UNM reportedly working on deal for Iowa’s Alford (ESPNU)
Former Indiana hoops star and current University of Iowa basketball coach Steve Alford is reportedly in final negotiations with the University of New Mexico regarding their open head coaching position, according to ESPN’s Andy Katz.
MLB: iN Demand’s Extra Innings deal ‘falls short’ (AP/SI.com)
A few scant hours ago, we posted that cable’s inDemand had offered to match DirecTV’s seven year, $700 million deal. According to the Associated Press, MLB has rejected the offer.
Atlanta trades QB Schaub to Texans (NFL Network)
Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that the Atlanta Falcons have finally dealt back-up quarterback Matt Schaub to the Houston Texans for what is believed to be a second-round draft choice.
***UPDATED at 3:10 PM CDT***
The details of the deal are as follows: Atlanta and Houston will flip-flop first-round picks in April’s draft, and Atlanta will receive Houston’s second-round picks in 2007 and 2008.
Deep fried sliders and Dancing with the Stars (CNBC)
Darren Rovell, the sports business reporter for cable financial news network CNBC, reports that the Gateway Grizzlies of the Independent League in Sauget, Ill. will have a new menu item this season — deep fried White Castle hamburgers.
If you don’t remember, last year’s menu addition was the artery-clogging hamburger ensconced between two, Krispy Kreme donuts that was smothered in cheese.
Make an appointment with your cardiologist before or after the games.
Time to get tough: NFL may take swift action, suspend PacMan (SI.com)
SI.com writer Don Banks writes that beleaguered Tennessee Titans’ corner PacMan Jones might be suspended for the year under NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s upcoming plan to clampdown on off-field incidents that have filled the police blotter the recent years.
MLB to look into inDemand’s ‘Extra Innings’ offer (AP/ESPN)
The much ballyhooed ($.50 word) deal that would send MLB’s “Extra Innings” exclusively to DirecTV may’ve been all for naught as cable’s inDemand has offered to match the reported deal, the AP reports.
News and notes while dialing up a golf course…
Harden, others trying to roar back from injuries (USA Today Sports) Mel Antonen profiles the comeback stories of spring.
The 2007 St. Louis Cardinals preview (USA Today Sports) Yes, we’re displaying our ‘Midwest Bias’ again.
Don King gets front row seat to see pope (AP/Yahoo! Sports) Which is taller: the pope’s mitre or the showman’s hair?
Tony Dungy doesn’t like gay marriage (Deadspin/Indy Star) Win a Super Bowl, get street cred (we think).
Artest charged with four misdemeanors (AP/Yahoo Sports!)
Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest faces four misdemeanor charges stemming from a domestic dispute at his home earlier this month.
Power company plugs into Giants (SJ Mercury News)
The San Francisco Giants have decided to install solar energy panels at AT&T Park, hoping to generate the same electricity as 40 home roof systems, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
In the arrangement, the Giants won’t pay for panels nor will the electricity generated will be used by the team. Instead, the electric company, Pacific Gas & Electric, will distribute the power to the city’s main grid for use.
Someone watched An Inconvenient Truth recently.
Raptors’ Bargnani has appendectomy (AP/Yahoo! Sports)
Toronto Raptors’ forward Andrea Bargnani underwent an emergency appendectomy on Wednesday, the AP reports. There isn’t a timetable for the return of the Rookie of the Year candidate.
Rosenthal: Baseball just not about haves, have-nots (FOX Sports)
FOX Sports’ baseball insider Ken Rosenthal writes that baseball isn’t just about who spends the most, but about a shift in competitive balance.
He cites that 19 clubs have made the post-season since 2000 as key evidence in his argument.
Over the better part of the last five years, the American League West has largely been ‘half-n-half’ - two teams that are perennially at/near the top (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Oakland Athletics) and two teams that are at/near the bottom (Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers).
The Angels and the A’s have battled it out for division supremacy since 2002, with the A’s winning in three of those seasons (’02, ‘03 and ‘06) and the Angels two (’04 and ‘05). The other two clubs, the Mariners and the Rangers, haven’t seen much more than a sniff of the division titles since 2001’s Seattle Mariners put up 116 wins (the Rangers last division title occurred in ‘99).
This season has seen some changes, though.
The A’s lost pitching ace Barry Zito and slugger Frank Thomas; the Angels failed to add a big hitter that they really needed (Gary Matthews, Jr. doesn’t count); the Seattle Mariners arguably overpaid for two starting pitchers (Miguel Batista and Jeff Weaver) and added a middle for the line-up bat (Jose Guillen); and the Texas Rangers lost slugger Carlos Lee, but added two much needed arms in Vicente Padilla and Brandon McCarthy.
Without further ado, a peek at the AL West…
News and notes while rolling out of bed on the first day of spring… 
DuPuy & Jacobson to appear at hearings over DirecTV deal (BizofBaseball.com) Two key players in proposed move to speak to Congress next Tuesday.
Preliminary autopsy on cricket coach inconclusive (AP/ESPN) The coach of Pakistan’s cricket team was found unconscious in his hotel room. Police are treating death as suspicious.
Manny auctioning off his ‘amazing’ grill on eBay (AP/SI) Manny just chillin’ and grillin’.
Kuhn remembered for passion, work off the diamond (AP/USA Today) Former commish of MLB died on Thursday at age 80.
Seahawks GM Ruskell: TE Stevens won’t be back (AP/Yahoo! Sports) We can’t say we’re surprised after his arrest for drunk driving last week.
Notes from around the grapefruit league (ESPN.com News Services) Igawa, Abreu making strides; Kazmir to make second Opening Day start for Tampa; and Ryan Langerhans’ tap-dancing offseason.
Loading ...
