Thursday’s Hot Clicks: Rugby Player Suspended 13 Weeks for Blowing Snot on Opponent

GROSS.

Gross!

Rugby is a nasty sport. Guys are constantly pulling all sorts of dirty tricks while hidden by the massive swarm of bodies around the ball. But South African player Nico Lee got caught doing something that’s truly disgusting. 

Lee’s team, the Cheetahs, was playing Irish side Connacht in the international Pro14 league on Saturday when Lee was seen blowing snot all over Connacht flanker Colby Fainga’a.

It’s not visible in the video but apparently Lee’s mucus actually ended up on the face of his opponent.

Lee’s snot rocket went unpunished during the game, but he was called in for a disciplinary hearing. In the hearing Lee “accepted that he had cleared the contents of his nose onto the face of an opposing player” and was handed a 13-week suspension.

“It is difficult to imagine how an act of foul play of this sort could be worse, save for repeated acts or where actual injury is caused,” the disciplinary panel said. 

Lee issued an apology, but didn’t apologize to the guy he covered in boogers. 

Unless he wins an appeal, Lee isn’t eligible to return until July 21, long after the season is over. 

Zion is too strong for his shoes

Here’s what happened to Zion Williamson on literally the first play of last night’s Duke-UNC game. 

Have you ever seen that happen before? It’s not like he’s just playing a pickup game down at the Y on some old sneakers he dug out of the bottom of his closet. Those shoes were supposed to be top of the line. Even Barack Obama couldn’t believe it. 

Making matters worse, Williamson was legitimately injured. He was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game with a knee injury. Coach K said after the game that Zion was diagnosed with a mild knee sprain and would have further tests soon. 

The former president also extended well wishes to Williamson after the injury. 

Carlos Boozer, meanwhile, extended well wishes to a national park in Utah.

What in the world?

Georgia seriously lost to Mississippi State after a fan threw a stuffed animal on the court in the final seconds. The toss resulted in a technical foul, which gave MSU another foul shot and a chance to take the lead. 

Georgia head coach Tom Crean was understandably livid. 

The best of SI

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Around the sports world

Zion Williamson did a rare lengthy interview with GQ. ... A Mississippi State fan is suing Barstool Sports for turning him into a “malicious” meme. ... A lion was filmed chasing a leopard off a golf course inside a South African national park. ... I don’t think we can possibly pretend the AAF is a legitimate league when one of its teams has to practice half the time in a different state because of worker’s comp issues. ... Vlad Guerrero Jr. is one of several Blue Jays prospects whose fathers played in the majors.

Obama was in the house for Duke-UNC...

...but the game was in Durham, not Chapel Hill.

NFL Network reporter Kimberly Jones opens up about almost dying in a press conference

Creative!

Mets 1, Diamondbacks 0

You can take the man out of Brooklyn but you can’t take Brooklyn out of the man

Why would Fred Hoiberg ever want to go back to coaching?

Cristiano Ronaldo’s shoes were covered in crystals

Not sports

Chris Hemsworth is going to star in a movie about the life of Hulk Hogan. ... Samsung is coming out with a foldable phone that’ll cost nearly $2,000. ... The reason so many fast food items have bacon right now could be because of President Trump’s new tariffs. 

Ah, a classic dry rub

I’ll use whatever influence I have (none) to get sexy Abe Lincoln in the Swimsuit Issue

That’s not how the game works

A good song

Email dan.gartland@simail.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.