The 2013 season has not gone as hoped, so far, for the Toronto Blue Jays or young slugger Brett Lawrie. The Jays have a 20-27 record amid injuries and below-average performances, and Lawrie has experienced both personally.

However, that doesn't mean the Jays need to play in dirty uniforms, or that the players can't be responsible for cleaning them — like many other Canadians in charge of their own work laundry. So it's reassuring that the Jays aren't afraid to function in Toronto society amongst the people, like Lawrie does in this TV commercial for Rogers cable.

Minus Crabtree, Kapernick and Gore should pound away (USAT)

Pads, helmets, handoffs. For football fans longing for the NFL's return, this week's OTAs scratched an insatiable itch.

On this week's hard-hitting program, Brad Evans and Andy Behrens will react to Michael Crabtree's premature demise, go to war over perpetual underachiever Ryan Mathews, project ballyhooed southpaw Kevin Gausman and pinpoint when Francisco Liriano's 'Fransucko' side will bubble to the surface.

Questions? We got you covered. Here's how YOU can join the circus:

Call: 800.777.2907

Tweet: @YFreakShow

Gas up the guzzler. Ice down the beer. And stockpile the tubed meats. The Freaks are kicking off Memorial Day weekend in fantasy fashion.

LISTEN LIVE TO THE FANTASY FREAK SHOW HERE

The ciiiiiircle of liiiife....

Hemingway once wrote that Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is also known as "Ngaje Ngai," or "House of God." Ray Lewis has spent enough time thanking God for all of his success over his career, so it makes perfect sense he'd head up to the Big Guy's house to say hello in person.

Lewis announced on Twitter that he'll be ascending the 19,000+-foot summit this summer:

Fans U know 1st- Tackling Kilimanjaro 2 bring clean H2O to kids in Africa. RT & enter to win my signed #Ravens helmet:bit.ly/YZUUEi

— Ray Lewis (@raylewis) May 23, 2013

Lewis' "TackleKili" journey is intended to help raise awareness, and funds, to bring water to children in East Africa. It's a noble aim, and you can take part in TackleKili by clicking here.

Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa, and the largest freestanding mountain on the planet, so congrats to Lewis on attempting such a feat. We demand video of the Squirrel Dance at the summit.

-Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.-

No, for real — that headline is true. Check out this game story (and accompanying photo) from the Milwaukee Bucks' win over the Seattle Supersonics on Jan. 25, 1972, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's third year in the league (click the image for a larger version):

The black-and-white proof. Click to embiggen. (The Milwaukee Journal via Uni Watch)

For those who don't feel quite like reading the fine newsprint, here's Milwaukee Journal scribe Bob Wolf's account:

As far as the visiting Seattle Supersonics were concerned, the only amusing thing about the basketball game at the Arena Tuesday night was that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wore his trunks backwards.

Aside from that one little slipup, the Milwaukee Bucks were a fearsome lot as they dismembered one of the better teams in the National Basketball Association, 123-91. [...]

Unless you've been hanging with Wilson on a deserted island, you know that any big sports event is followed by the inevitable Taiwan animation of that event.

This week we got our golf fix of the ridiculousness thanks to the verdict that anchored putters will be banned by 2016 and what Sergio Garcia said of Tiger Woods at a European Tour player's party.

Come for the anchored putter golfers being forced to walk the plank, stay for what Tiger does to Sergio at the end of the video.

h/t With Leather

Getty ImagesBy now, you’re probably saying to yourself, “Hey, I know who the finalists are for the Mark Messier Leadership Award, but where and when can I see who actually wins this heralded trophy in 2013?”

Wonder no more, fare citizens: The NHL announced on Friday that in lieu of an off-season spectacle in Las Vegas to celebrate the best of the best of the truncated season, the NHL Awards will be handed out during the Stanley Cup Final on two made-for-TV specials featuring the League’s game analysts.

Which sounds like there will be a distinct lack of Chaka Khan, Def Leppard, Nickelback and the Real Housewives of Orange County. Which makes us sad.

(USA Today Sports Images)
Last year Brian Kelly had a 12-0 regular season for Notre Dame. Charlie Weis, exiled from Notre Dame, went 1-11 with Kansas.

And in 2011 Weis made almost twice as much money as Kelly ... from Notre Dame.

This is why you shouldn't rush into silly contract extensions, kids.

According to the Chicago Tribune, which cited federal tax documents, Weis received another buyout payment of $2,054,744 from Notre Dame in 2011. During the same reporting period, Kelly got $1,088,179, although the Tribune points out that probably doesn't represent Kelly's total earnings that include external sources.

No matter, the story points out the absurdity of Weis' contract with Notre Dame. The Tribune reports that Weis is scheduled to keep getting buyout payments until Dec. of 2015, and that the total buyout should end up totaling $18,966,867 (and yes, Dr. Saturday is already preparing to copy and paste this post when we're writing about Iowa and Kirk Ferentz in a couple years).

Not sure about Weis, but his agent surely had a decided schematic advantage.

You're not going to believe this, but Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert thinks that Miami Heat forward Shane Battier planting a surging right knee square into his giblets on a first-quarter drive during Wednesday's Game 1 win wasn't an accident. The Pacers' primary shot-blocker and layup deterrent shared his opinion of the Duke product's deviousness with his Twitter followers on Thursday:

U can knee or kick me every time u drive 2the rim. Ill be there 2protect the rim. That wasn't inadvertent. Battier knew what he was doing

— Roy Hibbert (@Hoya2aPacer) May 23, 2013

Well, you won't always be there to protect the rim. But generally speaking, yes, we get what you're saying — "Come at me, bro."