Danny Groner

As the athletes get ready for the London Olympics, organizers are also preparing their best theatrics for the opening ceremony.

They’re there to entertain the crowd, especially young fans, but occasionally a team mascot will get caught up in the moment and wind up the opposite of a crowd pleaser. And it’s not just fans who have gotten fed up with the mischief — some players have fought back against mascots who got on their nerves during ballgames. Here’s a look at ...

Normally it’s an accident that causes permanent limb damage and changes the course of an athlete’s career. But for paralympian Monique va der Vorst, the opposite proved to be true. The paralympic cyclist and two-time silver medalist recently got into an accident and found herself left with a bit of a surprise — after 14 years of living in a wheelchair, she could suddenly walk again.

Some Denver Broncos fans are publicly pressuring Denver coach John Fox to make a change at quarterback by spending $10,000 to purchase space on two billboards in the heart of the city begging Tim Tebow to take over the team’s offense. Tebow has begun the season on the bench behind starter Kyle Orton.

Charles Aaron “Bubba” Smith, who was a feared defense end for the Baltimore Colts and found a Hollywood career in retirement, was found dead at his home on Wednesday. He was 66. The cause of death has not yet been announced. Perhaps best known for his role as Lt. Moses Hightower in the ‘Police Academy’ film series, the 6-foot-7 Smith was the number one overall pick in the 1967 National Football Le