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SALT LAKE CITY — Three more stories from the world of sports in this week’s From Left Field.
1. Social media has a blast as Cavaliers visit White House
It was a busy day for President Barack Obama at the White House, meeting with President-elect Donald Trump and also the 2016 NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers.
While the former was a major step in the upcoming transition of presidents, the latter provided the internet with a few great moments.
After forward Kevin Love handed Obama a custom Cavaliers jersey, Obama asked to have the podium removed to take a photo with the team. In that moment, it appeared guard Iman Shumpert was completely amazed at the process in a video that went viral.
Shumpert provided a brief explanation.
He also tweeted out a behind the scenes with first lady Michelle Obama.
In addition, the Cavaliers posted a very presidential video of the current “Mannequin Challenge” social media phenomenon featuring the team and Michelle Obama in the White House.
While the internet had a good laugh, Shumpert put the day in a perspective most people could understand.
2. NFL player offers game tickets for safe return of playing cards
Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cassius Marsh is offering a reward worth a few hundred dollars for the safe return of some playing cards stolen out of his vehicle.
Marsh tweeted that he will give two tickets to the next Seahawks home game for a safe return of a few decks of “Magic The Gathering” cards that were stolen out of his car.
“The collection that they stole wasn’t that big, just a bunch of decks — which is all my good stuff,” Marsh told reporters. “That’s kind of the jackpot for them.”
There is a positive twist to the story. Cassius said the parent company of the card game heard his story and gave him plenty of gear to replace his loss.
And sure, with an NFL contract, he could afford the cost of the loss. However, money can’t replace sentimental value. He told reporters he’s been playing with those cards since he was 11.
“You spend a lot of time building these decks and spending time with friends,” he added. “It’s just like anything people collect that means a lot to them. Everything’s got a little bit of meaning behind it.”
He also wanted it to be clear that his loss still wouldn’t distract him from the Sunday Night Football matchup between the 5-2-1 Seahawks and 7-1 New England Patriots.
3. McGregor tries to hit rival with chair during presser
Even casual fans of mixed martial arts fighting know that Conor McGregor is a spectacle inside and out of the octagon. A Thursday press conference for an upcoming fight against Eddie Alvarez proved no different.
After some verbal jawing back and forth, Alvarez moved a chair in McGregor’s direction and McGregor proceeded to hold the chair in Alvarez’s direction and apparently try to attack him with it before being subdued by UFC president Dana White and security.
In meeting with the media following the press conference, the fighter said he decided not to toss the chair because he realized in the moment he did not want to be fined again for throwing an object at an opponent like he had been before.
"He threw a chair at me and I picked up the chair and I was almost going to let the thing go,” he said, according to FOX Sports. “I had a moment to let it go and I was like I just had a flashback sitting there on that phone to (the Nevada State Athletic Commission) and I was like '(expletive) that.' I'm not going through that again."
