purports itself to be. And that is... a beer chugging contest in Beijing between Yao Ming and Canadian mountain biker Geoff Kabush.

Well... OK... it doesn't hurt that Kabush recounts the story in this diary entry on Cyclingnews.com.

I'm not going to lie to you, Yao's better at this than I figured. I've analyzed the footage like it was the friggin' Zapruder Film, and I'm still not sure who won. Yao gets his cup down first, and Kabush doesn't even try to set his on the ground, but it almost looks as though they both finished at the same time. Neither of them crushes the cup against his head when they're done, so I'm really not sure if this can even be classified an officially sanctioned contest (also: poor form). Someone raises a red and white flag just before the images descend into chaos, but there's hardly enough evidence to declare a winner based on this tape alone. Rematch? See for yourself.

[Hat Tip to Gheorghe: The Blog, Deadspin]

OK, so I can't actually tell from any of the most recent pictures whether Ricky Williams sporting a bad-ass Grizzly Adams right at this moment-- and, I mean, what am I going to do, sit through a Dolphins game to find out?-- but I do know that he likes weed. Why? Because he said so. To the Miami Herald. (Well, that and all the failed drug tests, but, uh... just go with me on this.)

Now don't get all "but he's clean!" or "isn't he drug tested nine times a month?" on me. That's very much true-- and speaking of inexplicable honesty, he also said that he likes "the testing guy" who comes to his house nine times a month to watch him take a piss-- but just because he likes it doesn't mean he indulges himself. Or so he claims.

In fact, all that he told the Herald was that he was tempted to get high during the Dolphins' recent bye week. But still! It's amazing that a guy who's been in the NFL's substance abuse program more times than he's shaved in the last four years could be so cavalier and honest about this stuff... and more importantly, it's really amazing how much Ricky likes weed. I mean, really amazing.

"I'd be lying if I said I'm never going to do it again after I'm done," he says.

OK, sure, maybe it's just the when you piss in a cup nine times a month, you really don't have anything to hide. Er... but... come on! You know what it is!

Ah yes, training camp is here. A time to envision best-case injury scenarios (see O'Neal, Jermaine), players seizing their new opportunity as starters (see Calderon, Jose) and youngsters finally living up to their potential (see Mago, Il).

Yesterday was Media Day, and this shot taken of O'Neal and Chris Bosh has me positively titillated at the thought of the two of them working together under the basket this season. Looks like CB4 is turning on that Clooney-class charm in a effort to make J.O. feel at home. Bosh's gregariousness, combined with Cabbie rolling out of the welcome mat for O'Neal at our street party (it's at the end of the video), should make the low-post stud feel as embraced in Toronto as Doug Gilmour's jock strap.

In case you didn't know, there's no shortage of witty, irreverent and informative Raptor Blogs on the internets. Here's some linkage to a few of our faves.

• Scott Carefoot's Raptorblog is back after an 18-month hiatus. He's currently profiling each individual Raptors player. The Jason Kapono entry is comedy gold.
• The Arsenalist checks in with his take on Media Day, calling out Bryan Colangelo for - and I quote - "some pure horseshit".
• Dino Nation Blog has heaps of quality writing over the last two days, including nuggets on Sam Mitchell's laser eye surgery and a bulkier Andrea Bargnani
• RaptorTalk has a list of the top ten "If's" that need to happen for the Raptors to make a serious run in the 2008-09 season.
• You can listen to media day scrums with Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal at Hoops Addict. Be sure to check out their interview with new Raptor Hassan Adams as well.
• You may have read about how Sam Mitchell is giving up the art of cursing. If you're looking for some more comedy gold, check out the "10 Things That Will Make Sam Mitchell Swear Again" at Cuzoogle. Brilliant use of a word bubble on that Mitchell photograph as well. *Applauds*

Those links should satiate your thirst for Raps related information for at least the next 24 hours or so.

Oh, one more thing, Raptor fans.

T.J. Ford wants to thank YOU for your unwavering support last season.

A dangerous situation unfolded this weekend at a New York Jets tailgate party, when Peter King, of Sports Illustrated, accidentally brushed up against a car while sporting his ubiquitous hard-on for Brett Favre, causing the vehicle to ignite through the volatile combination of friction and grease sweat. (Note: Peter King's crotch is also extremely hot, so this does, in fact, make sense.)

Only the aftermath was caught on tape, but, I mean... how else could this have possibly happened?

[Hat Tip to Busted Coverage, though oddly, they seem to have missed the King angle, which, if you ask me, is pretty obvious.]

Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond is a goon trying to crack the roster of the New Jersey Devils. He picked up 220 PIM in 67 games during his final junior season and proudly boasts that no one wanted to fight him in the ECHL. Last night he took on Donald Brashear to further showcase his pugilistic prowess. Let's have a look at the photographic evidence to see how he did.

The Beginning

The End

Looks like he's still breathing in that second photo, so I'd say he did okay.

His courage (or insanity, take your pick) has earned him the respect of Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner, Rick Chere of the Star-Ledger writes.