News and notes while cleaning things up around the domicile…
Source: Yankees wouldn’t stand in way NHL contest (ESPN News Services) The NHL would like to place their next “Winter Classic” at the soon-to-be closing Yankee Stadium in January 2009, the final event at “The House That Ruth Built.”
Fitzgerald to stay with Gridbirds (Larry-Fitzgerald.com) Pending the approval of the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals and wideout Larry Fitzgerald have agreed to terms on a contract extension for four years.
Ex-Ram, fans drop suit against Patriots (Boston Globe) Remember that ridiculous lawsuit filed by former St. Louis Rams player Willie Gary against the New England Patriots for millions of dollars? It was dropped due to what lawyers cite as an “exercise in futility”.
Heels to retire Hansbrough’s jersey (AP/SI.com) As a reward for winning a national player of the year award courtesy of the Sporting News, junior Tyler Hansbrough will have his jersey retired to the Dean Dome rafters.
Comcast, Big Ten Network coming to agreement? (SPORTSbyBROOKS) Via the sports marketing publication the Sports Business Journal, cable company Comcast and the Big Ten Network may finally be coming to an agreement to have the cable giant to carry the network on its airwaves.
…and finally…
Clayton Kershaw has a wicked curve(YouTube) Not as wicked as the “Uncle Charlie” that St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright dropped on New York’s Carlos Beltran in the 2006 NLCS, but it’s still really, really, really neat-o.
Pence injured in sliding door tumble (MLB.com) Houston’s young star Hunter Pence has trouble with sliding glass door, cuts hand and knees. Something tells us the story will change a bit here.
Tejada won’t discuss Mitchell Report (AP/SI.com) Expect answers similar to Chico Escuela when asked about his involvement in the Mitchell Report.
Report: Giants, Coughlin close to deal (The Sports Network) The Super Bowl champion New York Giants and their head coach Tom Coughlin are closing in on a pact that would keep the bench boss in the Meadowlands till 2011.
Noel Devine in some hot water (The Dominion Post) Morgantown Police investigating incident that involves WVU star running back Noel Devine (i-Five to TheBigLead for the tip).
The NHL is no stranger is pranks(YouTube) On Monday, we brought you the Kyle Kendrick prank. Today, some NHL veterans have some fun with a rookie’s car keys.
Ranking the best GMs in the game (SI.com) Jon Heyman of SI.com has the usual suspects atop the list. Great nugget: The poster boy of “Moneyball” is retiring. Jeremy Brown, the pudgy OBP machine, is hanging ‘em up at age 28.
News and notes while dropping in for a spell and enjoying the five-game Red Wings losing streak….
Posada supports Clemens (Daily News) Even though he didn’t watch the Congressional hearings this week, Yankees catcher Jorge Posada still believes that Roger Clemens didn’t take PEDs. Good to see he’s making an informed opinion, nevermind that his comments don’t show much love for current teammate Andy Pettitte.
LoDuca apologizes for ‘mistakes in judgment’ (AP/SI.com) More PEDs: Washington Nationals catcher Paul LoDuca apologized for being mentioned in the Mitchell Report in a released statement by the ballclub. Thankfully, he didn’t say he “misremembered” taking the stuff.
Zednik released from hospital (AP) The Florida Panthers defenseman who was inadvertently slashed by a falling teammates’ skate was released from a Buffalo, New York-area hospital. Zednik’s season is over.
Zach Thomas not ready to hang ‘em up (Florida Today/USATODAY.com) The recently-released Pro Bowl linebacker Zach Thomas tells a South Florida radio station that he’s not ready to retire from the NFL.
Indiana investigation a sham (IndyStar.com) Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz writes what everyone is thinking: the Indiana University investigation in the major NCAA violations by hoops coach Kelvin Sampson is nothing more than a sham.
…and finally…
$100M spy suit says Pats, coach cheated St. Louis (Boston Herald) So let’s get this straight: taping a walk-through is going to tilt a Super Bowl in a team’s favor? This guy should sue then-Rams coach Mike Martz for not using running back Marshall Faulk.
(Note: We hope to be back on a regular basis for most of next week. We definitely won’t be around from February 23 through March 4-ish. We apologize for being away, but life gets in the way sometimes.)
In Tuesday’s editions of the New York Daily Newsday, Rep. Tom Davis of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform states that Andy Pettitte’s testimony in a closed session last week seemed to coincide with Roger Clemens’ accuser, Brian McNamee.
Davis told ESPN.com’s T.J. Quinn that he was misquoted and misunderstood in his comments to the paper.
According to the paper, much of Pettitte’s testimony corroborated that of McNamee.
Newsday, citing confidential sources, reported that during a workout in 2002, Pettitte asked McNamee: “How come you don’t give me the stuff you give Roger?” McNamee reportedly replied “Because it’s illegal.”
Davis told the daily that “The Rocket” doesn’t attack Pettitte any his testimony.
Pettitte has been excused from Wednesday’s hearings and according to ESPN’s Quinn, is a “bad witness” and got the information they needed for the hearings.
Questions good enough to launch a rocket (FOXSports.com) Ken Rosenthal writes for FOXSports.com that it’s now gametime as Congressional hearings are set to go Wednesday for Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee.
Vikes’ Udeze has leukemia (KSTP.com) The Minnesota Vikings are extending their “thoughts and prayers” to defensive end Kenechi Udeze after a television station reported Monday that he has a form of leukemia.
Mayock doesn’t see McFadden in top-20 (Pancake Blocks) NFL Network draft expect Mike Mayock released his top-10 overall picks Monday and Arkansas’ Darren McFadden didn’t make the cut — or a spot in the top-20 (i-five to TheFanHouse for the story). Malarchuk remembers the blood (Calgary Herald) The former NHL goalie who had his jugular vein sliced 19-years ago speaks out on the similar injury suffered by Florida Panthers defenseman Richard Zednik on Sunday.
…and finally…
Chris Berman video fun (YouTube/The Big Lead) We missed out on the Chris Berman video frenzy in the last week or so, but The Big Lead found one Tuesday that we have to share.
The much-rumored deal that sends prospects to Baltimore for ace lefthanded starter Erik Bedard to Seattle has finally been completed.
Bedard spoke to SI.com’s Ben Reiter about the trade, his new home and how leaving Baltimore is “bittersweet.”
“I love the city, other than it raining a little too much,” he said. “I can’t wait to see what it’s all about. If I could have picked where I’d be traded, [Seattle] would have been one of my top choices.”
Kevin Everett: Standing tall (AP/Y! Sports) Five months after accident, the Buffalo Bills tight end is walking, standing tall.
Giants GM Reese hits jackpot in first draft (USA Today) In his first year on the job, New York Giants GM Jerry Reese has done a solid job in the NFL Draft, writes Tom Weir of USATODAY.com.
Irish hire Tenuta as assistant coach (AP/SI.com) Jon Tenuta, who guided the Georgia Tech defense to a 20th-ranked finish in ‘07, has been hired as assistant head coach for defense. He’ll assist DC Corwin Brown.
Agent meets with committee lawyers (AP/MLB.com) An employee of the sports agency that represents Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte spoke Thursday to the congressional committee investigating drugs in baseball.
ESPN bloopers(YouTube) The YouTubes had the Chris Berman clip of him going batshit crazy over a production error. Today, we bring you other ESPN bloopers.
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Florida Marlins and free agent outfielder Luis Gonzalez have agreed to a one-year deal.
The deal is contingent on Gonzalez passing a physical. Should he pass it with flying colors, the veteran outfielder will be paid a base of nearly $2 million, with incentives possibly pushing it up to the $3 million range.
Gonzalez’s salary places him in the top three highest-paid ballplayers on the squad, behind recently-acquired Andrew Miller and Segrio Mitre.
Mets sit down with Santana’s agent (AP/SI.com) With a short negotiating window that ends at 5 PM ET Friday, the New York Mets and the agent for left-hander Johan Santana sit down to lay the framework for a mega-deal.
Umps’ neighbors quizzed on controversial topics (USATODAY.com) In the wake of the NBA/Tim Donaghy scandal, MLB decided it would be a good idea to do background checks on their umpires. Apparently, investigators have some odd questions about their subjects.
Hockey legend Lafleur wanted by police (CP/The Hockey News) According to authorities in Montreal, Que., hockey legend Guy Lafleur is wanted for giving contradictory evidence as a witness at his son’s bail hearing last fall, his lawyer said.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes that the Baltimore Orioles aren’t the only ones waiting to take a stab at landing the best lefty ace on the market in Erik Bedard.
While the O’s are still negotiating to get the deal done (rumors persist that Adam Jones had problems with his physical, Zrebiec writes that the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets were all in the hunt for the big lefty’s services.
Of course, there’s still that pesky Peter Angelos.
The source confirmed that there are other issues that need to be resolved for the trade to go through. One of them remains getting the blessing of Orioles owner Peter Angelos, who is dealing with a personal matter for most of the week. However, MacPhail has been in contact with Angelos about potential deals.
So much for giving the team president all the latitude he needed to get things done, eh Peter?
Pettitte will discuss Clemens, lawyers say (New York Times) According to Duff Wilson and Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times, the lawyers for Mitchell Report informant Brian McNamee say that NY Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte will disclose the PEDs usage of Roger Clemens before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
With Santana Mets ease September pain (Y! Sports) By acquiring winning Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins, Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown writes, the New York Mets have helped ease the pain of their late 2007 crash from atop the NL East standings.
MU hoops coach suspends five indefinitely (STLToday.com) Graham Watson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that Missouri hoops coach Mike Anderson has suspended five players indefinitely for violating teams rules by being at a Columbia nightclub early Sunday morning.
Former Patriot Joe Andruzzi is in fight for his life (SI.com) Tim Layden of SI.com profiles former New England Patriots guard Joe Andruzzi, who is battling Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that advances with such haste that it can double in size in just 24 hours.
The Associated Press is reporting that Congress has pushed back New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte’s testimony until next Monday.
The interview, before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, was scheduled for Wednesday.
“Mr. Pettitte is cooperating voluntary with the committee, and we look forward to his testimony on Monday,” panel chairman Henry Waxman and ranking Republican Tom Davis said in a joint statement. “We appreciate Mr. Pettitte’s willingness to assist the Committee.”
One of sports’ long, national nightmares is over: Johan Santana has been dealt to the New York Mets, according to Bob Nightengale of USATODAY.com.
The deal is pending the Mets and Santana reaching agreement on a six- or seven-year contract extension and that Santana passes a physical; they have been granted a 48 to-72-hour window to do so.
According to Nightengale, the Mets have sent Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey.
Buster Olney of ESPN: The Magazine reports that Minnesota Twins executives have asked teams interested in acquiring pitcher Johan Santana to submit their final offers.
Olney reports that with this latest development, the Twins could actually pull the trigger on the long-rumored deal.
Is this really an update? Given all the false starts, rumors and ruminations by Yankees co-managing partner Hank Steinbrenner, we suggest not holding your breath.
Browns, Crennel agree to two-year extension (AP/NFL.com) The Cleveland Browns extended the contract of Romeo Crennel after he led the club to a 10-6 mark, their best record since 1999.
A thank you to Larry Smith (STLToday.com) Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that Missouri football fans owe Larry Smith, who passed away Monday at age 68, thanks for getting the program on the road to respectability.
Kidd: Time to ‘move on’ (ESPN.com) Ric Bucher, who seems to get more things wrong than right as it relates to Kobe Bryant, reports that the agent for New Jersey’s Jason Kidd is seeking a trade for his client.
Webber: ‘Done deal’ to return to Warriors (AP/SI.com) In an email to the Associated Press, Chris Webber has confirmed that he has agreed to return to the Golden State Warriors.
Loading ...
