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Mad Dash: NBA player blames iPhone for odd, season-altering injury

You never want to end up on a list of the most bizarre sports injuries, but San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner may have earned a spot with his tennis elbow problems last season. In a great interview with the Concord Monitor, Bonner revealed that the elbow pain in his non-shooting arm was a huge distraction.

“You’re about to get an exclusive here,” Bonner said. “I hate to make excuses, I was raised to never make excuses, but I went through a two-and-a-half month stretch where I had really bad tennis elbow, and during that stretch it made it so painful for me to shoot I’d almost be cringing before I even caught the ball like, ‘Oh, this is going to kill.’”

But how did he end up with tennis elbow in the arm he doesn't use to shoot the ball? That's where things get weird.

“Everybody is going to find this hilarious, but here’s my theory on how I got it,” he said. “When the new iPhone came out it was way bigger than the last one, and I think because I got that new phone it was a strain to use it, you have to stretch further to hit the buttons, and I honestly think that’s how I ended up developing it.”

The article goes on to note that the injury is not without precedent, and that the Spurs training staff has seen something like this (a random injury from too much phone use) before. But still, this is up there with super strange sports injuries like Sammy Sosa spraining a ligament when he sneezed, or Ricky Henderson getting frostbite from an ice pack after falling asleep. These are the kinds of lists you'd like to avoid as a player, but at least Bonner thankfully has a sense of humor about it. It's almost mandatory in a situation like this if you want to stay sane.

Steven Gerrard was the epitome of class at Liverpool for his entire career, especially when it came to his relationship with the fans. So it should probably come as no surprise that he's already working to form a bond with his new fans in Los Angeles. On the day he was unveiled in person before L.A. Galaxy fans, he also sent cases of beer to the supporters groups before the match, as a thank you in advance for the support. Smooth.

Robert Streb isn't on the radar of most golf fans, but what he did Sunday at the Greenbrier Classic was nothing short of awesome. After his putter broke, he used a wedge the rest of the way, en route to a 5-under round and a spot in a four-man playoff where his run was derailed. Devil Ball Golf has more, and it's worth your time because we're still shaking our head in amazement.

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The Yahoo Sports Mad Dash is a roundup of the morning's trending stories from across the sports landscape. Check it out every day to see what's buzzing.