Back Porch Action Sports

Was the "balloon boy" a big hoax? A comment that 6-year-old Falcon Heene made in a CNN interview -- "We did this for the show" -- has people questioning whether Falcon's parents knew all along that he was hiding in their attic, while cable news went crazy over him and rescue personnel scrambled to save him.

Falcon Heene, the 6-year-old kid who earned the nickname "Balloon Boy" when news outlets reported that he was stuck in a runaway helium balloon over Denver, Colorado, has been found safe at home. He was not in the balloon and had been hiding out at his house.

A 6-year-old boy whose family was known for loving science and seeking adventure reportedly got stuck in a giant helium balloon near Fort Collins, Colorado, leaving ballooning and aviation experts scrambling to determine how to rescue him before it crashed to the ground just after 1:30 PM local time. But when it hit the ground, rescue personnel said the boy was not inside.

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Anytime I see somebody wearing a helmet cam while attempting something dangerous -- whether it be bungee jumping, sky-diving or, in this case, snow skiing -- I just expect the worse. I liken it to the guy who's hanging out near the river unaware of the alligator a few feet away right as the Faces of Death camera truck pulls up. You can pretty much guarantee something bad is about to take place.

With that in mind, here you go: helmet cam video of one poor skier who is buried under an avalanche as he tries to make his way down the mountain.

Streakers are always funny. Am I right? Huh? Huh?!?

Sorry. Anyway, yeah, they're hysterical, because it's someone naked running across a field in public. Whatever, people cheer, we post YouTubes and everyone laughs, as long as there's no violence. Of course, when the streaker weighs like 400 pounds, the only things you're worried about are 1) a heart attack or 2) him falling on a player.

Pointing, gawking after the jump.

(Added bonus: because this is a Tigers-Royals game, it's almost a perfect metaphor for the AL Central!)

At this point, nearly 24 hours after David Wright unveiled what our big-brained descendants will be wearing in the Buck Rogers-future, there isn't much to add to "Head! Move!". Wright, who took a fastball to the grill with a regulation batting helmet, traded that in for the Gatorade cooler turned upside down you see above.

Roy Williams is the first to admit that he didn't have a great 2008 season. Partly because he arrived in Dallas midway through the year, but also because his roles wasn't well defined. Terrell Owens was the team's No. 1 receiver (on paper, anyway), Jason Witten was Tony Romo's favorite target, and Marion Barber spearheaded the running game.

So it's no surprise that Williams didn't contribute much. Expectations are different this year, though; T.O. is gone and Roy will be Romo's primary downfield threat. At least that's the plan. Not everybody has full confidence in that eventuality. In fact, the programming nerds at EA Sports don't have much faith in Williams' ability to get open.

DeAngelo Hall has gone from widely loathed to universally loved since joining the Redskins midway through last season after lasting just eight games (and $8 million!) in Oakland. And I'll be honest, I was front and center in the "MeAngelo is more dime back than Pro Bowler" PR blitz.

Now, though, I'll happily admit that he's a completely different player. Hey, people change. One thing that remains the same, though, is Hall's love for gum-flapping. And this time, he can even back it up. Sort of.

The plan was for Ben Roethlisberger to ride the pine as a rookie. That changed when Tommy Maddox went down two weeks into the 2004 season. Five years, two Super Bowl championships and one helmetless asphalt head-butt later, it's all worked out.

The Northern League is an independent minor league that has been around off and on for decades. Its most recent revival came in 1992, and the league has existed since then.

One of its teams is based in Fargo, N.D. The club -- known as the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks -- has been managed for 14 years by Doug Simunic. In becoming the winningest manager in league history, Simunic has also drawn controversy many times for his on-field antics. The latest incident happened Monday.