Vince Carter ejection could come under review. Whether a ref addressed New Jersey Nets star Vince Carter as “boy” could be connected to his recent ejection in a loss to the Pistons. Carter, who argued a call made by Derrick Stafford, was given a technical, then a second, which observers say may have been due to Carter’s anger over the disrespectful term. Though Carter and Stafford are both Black, the term “boy” has long been viewed as insulting to Black men, particularly during the Jim Crow era. The official could be disciplined if the league finds that he acted inappropriately towards Carter.

Tiger Woods’ influence even felt in football. Though he hasn’t competed on the golf course in several months, Tiger Woods’ influence is still being felt in the sports world. Minnesota Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell, who lives near Woods in Florida, says the phenom’s example inspires Longwell, at 34, to get better. “On top of that, because we are around each other, I get to see how hard he works,” says Longwell, who attends the same gym as Woods. “People don’t realize that he goes out and runs three or four miles on a Tuesday of a tournament week, before his knee injury.” Woods spent much of 2008 recovering from surgery to repair his damaged knee. He’s due back in competition this year.

Gary Sheffield belts league benchmark

The Tigers’ Gary Sheffield has hit the Major Leagues’ 250,000th home run. The score, which totaled the number of homers by all players since the establishment of the pros, occurred during a Monday Detroit win against the Athletics. Sheffield’s grand slam, his second homer of the game, also leaves him just four shy of 500 career home runs. Starting with the National League, the first homer recorded occurred on May 2, 1876.

Golfer wins water war with 129,000 gallons per month

How huge would a crib have to be to use 129,000 gallons of water a month? Tiger Woods knows. The Orlando Sentinel reports that while an average home uses 10,000 gallons monthly, Woods’ house on Jupiter Island near Palm Beach soaks up over 10 times the norm. Fellow Floridian athletes Grant Hill and Dwight Howard put out eye-popping numbers, too: Hill reportedly used 263,000 gallons in May alone, Howard, 189,000 gallons in July. Sounds like plenty of pool parties or lots of toilet flushing – or maybe both.

Don’t be like Mike, says anti-smoking organization.

Basketball great Michael Jordan is taking heat from the American Cancer Society after photos of the retired superstar smoking a cigar were published. Jordan participated in a Labor Day softball event this week, where he swung the bat, ran bases and played the field – all while toking away. “When high-profile athletes publicly display unhealthful habits, they can mislead young people to emulate their behavior,” says American Cancer Society spokesman Cary Peasant. More than 12 million premature deaths since 1964 have been smoking-related, Peasant says.

Golf star announces coming of second child. Tiger Woods has announced that, while he’s not playing golf during his recovery from knee surgery, he’s celebrating at home. Woods reports via his Web site that his wife Elin is pregnant with the couple’s second child. “Elin is feeling great and we are both thrilled,” he says.

Golfer could defend Dubai Desert Classic title

Tiger Woods says he could be back in action in time for late January’s Dubai Desert Classic title, following knee surgery. Woods is still recovering, but told media at a recent appearance in Dubai that he could be ready. “I don’t know my schedule for next year… I will be hitting golf balls at the beginning of the year,” Woods said. The star spoke at the launch of a billion-dollar golf project that he designed in Dubai this week. The Desert Classic begins Jan. 27, 2009.

“Boundary calls” will be up for review. The debate among baseball purists and those arguing that the sport use technology to its advantage has ended. Major League stadiums that recently installed video monitoring equipment have officially enacted the use of instant replay. Partly inspired by questionable homerun calls from on the field, the review will be used selectively, officials say. “Boundary calls,” not balls and strikes, will be the plays that are subject to determination by replay, in addition to umpires, says Commissioner Bud Selig.

Venus, Serena could have Wimbledon rematch at Olympics

Venus and Serena Williams could face-off on a world stage for the second time this year. The sisters, who not long ago battled to a Wimbledon title confrontation which Venus won, are on track to possibly meet again Saturday in a singles tennis final at the Beijing Olympics. The pair won in both singles and doubles play Tuesday, with Serena beating Australia’s Samantha Stosur and Venus defeating Iveta Benesova. The Williams duo joined to beat Benesova and Nicole Vaidisova, both of the Czech Republic. Venus says she’s excited about the potential for a title rematch against her younger sibling: “That would be fantastic. Obviously, it’s a long ways away, but the third round makes it closer. I’m really excited for both of us to be playing really well for the U.S.”

Golf champ will spend five more months recuperating

Tiger Woods fans will have to wait until 2009 to see him dominate on the golf course again “As far as swinging a club, that’s not going to happen until next year,” Woods announced in a Tuesday newsletter to readers of his tigerwoods.com Web site. He’ll spend five more months recovering from knee surgery. “I just don’t have a choice,” he wrote. “We simply don’t know what type of swelling there would be or if there would be any residual effects the next day, once you start wheeling and dealing on the knee. Everyone’s body reacts differently. I could putt right now, but I’m not going to do it.” There’s sure to be plenty of competition for Tiger’s crown as king of the game during his absence.

Vikings’ safety Williams out for early season. Minnesota’s Madieu Williams has been sidelined for at least six weeks with a neck injury. The West African-born free agent acquisition suffered from spasms last week, but wouldn’t discuss the nature of his ailment. “I’m not allowed to discuss the condition of my injuries,” Williams tells the Star Tribune newspaper. He began with the Vikings after leaving the Bengals for a $33 million, six-year deal during the off-season.

Golf star gains Forbes magazine’s No. 1 rank.

Golf star Tiger Woods tops all takers in earnings from June 1, 2007 to June 1, 2008, according to Forbes magazine. Woods pulled down $115 million in competition earnings and endorsements, making him the top-paid pro player in the world. Others making the men’s top-earner list include retired NBA star Michael Jordan, who heads the Charlotte Bobcats, banked $45 million over 12 months, still snatching checks from his Nike brand endorsements. Male athletes out-earned female athletes by a collective $483 million compared with the women’s $118 million, according to Forbes.

Opening Olympics ceremonies begin today. It’s not only D. Wade, Kobe and King James who’ll hold court at the Beijing Olympics, which host opening ceremonies today. Elite Black athletes will compete in sports as diverse as track and swimming. The Williams family’s presence will be felt in women’s tennis, as Black stars appear among 11,000 athletes from 205 nations. You can follow BET.com to see who’s a contender and who brings home the gold.

Expansion team’s choice appears to be Thunder. The former Seattle Supersonics has apparently become the Oklahoma Thunder. But the new franchise’s name appeared on the Web without an official NBA announcement. Not long after the “Thunder” leak surfaced, the nickname was removed from the league’s site. Last month, the NBA had included Thunder among its potential choices after the city of Seattle let the team go to Oklahoma over complications with an arena lease.

Tiger’s niece signs on to play golf at Wake Forest
Two-time Arizona state high school golf champ Cheyenne Woods has moved closer to a possible pro career like that of her uncle. She’ll play at Wake Forest University. The daughter of Tiger Woods’ half-brother tells the Charlotte Observer newspaper: “When I first started playing, my relationship was no big deal because everyone around home knew about it. But when I started going to national tournaments, I was answering a lot of questions. …Golf is at the center of my world. But I don’t want it to be my entire world.”

Kevin Faulk allegedly brought weed to rap concert
NFL running back Kevin Faulk will serve a five-month suspended sentence, community service and a year of probation after allegedly taking four joints to a Lil’ Wayne concert this year. Faulk was summoned on a misdemeanor after a routine search in the February incident at the Cajundome. He pleaded no contest this week and will have to present anti-drug messages to Louisiana high school and middle school students. Faulk will also undergo 20 hours of substance abuse treatment.

Dennis Rodman allegedly owes 400 K
Former on-court rebounder and off-court spectacle Dennis Rodman faces a $400,000 tax debt. The ex-player has been served notice of unpaid liens and an apparent bill to the IRS. Rodman’s reps say the debt results from a misunderstanding with his ex-business manager. He’ll have a “very small balance” to pay after the matter is sorted out, Rodman’s handlers say.

Diabetes has risen to health crisis levels
More than a fourth of all Americans either have or are on the verge of having diabetes, according to the latest figures released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The numbers reflect a 15-percent rise in diabetes over the last two years, the CDC said Tuesday. The numbers show that 24 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, which is the result of being overweight or neglecting to exercise, and another 57 million people are very close to developing the disease. “It is concerning to know that we have more people developing diabetes, and these data are a reminder of the importance of increasing awareness of the condition,” said Ann Albright, the director of the CDC division of diabetes translation, in a statement today. The number of people worldwide with diabetes will double to 366 million by 2030, according to the World Health Organization, which calls the disease an epidemic. Most people with diabetes can’t properly process insulin, which the body uses to convert blood sugar to energy. In people who have diabetes, sugar builds up over time, harming nerves and blood vessels. Diabetes is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States and can lead to heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and amputation, according to the National Institutes of Health. Two-thirds of diabetics eventually die from heart attack or stroke, according to the National Institutes of Health. The number of people who know they have it has increased form 70 percent to 75 percent, the CDC says. However, that still leaves a large number of people who don’t know they have it, the agency says. Diabetes is showing up more commonly in poor people and minorities, the CDC reports. For more on how diabetes affects you, go to BET.com/Body & Soul.

Tiger Woods is recovering from surgery

Tiger Woods shouldn’t have any long-term problems since undergoing reconstructive surgery on his left knee Tuesday, his doctors said. The top-ranked golfer needed the procedure in Park City, Utah, to repair a torn ligament, according to a statement from his management company. Woods, 32, decided last week to have a fourth operation on the same knee, just two days after playing through pain to win the U.S. Open in San Diego. “We were confident going into this surgery, and I am pleased with the results,” Dr. Thomas D. Rosenberg said in a statement issued by Woods’s management team. “There were no surprises during the procedure, and as we have said, with the proper rehabilitation and training, it is highly unlikely that Mr. Woods will have any long-term effects as it relates to his career.” Woods tore the ligament in his knee after the 2007 British Open while running near his home in Orlando, Fla., and then underwent arthroscopic surgery on April 15. While recovering from that surgery, Woods won the U.S. Open in a 19-hole playoff over Rocco Mediate on June 16, ignoring the advice of doctors who told him he was risking further damage to his knee. The win left him four shy of Jack Nicklaus’s record. But the latest surgery, the fourth of Woods’s career, will force him to miss golf’s two remaining major tournaments – the British Open next month and the PGA Championship in August, where he is the reigning champion. He’ll also miss September’s Ryder Cup matches against Europe. Woods, who decided to shut down his 2008 season after clinching the U.S. Open eight days ago, is also recovering from two stress fractures in his left tibia, the larger of the two bones in the lower leg, which were discovered shortly before the Memorial Tournament, two weeks before the U.S. Open, Woods said. “I look forward to working hard at my rehabilitation over the coming months and returning to the PGA Tour healthy next year,” Woods added. A rehabilitation schedule and projected timetable for his return to competitive golf will be announced at a later date, his handlers say.

Diseases common in poor nations are showing up in America
Millions of U.S. residents, mostly poor women and children, suffer from preventable diseases that are more common among impoverished people in Africa, Asia and Latin America, according to a study published in the Public Library of Science’s journal Neglected Tropical Diseases. Chronic infections such as Chagas disease and dengue fever are a major cause of disability, impaired child development, and pregnancy complications in the United States, said Peter Hotez, author of the study released today. Parasitic conditions, including roundworm, toxoplasmosis and tropical bacteria are widespread in many inner cities in the Mississippi Delta, Appalachia, and the Mexican borderlands, as well, the study said. Improved recognition, screening and treatment of the diseases are needed to reduce the impact on patients, who are often poor and less knowledgeable about health issues, Hotez said. “If these diseases were hitting wealthy people in the suburbs, we would never tolerate it,” Hotez, chairman of microbiology at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., told Bloomberg News today. “We need to make the names of these diseases household words.” Even before Hurricane Katrina drove thousands from their homes in Louisiana in 2005, poverty and lack of access to health care contributed to high rates of roundworm and other parasites, the study said. Prolonged flooding has paved the way for increased rates of Chagas, a parasite that can cause lethal heart and intestinal complications, according to the researchers. Meanwhile, an American Red Cross researcher called in October for screening of all donated blood for signs of the parasite that causes Chagas disease, which may be found in as many as one in 25,000 blood donors in the United States, and kills as many as one-third of patients. The disease can lurk undetected in infected people for as long as 20 years.