Angels pitcher CJ Wilson has interests that extend well beyond baseball. Car racing happens to be the most prominent one. Watch as VICE Sports takes you into Wilson's love of the sport and its surrounding culture, and how as a professional athlete he's managed to avoid some of the common pitfalls that often plague today's stars.
Darnell Dockett is a couple months away from starting his 11th season in the NFL. For someone who shares the record for most sacks in a Super Bowl with Reggie White, Dockett enjoys the simpler pleasures in life and it showed when we tagged along with him to an exotic animal farm on his day off. What better way to unwind from a long day of chasing down terrified quarterbacks than seeing if your hands are quick enough to feed an alligator without losing a digit?
Star running back Marshawn Lynch has a set of fake teeth that say "Seahawks," but that's just one of many in a long line of custom chompers. As a 12-year-old, Beast Mode lost his grill after taking them out and putting them in a napkin while enjoying a meal at Jack-in-the-Box. Marshawn Lynch is endlessly fascinating.
Michael Egnew was drafted by the Miami Dolphins to play the hybrid WR/TE position that has taken the NFL by storm. In his first two years, he was unable to crack the rotation due to the limitations of former offensive coordinator Mike Sherman's offense, but with former Chip Kelly lieutenant Bill Lazor now calling the plays, the odds of Egnew seeing more targets are good. We caught up with Egnew in Missouri where he was about to go pheasant hunting with his father-in-law and his college teammate and current Kansas City Chief Jerrell Jackson.
Connor Barwin doesn't fit your linebacker narrative, and he's making the most of it. Barwin explores Philly by bicycle, and can be found post-game watching your favorite indie band at a local venue. This summer, he teamed up with a fellow Philly superstar, Kurt Vile, to raise money to revitalize a run-down community space in South Philly.
During his time in the Association, Desmond Mason was not afraid to dunk in the face of anyone. Now that he's retired, he's not afraid to show his art to anyone.
Growing up, New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul got kicked in the balls by a horse, so VICE Sports took him to the Belmont Stakes. Join JPP as he hits the track for lessons on equine executions, the art of the trifecta and listening to your accountant. All this while (hopefully) avoiding a return encounter with his childhood nemesis.
Born and raised in the blue-collar town of Saginaw, Michigan, LaMarr Woodley starred at the University of Michigan and then went on to the NFL to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers--where he won a Super Bowl--and then the Oakland Raiders. Now Woodley is using his game to give back to his beloved hometown. In this VICE Sports exclusive, Woodley takes viewers behind the scenes of his charity golf tournament and football camp where he's brought together several NFL and NBA stars to help out for a good cause.
Los Angeles Lakers center Robert Sacre doesn't know much about LA, so we sent him out with pro skateboarder and local expert Danny Montoya to hit the city. Watch as Sacre gets a lesson on LA's best food spots, gnarly skateboarding injuries, and even some conversational Japanese.
Danilo Gallinari insists Milan has way more basketball courts than New York, but the Denver Nuggets forward had to stay away from all of them while recovering from a torn ACL. Strolling down some New York neighborhoods, Gallinari fills in VICE Sports on how he spent his 18 months away from the courts: becoming a restaurateur, downing Aperol Spritz, and working on his "full throttle" dance moves.
"Obviously we're not right in the head," says big mountain skier and BASE jumper Ian McIntosh before wingsuit jumping off the Stawamus Chief in British Columbia. Join VICE Sports as we get a peek inside the head of an action sports star and learn more about the mentality it takes to jump off mountains.
An avalanche in the Himalayas killed rock climber Conrad Anker's best friend, Alex Lowe. The same avalanche also changed Anker's life forever. Watch as he reflects on accepting death every day, the sacrifices he makes to pursue climbing, and pushing both his physical and mental limits.
Believe it or not, being a professional freeskier is pretty damn terrifying; something Devin Logan is quite familiar with. In this VICE Sports exclusive, Logan talks about growing up a tomboy, the existential fears of flying off a 70-foot platform, and meeting Ben Affleck.
When he's not grinding on the mountain, snowboarder Mark Carter is back at the family ranch working hard and charging his batteries before returning to the gnarly side of life.
Snowboarding in Alaska comes with the rush of riding untouched lines on incredible mountains and the boredom of seemingly endless days of bad weather. VICE Sports caught up with Lucas Debari for a down day in Haines, Alaska and went to hang out with a man with some unusual pets. Come with us to meet "the Alaskan version of Old McDonald."
Summer League may now be in full swing, but just a few weeks ago the Cavs and Warriors were locked into a Finals battle and NBA players on every other team were taking some time to relax. VICE Sports went to LA to spend a few hours with Ty Lawson as he got his hair cut, picked out some free clothes, and talked shit about the future champs. All in a day's work before hitting up the premiere of Entourage. Smurf Gang.
At 32, Ben Gordon is ancient in NBA years. Athletes are always looking for ways to keep their bodies from succumbing to old age, and a vegan diet is Gordon's latest venture. In this VICE Sports exclusive, he talks about feeling quicker and living better, and even gives his best Vegan Ric Flair impression.
You won't find siblings much closer than Johnny and Angel Collinson. During the summer, you can find them together in the house that they built, treating Utah's Cottonwood Canyon as their playground. The free-skiers grew up on the snow, but don't seem too bummed about about spending an off day in their hometown. Made possible by The North Face.
With the NBA season freshly underway, we spent a day with Dwyane Wade in Miami. First, he met with shot impersonator Brandon Armstrong who unveiled his newest impersonation of the All-Star shooting guard. After that we traveled to D Wade's office to talk the evolution of NBA fashion from rocking tall t's to treating press conferences like runway shows. We also talk with his stylist, Calyann Barnett. Presented by Stance.
Andres Gonzales is not your typical PGA Tour Golfer. He plays in the rain, hits the bar, and tweets random thoughts at Tiger Woods. He's also designed what some call the best pastrami sandwich in the Pacific Northwest. Andres Gonzales is a bit of an odd bird, and he's your new favorite golfer. Presented by Callaway.
At 18-years-old, Lydia Ko is the youngest golfer of either sex to ever be ranked #1 in the world. Simply put, she's the best. But between practice, school, and more practice, she doesn't have a ton of free time. So on a rare off day in her home base of Orlando, we figured it would be nice to get her out of the grind and show her some local sights she might be missing out on. Turns out in central Florida most of the sights involve alligators, snakes and other things that live in the swamp. What could go wrong?
Jamie Sadlowski is one of the most prolific long drivers in the world, able to hit a ball nearly 450 yards. How? He got his start playing hockey, of course, and can hit a slap shot 95mph. We spent a day with the real life Happy Gilmore in Phoenix to witness these feats in person.
PGA Tour golf is one thing. Social golf is another, and generally features much more beer. Kevin Kisner is an expert at both, coming virtually out of nowhere to win his first PGA Tour Event in 2015 and ranking #4 in FedExCup Season points so far this year. As he approaches his first Masters, Kevin prepares with a day on the course winning bets against his childhood friends in Aiken, SC – just twenty miles away from the fabled course in Augusta.
With Toronto in New York town to play NYCFC, we took Jozy to a local soccer bar and talked through his long and winding road as a professional and his hopes for Haiti in Copa America.
In this episode of Off Day, sponsored by AXE, we meet Ladybeard – a cross-dressing Aussie wrestler who spends his time outside the ring performing J Pop-infused death metal at intimate venues across Asia. Filmed over three days in Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama, VICE Sports gained a fascinating insight into the cult following he has amassed, and discovered just how seriously he takes his wrestling and semi-professional pop career.
Davante Adams seems primed for a big year in Green Bay this season, but as a young man, there's only so much Green Bay can offer. We hung with Davante in his first ever day in New York City to have him eat a slice of New York pizza, play some basketball at "The Cage" and hang out with the Naked Cowboy in Times Square.
Julius Thomas is a monster on the gridiron, but you're kidding yourself if you think he's like that all the time. Going to the shooting range with friends and family is one of his favorite off day activities for some relaxation. We caught up with the pro bowler to do exactly that and learn just how important the range can be for his peace of mind.
Mo Wilkerson is still looking for ways to cause headaches for NFL offenses. As if being a Pro Bowler wasn't enough, Mo has now taken up MMA to be quicker with his hands and feet. It's no wonder he's become the highest paid defensive end in the NFL and the recipient of the largest contract in New York Jets' history.
VICE Sports hangs out with MMA fighter Nick Osipczak. With zen and spirituality at the core of who he is, we get an understanding of how he incorporates his spirituality into his high end artwork of sacred geometry.
Henrik Stenson has climbed the ranks of golf and is currently ranked 5th in the world. Known as a class clown amongst his peers, it’s a stark juxtaposition to the icy demeanor he boasts on the course. We spent a day with the Swedish pro-golfer at his U.S. home country club in Orlando, FL while he got a round of golf in before heading off to learn how to wakesurf on Lake Nona.