Absolute Sports Report

Week 3 Predictions [David Stefanini]

2009-09-27T12:30:00.004-04:00

After a sub-par performance last week I'll try to do better this time:

@NYJ -1 Tennessee: Sanchez is the real deal, so are the Jets. Maybe Vince Young will make an appearance to try to salvage the Titans season.

@Houston -4 Jacksonville: I like Houston in this game. After a beat down by the Jets in week 1, the Texans had a great performance last week against the Titans. Look for their winning ways to continue.

@Philadelphia -7.5 Kansas City: Since McNabb is not playing, I can't see the Eagles beating anybody by more than 7 points. Plus, the real story here is Vick's return.

@Baltimore -13.5 Cleveland: If the Ravens were favored by 30, I would still pick them.

NYG -6.5 @Tampa Bay: 9 Giants are injured with at least 5 (at the time of this post) being inactive. Too much for the G-Men to overcome and cover 6.5 points.

Washington -6.5 @Detroit: Look for the Lions to pick up their first victory since 2007. Why do I say this, cause if they don't win they probably never will.

Green Bay -6.5 @St. Louis: The Packers should win, but I have a funny feeling about the Rams putting up a fight.

@Minnesota -7 San Fransisco: This is a big reality check for the 49ers. Hill has been good as their QB, but the Vikings are one of the elite teams. Look for the Vikings to cover.

@New England -4.5 Atlanta: At this point the Falcons should not be 4.5 underdogs to anybody.

Chicago -2.5 @Seattle: The Bears are turning things around whereas the Seahawks are struggling with injures, the Bears should cover.

New Orleans -6 @Buffalo: I'm not as high on the Saints as everyone else is. If they Saints win this game by 6, I'll become a believer, I'm just not there yet.

@San Diego -6 Miami: The Chargers are such a puzzling team. They have the best players at so many positions, why can't they put together a long 6/7 game winning steak? Maybe it starts now.

Pittsburgh -3.5 @Cinncinnati: I have a feeling the Bengals will win this outright. If not, maybe they lose by a field goal.

Denver -2 @Oakland: Who is the QB for the Raiders?.... Need I say more?

@Arizona -2.5 Indianapolis: Maybe the website I look at is malfunctioning, but HOW ARE THE COLTS UNDERDOGS? Take the Colts in the easiest game of the week.

@Dallas -8.5 Carolina: Too many points for the Cowboys, take the Panthers.

A Tribute To Brett Favre--The Legend of Lambeau

2008-03-05T16:08:00.003-05:00

As many of you already know, quarterback great Brett Favre has retired after playing a record 17 seasons. “I know I can still play, but it’s like I told my wife, I’m just tired mentally,” Favre told ESPN. “I’m just tired.” Thus ends the career of one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Brett Favre, you will be missed by all football fans. Farewell.

Brett Favre's Retiring Makes No Sense

2008-03-04T18:11:00.004-05:00

After flirting with retirement for years, Brett Favre means it this time. The Green Bay Packers quarterback quit Tuesday after a 17-season career in which he dazzled fans with his grit, heart and rocket of an arm.

"I know I can still play, but it's like I told my wife, I'm just tired mentally. I'm just tired," Favre, a three-time NFL MVP, said. If I felt like coming back -- and Deanna [his wife] and I talked about this -- the only way for me to be successful would be to win a Super Bowl. To go to the Super Bowl and lose, would almost be worse than anything else. Anything less than a Super Bowl win would be unsuccessful. I know it shouldn't feel unsuccessful, but the only way to come back and make that be the right decision would be to come back and win a Super Bowl. And honestly, the odds of that, they're tough. Those are big shoes for me to fill, and I guess it was a challenge I wasn't up for."

Favre, 38, had made his annual flirtation with retirement a winter tradition in Wisconsin. He has taken weeks and even months to make his decision after recent seasons, with Cheeseheads hanging on his every word.

But unlike the final game of the 2006 season -- when Favre provided a cliffhanger by getting choked up in a television interview as he walked off the field in Chicago, only to return once again -- nearly everyone assumed he would be back.

A sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, Favre put the Packers back among the NFL's elite. He retires with 5,377 career completions in 8,758 attempts for 61,655 yards, 442 touchdowns and 288 interceptions, passing Dan Marino's touchdown mark last season.

Brett Farve is unpredictable to say the least. His retiring at this time makes no sense. He originally wanted to retire because he couldn't stand having losing seasons and a horrible team around him. Now, that makes sense. What doesn't make sense is now that he has a great team around him and is coming off probably one of his best seasons, he chooses to retire now.....and to show further genius in Favre's logic, just last week Favre was saying how he'd like to play with Randy Moss and now a week later he retires.

Patriots Close To Deal With Moss

2008-03-03T16:25:00.003-05:00

The New England Patriots and Randy Moss are reportedly finalizing terms of a three-year $27 million contract. Moss had been pursued by several teams ever since the Patriots failed to make him a franchise player late last month. But, it seems that Moss is going to stay in New England. This move makes the most sense for both New England and Randy Moss. New England has already lost Donte' Stallworth as well as other important players. Losing Randy Moss would completely devastate the Patriots' powerful offense. Keeping him is the best move for New England.

There are essentially two reasons for Randy Moss to leave New England. The first is the unethical strategies implemented by the Patriots' coaching staff. Spying on other teams has marked New England. Many of their victories are now viewed with skepticism. Moss might be better off joining a respectable team who does not cheat so his achievements can be more praised and admired rather than looked upon with suspicion and doubt. The second reason to leave New England is more pay. This reason, however, is pretty pointless since he has tons of money already. What he does not have is a Super Bowl ring. And one of the best shots he has of winning such a prize is to stay right where he is, in New England...unfortunately.

Donte Stallworth Has Joined The Cleveland Browns

2008-03-01T17:08:00.004-05:00

The New England Patriots are falling apart. First, Asante Samuel leaves the Patriots to join the Philadelphia Eagles, then they find out Randy Moss is looking elsewhere for deals, and now Donte' Stallworth, who played last season with the New England Patriots, agreed to terms on a contract with the Browns. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Patriots just dismantled their receiving core.

Stallworth caught 46 passes for 697 yards and three touchdowns as part of a receving corps that included Wes Welker and Pro Bowler Randy Moss. Stallworth's best overall season was in 2005 when he caught 70 passes for 945 yards and seven touchdowns as a member of the New Orleans Saints.

Possibly 2 of the 3 receivers mentioned above may be leaving the Patriots.

The New York Mets Already Have Injury Woes

2008-03-01T16:36:00.005-05:00

Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado is feeling discomfort in his right hip and returned to New York for an MRI.

Mets general manager Omar Minaya called the move precautionary. Delgado was bothered by his hip after Friday's 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. You remember that game, right? The one where Johan Santana pitched just marvelously....

Delgado

"We said, 'Why don't we just get him to New York and get him checked out?' " Minaya said Saturday.

Delgado missed time last season with a strained hip flexor, but the injury does not appear related, Minaya said.

"I just don't expect it to be extended," he said.

Delgado struggled last season with a .258 average. He still provides considerably more pop than his potential backups. He hit 24 home runs and had 87 RBIs last season.

If Delgado can't play for an extended time, the Mets could turn to Damion Easley, Marlon Anderson or Olmedo Saenz. Jose Valentin was asked to bring a first base glove to camp. Minaya said the team has not looked outside the organization to fill a potential void.

And this pattern of injuries should continue throughout the season as it did the last 2 years.

How Long Can The Houston Rockets Stay Alive Without Yao Ming?

2008-02-29T16:49:00.006-05:00

Despite Yao Ming out for the remainder of the season, the Houston Rockets continue to dominate as their win streak has now reached 13 games in a row. With the Rockets playing Memphis tonight, make that 14 in a row (unless the Rockets sleep on them, but the West is so tight why would any team sleep on another team at this point?) The Rockets will make the playoffs, but the question is how long will they last? Will they get out of the first round finally?

The team rests solely on the shoulders of Tracy McGrady. Like Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, and Lebron James, Tracy is an all-star who needs a supporting cast, or at least a right hand man. I consider Rafer Alston and Shane Battier to be decent players, but if you look at every other team in the West who currently has a spot in the playoffs, those teams all have more than one all star or a batch of very good players. For example, if the season ended today, the Rockets would have to contend with the San Antonio Spurs (not a contest). They most likely will not pass the Dallas Mavericks in the West and they won't fall behind the Golden State Warriors. They will finish in 7th place in their Conference and get knocked out yet again in the first round. They simply don't have the same firepower as the other teams.

RUMOR: Randy Moss To The Dallas Cowboys?

2008-02-29T16:35:00.003-05:00

Imagine being Tony Romo. You look to your left and see the greatest receiver from last season (Randy Moss). Then, you look to your right and see the second best receiver from last season (Terrell Owens). Isn't that a great feeling? Romo can't possibly screw up again.

Since Randy Moss is going to be a free agent, I've heard rumors that the Dallas Cowboys are going to be interested in signing him. He came to the New England Patriots in hopes of getting a Super Bowl Ring, but he is still waiting for his first ring. Likewise, Terrell Owens never won a Super Bowl Ring either. How could the two greatest receivers in football, possibly in history, still not have Super Bowl Rings? It makes sense to combine the two.

Hank Steinbrenner Is Going Senile

2008-02-29T16:27:00.004-05:00

Hank Steinbrenner, who has recently turned the Yankees over to his two sons because of his Alzheimer's disease and possible senile symptoms, has provided his share of Boss-like comments in the offseason, his first as one of the principal leaders running the New York Yankees.

He's made verbal digs at former manager Joe Torre and inserted himself during the contract negotiations with Alex Rodriguez, as well as the race for the services of pitcher Johan Santana.

The latest no doubt will send Boston Red Sox fans into a frenzy.

"Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of [expletive] that is ... This is a Yankee country. We're going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order. "

-- Hank Steinbrenner

Hank Steinbrenner, apparently trying to emphasize that he has no fear of the Yankees' American League competition, has amped up the rivalry between the two teams, intentionally or not.

"Red Sox Nation?" Hank Steinbrenner said in an interview with The New York Times' Play magazine. "What a bunch of [expletive] that is. That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans.

"Go anywhere in America and you won't see Red Sox hats and jackets, you'll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We're going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order."

Steinbrenner's interview, in the March 2 issue of the magazine, reveals a great deal of his personality and his style. He is not afraid to speak his mind, and he appears to have little sense of regret when he does, saying there was a need for him to take control. "Everyone was hiding in their rooms. You can't do that and be a leader. You have to step up and take a position," he said.

His comments about the Red Sox are not the first time he has sent some vitriol their way. In an interview with GQ.com, posted on Feb. 19, Hank Steinbrenner said about the defending World Series champions: "They've got a lot of talent, and [have] done very well the past few years, but let me put it this way: I don't think [they] wanted to play us in the ALCS. So I will concede nothing. I think we're better than [them]."

Steinbrenner's sons never had any experience with owning or management, but Hank still handed the team over to them to keep the Yankees within their family. It'll be interesting to see the decisions his sons make.

Jerry Porter And Troy Williamson Should Bring Some Life To The Jacksonville Receiving Core

2008-02-29T16:16:00.005-05:00

The Jacksonville Jaguars, who have been searching for a No. 1 wide receiver since Jimmy Smith retired, reached a contract agreement Friday with Jerry Porter, one of the top wide receivers in the unrestricted free agent market.

Porter, 29, was expected to sign a six-year, $30 million contract later on Friday. He played the first eight years of his career with the Oakland Raiders.

Jerry Porter needs the Jags just as bad as the Jags need Porter. Remember, Porter played on the Raiders his first 8 seasons. The Raiders that I can remember never had a very good quarterback to get the ball into Porter's hands during those 8 seasons. Hopefully, now that Porter has a very good quarterback in David Garrard, Porter can finally unleash his true potential.

In addition, the Jaguars on Friday completed a trade they agreed to earlier in the week, adding former Minnesota first-round wide receiver Troy Williamson in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. Williamson, who was a disappointment in his three seasons with the Vikings, should add a deep threat to the Jacksonville offense.

Again, look where Troy Williamson came from. The Vikings haven't had a good quarterback since early 2000s when Daunte Culpepper was in his prime.

With the emergence of quarterback David Garrard in his first season as the full-time starter in 2007, the Jaguars are making a concerted effort to upgrade his arsenal of receivers in an attempt to close the gap with Indianapolis in the division.

Will Brady Quinn Ever Reach The NFL Spotlight?

2008-02-29T16:09:00.003-05:00

Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson wasn't a free agent for long.

Anderson

Anderson has agreed to a multiyear contract to stay with the Browns, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been completed.

General manager Phil Savage believed if Anderson had gotten an offer from another team, the Browns probably wouldn't have been able to keep him. The Browns HAD BEEN prepared to turn their offense over to Brady Quinn.

Brady Quinn should seek a trade elsewhere because with the resigning of popular quarterback Derek Anderson, Quinn is most likely not going to see a snap in years unless Anderson pulls a Rex Grossman or gets hurt.

Derek Anderson needs to work on his two-minute drills and staying hot throughout the whole season. He came out firing last year, but by the end he couldn't pull off one win against the Bills when it mattered the most.

The FBI Is Ready To Ruin Roger Clemens' Life And The Houston Astros Aren't Helping

2008-02-28T17:57:00.002-05:00

The FBI has begun investigating whether Roger Clemens lied to Congress when he denied taking steroids, officials said Thursday in the case of another baseball star snared in a long-running inquiry into drug use by professional athletes.

Clemens, the All-Star pitcher and seven-time Cy Young Award winner, maintains he has never used steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. His former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, claims otherwise, testifying that he injected Clemens with human growth hormones and steroids at least 16 to 21 times from 1998 to 2001.

In order for the FBI to investigate Clemens, or anyone for that matter, the FBI feels: 1) They are certain Clemens is lying and 2) They are certain they can gather enough information to nail Clemens.

FBI agents in Washington opened the case a little more than two weeks after both Clemens and McNamee appeared at the same House hearing on Feb. 13, each accusing the other of lying.

"The request to open an investigation on the congressional testimony of Roger Clemens has been turned over to the FBI and will receive appropriate investigative action by the Washington Field Office," said FBI spokeswoman Debra Weierman.

The inquiry came on the heels of a request Wednesday from the House Oversight Committee, could result in perjury or obstruction of justice charges against Clemens. Lawmakers did not ask for a similar investigation of McNamee.

In a statement, Clemens' lead attorney, Rusty Hardin, said the FBI probe did not come as a surprise.

"We've always expected they would open an investigation. They attended the Congressional hearing. So, what's new?" Hardin said in the statement.

Meanwhile, Roger Clemens' 10-year personal services contract with the Houston Astros could be affected by the FBI's investigation into whether he lied to Congress about using steroids.

Astros owner Drayton McLane said Thursday he might re-evaluate the deal -- which kicks in when the star pitcher officially retires -- in light of Clemens' legal issues.

"We'll just have to see what happens," McLane said. "You're just putting supposition into it and we'll just have to wait and see what develops."

McLane said he's also evaluating whether Clemens will continue working with the team's minor leaguers, which he has done the past two days.

"That makes it more complex, it sure does," McLane said, speaking before the FBI announced the inquiry. "We'll just have to look at that and see what transpires. We'll have to evaluate it at the time."

Dallas Cowboys Make A Good Move While The Bears A Bad One

2008-02-24T13:16:00.005-05:00

Seven-time Pro Bowl inside linebacker Zach Thomas has reached a contract agreement in principle with the Dallas Cowboys, team and league sources told ESPN.com on Saturday morning.

Saturday night, Thomas' agent, Drew Rosenhaus confirmed the deal.

"It is going to be signed in the next couple of days," Rosenhaus was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.

The deal includes a $1 million base salary, a $1 million signing bonus and a $1 million incentive-based bonus based on playing time that Rosenhaus said should be easily attained.

Thomas, 34, who was released by the Miami Dolphins two weeks ago, following a 2007 season in which he was limited to just five appearances, chose the deal from the Cowboys over contract proposals from the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints.

A 12-year veteran, and one of only three players in modern NFL history to register 100-plus tackles in each of his first 10 seasons in the league, Thomas was released by the new Miami football regime on Feb. 14 after a celebrated stint with the Dolphins.

Meanwhile, for reasons I have no idea what they were thinking.....

Rex Grossman has signed a one-year deal to remain as the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears.

Grossman

Grossman wanted to stay with the Bears, and Bears general manager Jerry Angelo and coach Lovie Smith wanted to give him one more chance to stay as their starting quarterback. On Saturday, each side worked out a deal in order for the relationship to continue.

"It's still a great opportunity for him [in Chicago]," his agent, Eugene Parker, told ESPN.com.

Under terms of the deal, Grossman will have a $3 million base salary. He can make close to $2 million in incentives as long as he's the starting quarterback.

Several players on the Bears offense were pushing for Grossman to return as quarterback.

His best season was in 2006 when he started 16 games, passed for 3,193 yards, threw 23 touchdown passes and helped to take the Bears to the Super Bowl. He struggled in 2007 and started only seven games.

During the second half of last season, Smith used Brian Griese and Kyle Orton as starters. Grossman's signing, though, should resolve the Bears quarterback situation.

A first-round choice in the 2003 draft, Grossman has appeared in 32 games, with 30 starts, during his tenure with the Bears. The former Florida star has completed 489 of 900 passes for 5,907 yards, with 31 touchdown passes, 33 interceptions and an efficiency rating of 70.9. Ouch.

Maybe the Bears were thinking about how they could find ways to lose more games than they could win and how they could drive all their fans crazy as they watch Grossman throw interception after interception with an occasional touchdown to make fans believe as if he was the real deal.

Indiana And Kelvin Sampson Have Split Ways

2008-02-22T19:46:00.003-05:00

After hours and hours of waiting, the decision was announced today.

Indiana and Kelvin Sampson reached a $750,000 settlement Friday, enabling the coach and the school to part ways immediately, the university said in a statement released Friday night.

Under the agreement, Sampson could not sue the university. An announcement was expected later Friday.

"I am very sorry to see our relationship with Coach Sampson end this way, but we have to focus on doing what's best for the long-term interests of IU and its men's basketball team," athletic director Rick Greenspan said in the statement.

The deal calls for Sampson to be paid $750,000, $550,000 of which is being provided by an anonymous donor, the relase said. The remainder will come from athletic department funds. Sampson has agreed he will not file a wrongful termination lawsuit against Indiana.

Signs of a coaching switch were evident at the team's practice Friday afternoon.

Assistant coach Dan Dakich, who will be named interim coach, directed the workout but was short-handed. Senior captain D.J. White, Armon Bassett, Jordan Crawford, Jamarcus Ellis, DeAndre Thomas and Brandon McGee were not on the court.

The Hoosiers were scheduled to depart for Evanston, Ill., on Saturday for IU's Big Ten game that night at Northwestern.

Even More Damning Evidence Against Roger Clemens

2008-02-22T12:42:00.003-05:00

Roger Clemens' lies continue to build and with each lie comes more evidence proving of his guilt. Frankly, I'm starting to grow tired of the Roger Clemens' case. If only he did not lie under oath, we wouldn't be having all these discussions and debates.

The 1998 party at Jose Canseco's house in Miami may have started out as a gathering of friends and family. It has turned into an event worthy of congressional testimony and a source of "evidence."

There is a photo of Roger Clemens at Canseco's house during the June 1998 party, according to the New York Daily News -- a photo that would contradict Clemens' sworn testimony that he never attended the party.

Richard Emery, one of the lawyers for Clemens' former trainer, Brian McNamee, said he was aware of the existence of the photo. "We have reason to believe it's reliable evidence," Emery told the Daily News. "We believe there's photographic evidence that shows Clemens was at a party he says he wasn't at."

The event is a key point in the steroids investigation involving Clemens. It is mentioned in the Mitchell report, and was a focal point during the Feb. 13 hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

In the Mitchell report, Brian McNamee, Clemens' former trainer, said he witnessed Canseco, Clemens and a third, unidentified person talking together, but did not overhear the conversation. McNamee said that some time after the party, "Clemens approached [him] and, for the first time, brought up the subject of using steroids," according to the report.

The crux of the issue is whether Clemens was present at the party, which was hosted by Canseco for his Toronto Blue Jays teammates and their families while they were in town for a series against the Florida Marlins.

Clemens has repeatedly denied being at Canseco's house for that event. But a young man has a photo of Clemens at the party, according to the Daily News. The man was just 11 years old at the time of the party, taking photos of various baseball players in attendance.

McNamee has testified that he clearly recalls Clemens, his wife, nanny and children at Canseco's party, including describing the nanny as wearing a peach bikini and board shorts.

Clemens' lawyer, Rusty Hardin, has said he turned over evidence to congressional lawyers, including an affidavit from Canseco, proving Clemens didn't attend Canseco's party.

The House committee is still debating on the next step regarding the steroids investigation. Sources have told the Daily News that they expect the committee to refer the entire matter, not just the Clemens investigation, to the Justice Department.

"We haven't heard anything one way or the other," Hardin told the Daily News.

Manny Ramirez Will Leave The Boston Red Sox If They Don't Resign Him

2008-02-22T11:06:00.003-05:00

Manny Ramirez claims he loves the Boston Red Sox so much he wants to finish his career with them. However, I question his loyalty. If the Red Sox do not pick up his option in 2009, Manny said he'll join the free agent market.

"I want to stay here, but it's up to them if they want to bring me," Ramirez said. "But if they don't want to bring me back, that's fine. I know I'll be a free agent after '08 so that's another thing that I'm looking forward [to]."

Boston's slugging left-fielder is entering the final season of his eight-year, $160 million contract that has team options for 2009 and 2010 of $20 million each.

There's no rush to pick up the option or extend his contract, and Ramirez has no intention of asking the team to do either.

"It's up to them to say, 'OK, we're going to take [the option]. It's not up to me to go into the office and demand a four-year deal, whatever," he said. "No, I'm going come here to play the game, finish my year. If they want me to come back, I'll come back."

Manny Ramirez

Left Field
Boston Red Sox

2007 Season Stats
GM	HR	RBI	R	OBP	AVG
127	20	86	79	.385	.292

General manager Theo Epstein also wants to wait.

"We're focused on 2008," Epstein said. "Manny's contract provides for the first of his options to be decided upon at the end of the year and there's a time for that, but it's certainly after the season. And we're looking forward to Manny continuing to work hard and have a great year."

Ramirez had asked to be traded after the 2005 and 2006 seasons. But this offseason passed peacefully, without so much as a peep of dissatisfaction from him.

What changed?

"You start growing up and mature," the 35-year-old Ramirez said.

Now he doesn't want to play anywhere else.

"I want to finish my career here," he said, "but it's up to them. So if that doesn't happen, hey, I'll go and play somewhere else. I know I still can play. What else can I say? It's up to them. I'm not the one who writes the checks."

Right, very mature Manny.

Having Manny Ramirez on your team is the equivalent of having a Terrell Owens or Ron Artest on your team. What you have here is a superstar who allows his skills on the field or court to effect his attitude off the field or court.

Then again, I think Manny is full of himself. He loves the attention. Well, this will certainly make for an interesting story in the years to come.

The Cleveland Cavilers Acquire Ben Wallace And Wally Szczerbiak

2008-02-21T17:32:00.004-05:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to have beaten the NBA's annual trade buzzer to get LeBron James some of the fresh help he's been openly craving.

In a three-way, 11-player trade with Chicago and Seattle that has been submitted for league approval, NBA front-office sources say that Cleveland will come away with four new teammates for James, headlined by Ben Wallace from the Bulls and sharpshooter Wally Szczerbiak from the Sonics.

The league office was notified of the deal before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trading deadline, sources said, and is currently reviewing the trade details as required for formal approval.

After Cleveland watched two longstanding trade targets land elsewhere -- Mike Bibby in Atlanta and Jason Kidd in Dallas -- sources say that the deal calls for the Cavaliers to receive Wallace, Szczerbiak, Seattle point guard Delonte West, Chicago's Joe Smith and a future second-round pick from the Bulls.

The Bulls, apparently abandoning their gamble on Wallace less than two seasons into the lucrative four-year deal they used to sign him away from Detroit, would get Cavaliers forward Drew Gooden and swingman Larry Hughes along with Cavs reserves Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown.

The Sonics, shedding Szczerbiak in the name of additional payroll flexibility, come away with the expiring contracts of Cleveland's Ira Newble and Chicago's Adrian Griffin as well as Cavs veteran Donyell Marshall.

This trade is terrible for the Cavs. When healthy, Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes were excellent shooters and scorers. Now, the Cavs acquired a center who doesn't do anything. Ben Wallace is one of the biggest disappointments this year and dead weight on the court. If anything, this trade gives the Bulls a better chance of competing in the playoffs.

A Breakdown Of The National League 2008 Baseball Season

2008-02-21T15:53:00.005-05:00

What I plan to do here, so long as my power doesn't blow out which has been happening a lot in this area lately, is to go through each team in order of how I think they'll finish in their division and highlight some of their key players. Now onto the National League.......

NL East

1. New York Mets - It was very tough deciding between whether I should put the Mets or Phillies in first place, especially after what happened last season. Though I think the Phillies squad is more reliable than the Mets' batters, I have to give it to the Mets because of that unbelivable piutching rotation of Santana, Martinez (if healthy), Maine, Perez, and Hernandez. Also, Wagner is still an excellent closer. However, though I pick the Mets to go to the World Series this year against the Tigers, they have the same problem as the Tigers. That is, their roster is filled with old players who either get hurt (Alou, Beltran, Martinez) or forget how to bat by the end of the season (Delgado).

2. Philadelphia Phillies - Again, it was tough to list the Mets as first and the Phillies as second and I admit you can make an argument to flip this around. Hamels, Myers, and Moyer are OK pitchers, but don't equal up to the Mets' pitchers. The acquisition of Lidge was a bad move because he isn't a great closer anymore. However, where the Phillies shine is in their big, scary bats of Howard, Burrell, Utley, Jenkins, and Victorino.

3. Atlanta Braves - My favorite team, the Braves, are now just a team of their past. I thought they were bad last year, well, they'll be worse this year with the loss of Andruw Jones and the acquisition of Tom Glavine, who is old, terrible, and led the Mets to their final defeat of the year last year. Again, like the Phillies, the Braves pitching rotation of Smoltz, Hudson, Glavine, and James are very good in their own right, in fact they are better than the Phillies' starting pitchers, but can't equal the Mets. However, the Braves' bullpen is just atrocious and a major reason why they lose. Their batting is still very good though, highlighted by Jones, Teixeira, McCann, Francoeur, and Johnson.

4. Florida Marlins - Like deciding whether I wanted to put the Mets or Phillies at first, I'm having a hard time deciding whether I want to put the Marlins or Nationals in last. The Marlins starting rotation isn't worth mentioning nor is their bullpen spectacular. However, I like their hitting better than the Nationals, with Uggla, McPherson, Hermida, and Jacobs as highlights.

5. Washington Nationals - Their starting pitching isn't memorable and their bullpen is even worse, except for Chad Cordero. They have some decent hitting (Mo Pena, Milledge, and Kearns), but nothing amazing to speak of. The Marlins and Nationals are solely meant for teams like the Mets, Phillies, and even Braves to beat up on.

NL Central (Probably the toughest division)

1. St. Louis Cardinals - Their staring pitching (Wainwright, Looper, Mulder, Reyes) are mediocore, but Isringhausen is still a reliable closer. Their hitting is very powerful in the big bats of Pujols, Duncan, Glaus, and Ankiel. I believe the Cards will be back in first this year.

2. Chicago Cubs - Zambrano, Hill, Lilly, and Marquis make for a solid rotation, though their bullpen isn't all that great. Still they have the best leadoff hitter in baseball (Soriano) and the scary bats of Ramirez and Lee.

3. Houston Astros - The addition of Tejada is lovely, but still won't save this team. Oswalt and Backe are very good starting pitchers and Villarreal and Valverde are excellent in their bullpen, but their hitting is still poor, only highlighted by Tejada and Berkman.

4. Milwaukee Brewers - Eh. Sheets and Suppan are good starters, but that's about it. Gagne and Turnbow aren't reliable in the bullpen anymore and once you pitch around Fielder all the other batters are just so-so.

5. Cincinnati Reds - This team is very unpredictable, but I predict they'll do bad. Harang is their only good starter, but Cordero can save them in the bullpen. Their hitting is either old or inconsistent, but I would still highlight Griffey Jr., Dunn, Phillips, and Encarnacion has reliable hitters.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates - This team may surprise people, but I can't see it happening. I mean, Snell and Duke are young starting pitchers just waiting to break out, but they consistently are bad. Their bullpen is a bunch of bull. However, their hitting is at least mediocre, highlighted by LaRoche, Bay, Nady, and McLouth.

NL West (Another Tough Division)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers - All the work the Dodgers have put into this team should pay off. If the Mets don't go to the World Series, this team would be my next choice to represent the National League. Penny, Lowe, and Schmidt are still excellent starters, as is Saito in their bullpen. Their hitting is an excellent mix of pesky speed (Furcal, Pierre) and very good hitting (Kent, Garciaparra, Martin, Jones). Oh, and they got one of the best managers in baseball, Joe Torre. Man, the Yankees and their fans are harsh. Do they forget what how much good Torre did for the Yankees?

2. San Diego Padres - If any team in this division is going to give the Dodgers trouble, it would be the Padres. Peavy, Maddux, and Wolf can put up a fight with the Dodgers' pitching and Hoffman is still one of the best closers in baseball. Barrett, Greene, Giles, and Edmonds are their standout hitters, but their other batters are decent as well.

3. Colorado Rockies - Was last season a fluke? It had to be. Looking at this team I don't see what the big deal is. Francis is a great starter, but that's about it. Their bullpen (Fuentes, Vizcaino, Corpas) is actually pretty good and their batters (Holliday, Atkins, Helton, Torrealba, Hawpe) I'm sure are better known now after last season. Still, we won't see a repeat performance.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks - Again, the starting pitching (Webb, Haren, Owings) is very good and can face other pitching rotations. However, I can not say the same for the Diamondbacks' bullpen or hitting, with honorable mention to Drew and Byrnes.

5. San Fransisco Giants - The Barry Bonds controversy should be the least of this team's worries. Their starters are terrible with the exception of Lowry. Their bullpen is...well there isn't one. As far as hitting, Molina, Rowand, and Winn make this team look like an MLB team.

A Breakdown Of The American League 2008 Baseball Season

2008-02-20T20:08:00.005-05:00

What I plan to do here, so long as my power doesn't blow out which has been happening a lot in this area lately, is to go through each team in order of how I think they'll finish in their division and highlight some of their key players. Starting with the American League.......

AL East

1. Boston Red Sox - I just don't see the Yankees overtaking them again this year. Boston's pitching is consistently amazing (Beckett, Schilling, Matsuzaka, Wakefield, Lester), their bullpen is untouchable (Papelbon, Okajima), and their hitting is to be feared (Pedroia, Youkilis, Ramirez, Ortiz).

2. New York Yankees - Maybe back in the late 90s early 2000 I would have bowed down to this team, but all these players are getting old and their lineup isn't as scary as it once was. Still, I put them in second because they are the Yankees. Pettitte, Wang, and Chamberlain can match up against Boston's pitching, but Mussina is unpredictable and I'm not sold on Hughes. Their bullpen isn't as good as Boston's, but Hawkins and Rivera are usually reliable. Just don't being in Farnsworth! He's terrible. As for their hitting, well, again its the same cast of familiar faces just getting another year older.

3. Tampa Bay Rays - That's right, I put the Rays in 3rd. This will be a surprise team. They are extremly young, and therefore, unpredictable. Kazmir, Shields, and Garza were being compared to the Braves 95 pitching staff of Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz before they became famous. They acquired my favorite closer in baseball, Troy Percival, to nail down wins, and their lineup is full of quick, pesky guys such as Crawford, Baldelli, Pena, and Gomes who always seem to annoy teams like the Red Sox and Yankees.

4. Toronto Blue Jays - The only highlights for pitching on this team are Halladay and Burnett. Their bullpen is poor, but what saves this team is the big bats of Overbay, Thomas, Rolen, and Wells. Eckstein is also a nice acquisition as the leadoff hitter.

5. Baltimore Orioles - With the departure of their best pitcher (Bedard) and their best hitter (Tejada) this team has nothing left. None of their starters or relievers are worth mentioning as highlights and their only decent hitters are Mora, Scott, Roberts, and Huff, who are all average.

AL Central

1. Detroit Tigers - Wow. I mean, wow. Here's your World Series winner right here. Their entire pitching lineup is capable of winning, their bullpen is crazy, and their starting lineup is something that I would draft in a video game. Willis only did bad in the N.L because he had no run support. This is a fresh start for him with a team that should give him plenty of run support in the big bats of newly acquired Cabrera, Sheffield, Granderson, Ordonez, etc. However, this is another team thats aging. If they can stay healthy, I can see them dominating. If they can't stay healthy, well then the Red Sox are always an option as a World Series winner.

2. Cleveland Indians - I like the Indians a lot, but not enough anymore to pick them to win their division. However their pitching (Sabathia, Carmona, Westbrook, Byrd) is still dominant, their relievers are above average (Betancourt), and their hitting is very good (Hafner, Peralta, Sizemore, Martinez).

3. Chicago White Sox - I don't know what happened to this team. They used to be incredible. Now their only good batters are Dye, Konerko, and Thome. Everyone else is mediocre or below average. Their bullpen is still great (Jenks, Dotel) and their starters are pretty good (Vazquez, Buehrle, Contreras).

4. Minnesota Twins - Instead of two amazing pitchers, the Twins only have Liriano and even he is unpredictable since he hasn't pitched in awhile. Their bullpen is mediocre and other than Morneau, the rest of their bats is just as average as their pitching.

5. Kansas City Royals - Until this team ever gives anyone a reason to believe in them, I will always list this team as last. Meche, Bannister, and Greinke are consistently bad pitchers, I haven't got a clue who anyone is in their bullpen, and their batters just make you say ew.

AL West

1. Los Angeles Angels - Lackey, Garland, Weaver, and Santana can compete with other rotations and Rodriguez is just as good a closer as anyone. Combine that with the bats of Figgins, Anderson, Hunter, Matthews, and Guerrero and they have no reason why they shouldn't win their division.

2. Seattle Mariners - Bedrard, Washburn, and Silva give the Mariners a chance at matching up to other rotations, though their bullpen needs some work. Their hitting (Sexson, Johjima, Betancourt, Beltre, and Suzuki) is superb and may give the Angels a run for their money.

3. Texas Rangers - Millwood, Padilla, and Jennings are decent starters, but like the Mariners, they could spruce up their bullpen. However, unlike the Mariners, their hitting needs work, with only Young and Bradley as highlights.

4. Oakland Athletics - Street is a great closer and Blanton and Harden are OK pitchers, but that's really it for this team. I can't even write about this team's hitting because I don't know any batters except for Chavez and Crosby.

Jason Kidd Is Officialy On The Dallas Mavericks

2008-02-19T12:45:00.005-05:00

"It's done," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told ESPN.com via e-mail. "J-Kidd is a Mav."

The last proposed version of the deal that had been swirling for about a week had Kidd and New Jersey Nets teammate Malik Allen going to Dallas for 24-year-old point guard Devin Harris, center DeSagana Diop, swingman Trenton Hassell, guard Maurice Ager, Keith Van Horn via sign-and-trade, first-round picks this June and in 2010 and $3 million in cash.

Keith Van Horn will most likely not play. In fact, he hasn't played in over two years. However, his name was still on the roster and is perfect trade bait as a means to cheat the system. Still, he's useless. It would make no difference if the Mavericks shipped a manikin or Keith Van Horn in the plane to New Jersey.

Zach Thomas To Join The New England Patriots?

2008-02-19T12:37:00.004-05:00

In a previous article I wrote called Bill Parcells Went Too Far In Releasing Zach Thomas,
I said "Watch the New England Patriots gobble this guy up. They don't care about age, they just care about being the best. After all, they did pick up Junior Seau at one point last season."

Well, sure enough, I was right. Always looking to turn another team's castoffs into their stars, those sneaky New England Patriots offered newly released and longtime Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas a contract Monday, according to a published report.

Why did they offer Zach Thomas a contract? Because he is one of the best and of course only the best play on the Patriots, regardless of age. Of course, we all know where the best gets you.....

Thomas made New England the first destination on his offseason tour of free agency stops.

"We had a great visit in New England," Thomas' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told The Miami Herald in a text message Monday evening. "They offered him a contract and we will continue negotiations."

Next up for Thomas is a stop in New Orleans to visit with the Saints. On Wednesday, Thomas is expected to meet with the Cowboys.

Thomas, 34, was released by the Dolphins on Feb. 14 after playing in only five games in 2007. He missed most of last season because of concussions and migraines and was placed on injured reserve against his wishes in December because of nagging migraines, an after-effect of an Oct. 21 car crash.

Thomas' age doesn't appear to be an issue for the Patriots. Current New England linebacker Junior Seau is 39 while Tedy Bruschi is three months older than Thomas. Both Seau and Bruschi are free agents.

Thomas, a seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker and one of the most popular and productive players ever to wear a Dolphins uniform, was the 154th player chosen in the 1996 draft out of Texas Tech.

Thomas led the Dolphins in tackles 10 times during his 12-year stay in South Florida and is the franchise's all-time leader in that category by a wide margin. His 168 games is the most by any Miami defensive player.

Thomas was remarkably durable in his first 11 seasons, missing only 13 games, and recorded a career-best 165 tackles in 2006 -- an indication he wasn't exactly slowing down.

Miguel Tejada Welcomed Into The Houston Astros Training Camp

2008-02-19T12:28:00.004-05:00

With the absence of players like Craig Biggio and Brad Lidge, the Houston Astros need a big, powerful bat in the middle of their lineup and someone who could be a team leader.

Tejada hit .296 with 18 homers and 81 RBIs in 2007. He's an offensive upgrade from previous shortstop Adam Everett, who batted .232 last season and was signed by Minnesota after Houston didn't pick up his contract.

The Astros stand by the acquisition of Tejada, despite the steroid allegations now hanging over him.

"I still think it was the right decision," owner Drayton McLane said.

And that's exactly how it should be! Screw the whole steroid controversy. Its annoying now. All of a sudden the players we once loved should be hated and labeled as cheaters just because they took something that would improve the game and most important of all, put on a show for their fans. Oh, please. Miguel Tejada is a still a great player and the best shortstop in the league, with or without steroids. By the way, I'm not an Astros fan.

Tejada arrived at camp at 7 a.m. Tuesday, the day all position players were due to report. He left the complex within five minutes to go to take a physical at another location.

As media gathered around his locker, Tejada shook hands with his new teammates, chatting with the ones who spoke Spanish.

He was going to sit down with manager Cecil Cooper and general manager Ed Wade before his first workout. Cooper said he wasn't going to bring up the steroid allegations in their first meeting.

"We'll talk about baseball things," Cooper said. "That's all I care about. That's all we should all be focused on at this point in time."

Cooper wasn't concerned about how Tejada would be perceived in the clubhouse.

"From what I hear, Miguel is a terrific guy," Cooper said. "I'm sure his teammates are going to hook onto him and they're going to get along well. If there's a problem in there, I'll deal with it. But there won't be a problem."

Andy Pettitte Goes Public Before Spring Training

2008-02-19T07:45:00.004-05:00

Andy Pettitte repeated his apologies over and over again, saying he had embarrassed himself and set a terrible example.

This article from ESPN describes how Andy Pettitte's scared, timid nature made him repeatedly apologize for the HGH incident:

Whether he upset Roger Clemens is anyone's guess. They haven't spoken in more than a month, since Pettitte corroborated allegations of drug use against the seven-time Cy Young Award winner.

"Obviously it's put a strain, I think, on our friendship," Pettitte said Monday. "I love him like a brother."

On the day he reported to spring training with the New York Yankees, the pitcher faced reporters for the first time since the Mitchell report was released in December and revealed accusations Pettitte had used human growth hormone. He patiently spent 55½ minutes explaining what he had done and why he did it.

"I felt like I need to come out, be forward with this," Pettitte said. "Whatever circumstances or repercussions come with it, I'll take and I'll take like a man and I'll try to do my job."

Other athletes have ducked tough questions about allegations of drug use, using evasions and nonspecific replies. Pettitte admitted his mistakes and several times patiently asked reporters, "Did I answer your question?"

Wearing a dark polo shirt and jeans, and flanked by manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman, Pettitte had a hint of the shadow on his face that he's shown on the mound during so many postseason games. He seemed skittish at the start as he read from notes.

"I want to apologize to the New York Yankees' and to the Houston Astros' organizations and to their fans and to all my teammates and to all of baseball fans for the embarrassment I have caused them," he said. "I also want to tell anyone that is an Andy Pettitte fan I am sorry, especially any kids that might look up to me."

He said he was a "nervous wreck" and "scared to death" before the news conference, held under a tent behind the third-base side of Legends Field. He relaxed after a few minutes and went into far greater detail than most accused athletes have about their transgressions.

Off to his right, sitting in a row, were Yankees teammates Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada, friends for a decade who have shared numerous World Series titles.

"We've been through a lot of tough times in baseball. Why not support him?" Rivera said. "I consider Andy my friend. I'm glad I was there."

When it was over Jeter and Pettitte wrapped their arms around in each other in a hug.

"I know that once I have this press conference and talk to everybody about this and share everything with you, I think the truth will set you free," Pettitte said. "I think I'm going to be able to sleep a lot better at night once all this gets by."

Brian McNamee, the former personal trainer to Pettitte and Clemens, said in the Mitchell report that Pettitte used HGH in 2002 while with the Yankees. Two days after the report was released Dec. 13, Pettitte issued a statement through his agent confirming McNamee's account and saying that was the only time he used HGH.

In a deposition and an affidavit to a congressional committee two weeks ago, Pettitte said he injected himself with HGH for one day in 2004 while with the Astros after obtaining two syringes from his father.

"I am sorry for not telling the whole truth in my original statement," Pettitte said. "I never wanted to bring my dad into a situation like this. This was between me and him, and no one else. I testified about my dad in part because I felt in my heart I had to, but mainly because he urged me to tell the truth, even if it hurt him."

Pettitte said there were no other times he used performance-enhancing drugs.

"That's it. There are no other surprises out there," he said. "That's all there is and anything that would come up would be definitely false allegations."

McNamee said he injected Clemens with steroids and HGH at least 16 times from 1998-01, and all three were among those called before a congressional committee. Pettitte told Congress that Clemens had discussed nearly a decade ago using HGH. In addition, Pettitte testified McNamee, the former personal trainer for Clemens and Pettitte, had spoken in 2003 or 2004 about steroids use by Clemens.

Clemens claims Pettitte "misremembers."

"I'm just not going to go there," Pettitte said. "I've had to testify under oath. So has Roger. And, you know, I don't think that's anything I need to sit here and try to elaborate on with anyone else."

Pettitte said on the flight to Washington for his deposition, his wife handed him a Bible and told him to read Romans 13 for inspiration, a section that begins: "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities."

He "prayed awfully hard" to be dropped from testifying at last Wednesday's hearing, not wanting to be caught between two friends. Pettitte was excused from testifying in public alongside Clemens and McNamee, and didn't watch the hearing.

Pettitte realizes he may have to testify again, either in Clemens' defamation suit against McNamee or if the Justice Department launches a criminal case against Clemens or McNamee.

"He can't put this behind him because of Roger's selfishness and inability to admit the facts," Richard Emery, one of McNamee's lawyers, said in a telephone interview. "Clemens is putting Andy in the middle of a meatgrinder again. He's doing to have to testify again in a deposition, probably this summer, and it's going to be far more extensive than anything Congress did. He is the key witness."

Joe Householder, Clemens' spokesman, declined comment.

Given permission to report four days after other pitchers on the team, Pettitte threw 35 pitches during a bullpen session at the minor league complex before the news conference. He acknowledged he had considered not playing because of the ongoing situation. Pettitte had agreed to return to the Yankees on Dec. 2, a few days before he learned McNamee had implicated him.

Pettitte plans to apologize to his teammates. He met with George Steinbrenner and the owner's sons, Hank and Hal, before facing reporters.

"I just wanted to tell them face to face that I'm sorry and apologize to him, you know, for the embarrassment that this has brought," Pettitte said. "He was a little stubborn in accepting my apology and said that he's behind me 100 percent, tried to tell me that I haven't brought any embarrassment to the organization. But I disagree with him a little on that."

The 35-year-old lefty with 201 regular-season wins and four World Series championship rings said he did not feel as if his accomplishments were tainted. He said he used HGH only because he felt pressure to pitch while injured because of his multimillion salary and thought HGH might help his elbow heal.

"I didn't do it to try to get an edge on anyone. I didn't do it to try to get stronger or faster or throw harder. I did it because I was that it might be able to help me," he said.

HGH wasn't banned by baseball until January 2005, so Pettitte does not appear to be at risk of a suspension. He said he would not have taken HGH had it been banned at the time.

"Was it stupid? Yeah, it was stupid. Was I desperate? Yeah, I was probably desperate," he said. "I wish I never would have done it, obviously, but I don't consider myself a cheater, no."

Results Of Nascar's Daytona 500

2008-02-17T19:14:00.001-05:00

Race Results
POS	DRIVER	CAR	MANUFACTURER	LAPS	MONEY	START	LEAD	PTS	BONUS	PENALTY
1	Ryan Newman	12	Dodge	200		7	8	190	5
2	Kurt Busch	2	Dodge	200		43	9	175	5
3	Tony Stewart	20	Toyota	200		6	16	170	5
4	Kyle Busch	18	Toyota	200		24	86	170	10
5	Reed Sorenson	41	Dodge	200		5	5	160	5
6	Elliott Sadler	19	Dodge	200		35	0	150	0
7	Kasey Kahne	9	Dodge	200		10	1	151	5
8	Robby Gordon	7	Dodge	200		26	0	142	0
9	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	88	Chevrolet	200		3	12	143	5
10	Greg Biffle	16	Ford	200		18	7	139	5
11	Bobby Labonte	43	Dodge	200		13	0	130	0
12	Brian Vickers	83	Toyota	200		23	0	127	0
13	Jeff Burton	31	Chevrolet	200		36	9	129	5
14	Kevin Harvick	29	Chevrolet	200		16	0	121	0
15	Sam Hornish Jr	77	Dodge	200		19	0	118	0
16	Dale Jarrett	44	Toyota	200		20	0	115	0
17	Denny Hamlin	11	Toyota	200		4	32	117	5
18	David Reutimann	00	Toyota	200		42	0	109	0
19	Carl Edwards	99	Ford	200		11	0	106	0
20	Martin Truex Jr.	1	Chevrolet	200		25	0	103	0
21	Scott Riggs	66	Chevrolet	200		27	0	100	0
22	Paul Menard	15	Chevrolet	200		21	0	97	0
23	Jeremy Mayfield	70	Chevrolet	200		33	0	94	0
24	Clint Bowyer	07	Chevrolet	200		31	4	96	5
25	J.J. Yeley	96	Toyota	200		37	0	88	0
26	Jamie McMurray	26	Ford	200		38	0	85	0
27	Jimmie Johnson	48	Chevrolet	200		1	1	87	5
28	David Gilliland	38	Ford	200		32	0	79	0
29	Michael Waltrip	55	Toyota	200		2	3	81	5
30	Travis Kvapil	28	Ford	200		30	0	73	0
31	Mark Martin	8	Chevrolet	200		12	0	70	0
32	Juan Pablo Montoya	42	Dodge	200		15	0	67	0
33	Dario Franchitti	40	Dodge	199		40	0	64	0
34	Kyle Petty	45	Dodge	197		39	0	61	0
35	Matt Kenseth	17	Ford	194		28	1	63	5
36	Regan Smith	01	Chevrolet	194		29	0	55	0
37	Casey Mears	5	Chevrolet	194		9	0	52	0
38	Dave Blaney	22	Toyota	189		34	1	54	5
39	Jeff Gordon	24	Chevrolet	186		8	5	51	5
40	John Andretti	34	Chevrolet	184		22	0	43	0
41	Joe Nemechek	78	Chevrolet	171		41	0	40	0
42	David Ragan	6	Ford	161		14	0	37	0
43	Kenny Wallace	87	Chevrolet	141		17	0	34	0

Dwight "Superman" Howard Wins The Memorable 2008 Slam Dunk Contest

2008-02-17T09:35:00.006-05:00

Sporting a red cape trailing behind him, Orlando's man of steel Dwight Howard made like Superman and won perhaps the best dunk contest, definitely the most creative, in NBA history to close a memorable All-Star Saturday.

This guy is just a beast. The pure size of him makes it impossible for anyone to match up. Shaquille O'Neal who?

They Are Big Dunkers

Orlando's Dwight Howard stood tall in the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night by winning the event. Howard also became the tallest player to take the title since the contest started in 1984.

Tallest Slam Dunk Champions
Year	Winner (team)	Height
2008	Dwight Howard (Magic)	6-11
1984	Larry Nance (Suns)	6-10
2005	Josh Smith (Hawks)	6-9
2007	Gerald Green (Celtics)	6-8
1989	Kenny Walker (Knicks)	6-8

Using a variety of props as well as teammate Jameer Nelson, Howard scored perfect 50s from judges on his first two dunks before the contest was turned over to fan voting for the first time in the final round.

Fans, too, picked the 6-foot-11 Howard, who dispelled an old dunking myth: Big men can fly high.

"It's really for the big men," Howard said. "Everybody always says, big men can't jump and big men don't look good dunking. I just tried to add a little bit of my personality. With me being so tall, I knew it was going to be tough. I tried to play to the crowd and have fun."

I don't remember anyone ever saying that.

The dunk contest, bland for so many years as the game's high risers seemed to run out of ideas, was freshened up by some of the most creative aerial assaults in memory.

Howard, Green, Toronto's Jamario Moon and Memphis' Rudy Gay all used tape, ladders, teammates and even a tasty dessert to show their stuff.

"I think the dunk contest is back," said Howard, who was disappointed when he failed to make it out of the first round last year. "I don't think people want to see the same old dunks. They want to see something else, see some spice."

Earlier, Jason Kapono showed nobody's close to him from long distance.

The NBA's best 3-point shooter this season, the Toronto forward with the silky touch won his second straight 3-point Shootout, tying a 22-year-old record with a final round of 25.

They should have blindfolded this guy. That's how good of a shooter he is. It just wasn't fair.

In the Skills Challenge, Utah's Deron Williams was flawless and fast.

With a nearly perfect run through an obstacle course of dribbling, passing and shooting, the Jazz point guard defeated New Orleans playmaker Chris Paul in the final round.

In the night's first event, San Antonio's Becky Hammon, David Robinson and Tim Duncan won the Shooting Stars competition. It featured three-person teams consisting of an NBA player, a WNBA player and a former NBA great from the same city. Contestants had to make six shots with the final one a heave from midcourt.

Pavlik Remains Perfect After A Unanimous Decision In His Rematch With Taylor

2008-02-17T09:29:00.002-05:00

Jermain Taylor started well this time but could not keep Kelly Pavlik's pace. The methodical middleweight champ wore down Taylor again and won a unanimous decision. Patience is among the middleweight champion's greatest virtues and a key strategy in his win.

Pavlik waited seven years for his first title shot against Jermain Taylor last year, and didn't waste it. In the rematch Saturday night, Pavlik persisted until the late rounds, when he finally landed the big punches that kept him perfect.

With a strong finish to a bout with more tactics than theatrics, the pride of Youngstown, Ohio, beat Taylor on Saturday night for the second time in 4½ months, winning a unanimous decision.

Pavlik (33-0, 29 KOs) failed to knock out his opponent for the first time in his last 10 fights, but he threw far more punches and landed more memorable exchanges. Taylor (27-2-1) came up just short on all three judges' scorecards despite a markedly improved performance after getting his first career loss in their initial bout.

The fight could have gone either way until the 10th round, with both fighters using canny strategy to minimize their opponents' strengths. Pavlik finished tremendously, staggering Taylor in the 11th with the power that makes him a knockout artist -- but also the skill that could keep him on top for years to come.

Tony Stewart Can Run His Car Just As Good As His Mouth

2008-02-17T09:25:00.003-05:00

The payback was perfect. Tony Stewart turned the tables on Hendrick Motorsports to win the Nationwide Series opener.

Stewart and teammate Kyle Busch finished 1-2 Saturday, combining to hold off Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished third.

The Joe Gibbs Racing teammates showed they have learned some important lessons about cooperation from the drivers at Hendrick, the team that fired Busch to make room for Earnhardt Jr.

"We worked with each other the whole race. That's something that, you know, we've learned that from [those] guys," Stewart said. "And it just shows if you get two of these guys to work with each other, Kyle and I can. I think Kyle and I could have stayed up front all day no matter how many guys challenged."

That will be tested in the 500 and the expected showdown between Hendrick and Gibbs.

It will be Stewart, Busch and Denny Hamlin, who won his Daytona qualifying race Thursday, against Hendrick's all-star cast of Earnhardt, two-time defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears.

Earnhardt, Daytona pole-winner Johnson and Gordon are all former 500 winners. Gibbs' drivers still are looking for that first win in NASCAR's biggest event.

But Earnhardt Jr.'s convinced Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing are for real.

"The Toyota has been fast," said Junior, who had his string of Speedweeks victories ended at two. "Those guys, you know, got knowledge to get cars around the track, know how to get to Victory Lane. They're going to be tough, I think, all year."

Joe Gibbs Racing switched from Chevrolets to Toyotas over the winter, giving the Japanese automaker a marquee team for its second season on the Sprint Cup and Nationwide circuits.

Stewart and Busch put on a good show Saturday, leading 93 of the 120 laps.

"This car was just fast," said Stewart, who finished second in both the Budweiser Shootout and his 150-mile qualifying race earlier in Daytona's Speedweeks. "It just had so much speed."

The Sacramento Kings Trade Away Mike Bibby For Four Players

2008-02-17T09:15:00.004-05:00

I don't understand this one. Mike Bibby is good, but is he worth FOUR players? You normally associate trading four players for someone like Kobe Bryant or Lebron James, but not for Mike Bibby. The Atlanta Falcons obviously aren't thinking straight, or are they?

The Atlanta Hawks are trying to balance out their backcourt and make a playoff push by bringing in Mike Bibby.

Hawks coach Mike Woodson said Bibby, acquired from the Sacramento Kings for four players on Saturday, will provide scoring help for Joe Johnson. Atlanta's All-Star shooting guard often faces gimmick defenses because he's the team's only outside shooting threat.

Bibby has averaged 16.7 points for his career and is making more than 36 percent of his 3-point shots for the ninth straight year.

The Hawks sent starting point guard Anthony Johnson, 2007 first-round pick Shelden Williams, backup point guard Tyronn Lue, veteran forward Lorenzen Wright and a 2008 second-round pick to the Kings.

The Hawks, in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and percentage points behind the eighth and final playoff spot, are trying to make the postseason for the first time since 1999.

Woodson and Michael Gearon Jr., one of the team's owners, were pleased the team did not have to touch its core of promising young players to acquire Bibby.

Actually, the Hawks aren't looking that bad now. Al Horford and Zaza [Pachulia] are good. I've always liked Joe Johnson (especially when he was on the Suns) and now throw in Mike Bibby, who can hit three pointers as good as any player into the mix.

....I hope they have fun playing the Boston Celtics or Detroit Pistons in the first round.

News That Would Devastate Michael Vick

2008-02-15T16:17:00.005-05:00

The Atlanta Falcons continued their franchise makeover in earnest on Friday, releasing tight end Alge Crumpler, quarterback Byron Leftwich, offensive tackle Wayne Gandy, cornerback Lewis Sanders, wide receiver Jamin Elliott, linebacker Marcus Wilkins and defensive tackle Rod Coleman.

"This is a difficult day for the entire organization," Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff said in a statement. "A number of these players have contributed to this organization on and off the field at a high level and we greatly appreciate their efforts. These decisions weren't easy, but we felt they were necessary to build a team in the long-term best interest of the Falcons and its fans."

I just don't understand why teams have been releasing their best players lately. Michael Vick's favorite receiver, and arguably the team's best receiver, Alge Crumpler was released. Why would you get rid of your best receiver? It makes no sense. What are they thinking?

Crumpler, who just completed his seventh season, all with Atlanta, has 316 career catches for 4,212 yards and 35 touchdowns. He had been with the team since 2001 and was selected to five Pro Bowls.

Leftwich, formerly a starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars, was acquired by the Falcons during the season after the Jaguars released him in order to go with David Garrard. He alternated with Joey Harrington as the Falcons' starter last season.

"As a football coach it is never easy to cut any player, especially veteran players who have been valuable members of the organization," said new coach Mike Smith, who was hired last month.

That's probably why Alge Crumpler was released....because the Atlanta Falcons just got a brand new head coach who feels no sympathy or understanding in getting rid of players who he has no prior connection with. And that whole it is never easy to cut players thing is just a cover up. He doesn't mean it.

From all indications, the shake-up isn't done. Veterans such as Warrick Dunn and Lawyer Milloy could become victims of the cap, though they weren't included in the original round of cuts.

Oh, and I'd take Leftwich over Harrington any day

Falcons Release Players In Rebuilding Broken Team

2008-02-15T15:06:00.006-05:00

The Atlanta Falcons released four-time Pro Bowl tight end Alge Crumpler and six other players today. The Falcons also cut quarterback Byron Leftwich, defensive tackle Rod Coleman, offensive tackle Wayne Gandy, cornerback Lewis Sanders, wide receiver Jamin Elliott, and linebacker Marcus Wilkins. Many of these cuts were made to open up funds that the Falcons believe could be better spent on new, fresh players. All of these cuts were made after a failure of a season by Atlanta, who finished 4-12. The largest single reason for the Falcons' failure and their current personel upheavel can be said in one word: dogfighting. Yes, Michael Vick, the Falcons' ex-most prominent player, pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges and received a prison sentence of nearly two years last year. This loss severely hurt the Falcons' offense, which never recovered during the season. To hurt Atlanta even more, a federal judge ruled this month that the team couldn't recover $16.5 million in bonuses from Vick and other dropped players. This places more strain on the Falcons' salary cap, preventing them from picking up desperately needed players. This pressure on Atlanta's salary cap is fueling the personel cuts that are now roiling the team. From all indications, the shake up isn't over yet. Other players such as veterans Warrick Dunn and Lawyer Milloy could be released due to the salary cap. All this is bad news for Atlanta. One wonders how they are going to replace such key and important players. What are they going to do? Fill the roster with rookies and free agents? With all these changes going on, it seems as if that's all there will be in Atlanta. Rookies. Not such a bad thing, but veterans are needed to show these green players the ropes. The Falcons should definately reconsider the massive renovations they are currently undertaking. Cleaning out the team's closet of all seasoned, skilled, veterans is like destroying the cornerstone or foundation of a towering building. Just like the foundationless building, a team of rookies will collapse without any solid veteran guidance or support. Next season will be a bad one for Atlanta.

How Long Will Kobe Bryant's Torn Ligament Keep Him From Playing?

2008-02-15T02:32:00.004-05:00

Long enough to miss Sunday's All-Star Game, or at least that's what the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping.

The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping that Kobe Bryant gets clearance from the league to miss Sunday's All-Star Game in New Orleans after announcing Thursday that Bryant has a torn ligament in his right pinkie.

But Bryant doesn't yet have that clearance.....and may not get it.

A league official confirmed Thursday night that the NBA is not looking for potential replacements to fill Bryant's spot on the Western Conference squad. That's because the league office still expects Bryant to start and play for the West, even if it's only for a brief cameo, after he played for the Lakers all the way through to their final game before the All-Star break Wednesday in Minnesota.

Bryant scored 29 points in 35 minutes in Wednesday's 117-92 win at Minnesota. Bryant sat out the fourth quarter and had the finger X-rayed after the game.

The Lakers, according to team sources, are trying to convince the league that Bryant should be excused after a visit Thursday to hand specialist Dr. Steven Shin revealed a ligament tear. Bryant is expected to make that plea personally once he arrives in New Orleans on Friday after Shin recommend that Bryant undergo surgery that would likely sideline him for six weeks.

Bryant also announced in a statement Thursday that he will bypass the surgery recommendation to try to play through the injury, as he did for much of a nine-game, 15-day road trip that the Lakers -- already missing injured center Andrew Bynum -- just completed with a sparkling 7-2 record.

He has been replaced in Saturday's Long Distance Shootout by Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, but the NBA's longstanding policy on these matters would require Bryant to take some part Sunday because he did play Wednesday and since he's planning to play Tuesday against Atlanta in the Lakers' first game after the break.

That makes sense, and yet it doesn't. Though it may be disrespectful to fans and other players, he has a right to rest in what is ultimately a meaningless game of fun. However, if Kobe did play his final game before the All-Star game and he will play his first game after the All-Star game, then technically he is saying he is healthy enough to participate in any games inbetween those two.

Roger Clemens' Congressional Hearing Was Unfair And Here's The Quote Of The Day

2008-02-15T02:10:00.007-05:00

Watching the congressional hearing of Roger Clemens Vs. Brian McNamee really drove me to dislike our government. I mean, where do they get these people from. Doesn't our government have enough already to take care of? As an aside, I noticed from the Clemens hearings that a lot of Congressmen are bitter, old men who almost all the time already have their minds made up before cases begin and when they question people, they are only looking for the answers they want to hear. If the Congressmen don't hear answers they want to hear, they either probe further or just randomly come out with their own point of view. Just because they have more power and a louder voice doesn't mean they are any more credible.

Well, my radical thinking was once again not far from the truth (and I don't mean to pat myself on the back).

In the Roger Clemens primary, the Republicans nominated the Rocket. The Democrats went with Brian McNamee.

"Of all the things to become partisan over," Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat, said Thursday, "this was the wrong one."

Cummings was among those who strongly questioned Clemens' credibility in testimony involving the pitcher's former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, during Wednesday's 4½-hour hearing held by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Republicans, for the most part, saved their searing comments for McNamee, who was repeatedly called a "drug dealer" by Rep. Christopher Shays of Connecticut.

"I thought the tone of the hearing was a little askew," said Rep. Diane Watson, a California Democrat. "I told Mr. Clemens that I didn't think it was going to be a court trial or an inquisition, but I think some of the members did go out of their way to be accusatory without having all of the facts.

"It is hard for me to discern who was not telling the truth and who was. Both men denied the other one's claim. I saw the questioning kind of divided, with some on the Republican side calling Mr. McNamee a liar and some on the Democratic side really questioning Clemens, and so I don't think we got anywhere on that."

Theories abounded over why the sides couldn't see eye to eye.

Richard Emery, one of McNamee's lawyers, said that some Republicans treated his client harshly because of Clemens' friendship with the Bush family. Emery predicted the pitcher will be pardoned by President Bush should Clemens be indicted or convicted of anything related to the hearing.

"It would be the easiest thing in the world for George W. Bush, given the corrupt proclivities of his administration, to say Roger Clemens is an American hero, Roger Clemens helped children," said Emery, an attorney who has worked for liberal causes. "It's my belief they have some reason to believe they can get a pardon."

Now, this site is primarily a sports site, not a political site. So, this is where I SHOULD stop, but there's more to say. However, you get what I'm saying? This case has gotten so absurd now even the President of the United States is thrown into the mix. Have people forgotten this is about baseball, not a political campaign? Anyway....

Not surprisingly, Clemens' camp -- and the GOP -- saw things differently.

"Richard Emery just has to quit smoking his own dope," said Rusty Hardin, one of Clemens' attorneys.

Andrew Marchand of ESPN 1050 in New York also reports that Clemens plans on continuing with his defamation suit against McNamee.

"Absolutely, the defamation is going forward," Joe Householder, the spokesman for Clemens' lawyer, Rusty Hardin. "The lawsuit is going forward."

As for a pardon from a president? "I'm not aware of Mr. Clemens having been charged with anything," White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto said.

A spokesman for Rep. Darrell Issa of California said the hearing's partisan tone evolved because Republican members felt the hearing was overly focused on Clemens instead of the broader concerns raised in the Mitchell report on drugs in baseball.

"It's clear Democrats had expected a government-funded, TV show trial, and now they're whining that Republicans didn't want to play," said the spokesman, Frederick Hill. "The hearing was supposed to be about the Mitchell report. The Democrats are at fault for focusing on individual wrongdoing instead of the validity of the Mitchell report."

Said Issa: "We're not supposed to have these kinds of spectacles."

The ramifications from Wednesday's hearing might not be known a while. McNamee said he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone. Clemens said he has never used either. Since both were under oath, one or both could face charges stemming from making false statements or obstructing.

"It's all hearsay. Everybody is all pointing fingers," San Francisco Giants reliever Steve Kline said of Clemens. "I pity the guy. Half the guys admitted it and they're not getting persecuted. It's just bad for baseball. Who cares about what happened in 1987? It's over. Who cares about Congress? We've got gasoline prices that are off the charts and they're worried about steroids. Maybe this gets people's minds off the war. Everybody's got skeletons in their closet. If you did it, admit it. If he didn't do it, I see why he's fighting his [tail] off," he said.

Perhaps Steve Kline should run for politics. That's the smartest thing anyone has said during this entire episode and because of that, he deserves my pick for quote of the day.

Bill Parcells Went Too Far In Releasing Zach Thomas

2008-02-15T01:57:00.006-05:00

In Bill Parcells' tyrannical rage to revamp the Miami Dolphins, Zach Thomas, who has more tackles than any linebacker in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was released by the Miami Dolphins on Thursday afternoon.

A fifth-round pick in 1996, Thomas has spent 11 seasons with the Dolphins, recording more than 1,500 tackles. "Zach Thomas has been a great player on this team for many years," Ireland said. "And because of the type of player and the kind of person that Zach is, this was not an easy decision." But Thomas' age and salary worked against him as the Dolphins begin a major rebuilding process with Parcells running the front office and Tony Sparano taking over as coach. Thomas will turn 35 in September and was scheduled to make $5.65 million in base salary in 2008.

"In addition to his numerous accomplishments on the field, he was a leader off of it as well," Ireland said. "We want to thank Zach for everything he has done for the Dolphins organization and the South Florida community."

I'm sorry, but I thought releasing Trent Green was a terrible idea. Granted, he isn't a spectacular quarterback as he used to be, but he's the best they have with the most experience. I mean, c'mon, do you really want a guy like Cleo Lemon leading your team?

As bad as releasing Trent Green was to me, releasing Zach Thomas was even worse. The idea is to create the BEST team possible right? So why release Zach Thomas, who has MORE TACKLES THAN ANY LINEBACKER IN THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME? Wouldn't that qualify as THE BEST, which is how you would want your team to ultimately turn out to be. This makes no sense.

Thomas has been selected to seven Pro Bowls and is one of only three players to record 100 tackles in each of his first 10 seasons.

Watch the New England Patriots gobble this guy up. They don't care about age, they just care about being the best. After all, they did pick up Junior Seau at one point last season.

A Deadly Shooting Cancels Northern Illinois' Weekend Events

2008-02-15T01:52:00.003-05:00

Northern Illinois officials canceled all of this weekend's athletics events, including two home Mid-American Conference basketball games, after Thursday's deadly shooting rampage at the DeKalb campus.

Huskie director of athletics Dr. Jim Phillips announced Thursday that the university called off all of its weekend's sporting events -- both home and away.

The shooting at Northern Illinois killed five students and injured more than a dozen others. The gunman opened fire with a shotgun and two handguns from the stage of a lecture hall. Damn, he meant business.

The university president says the gunman fatally shot four women and a man. Authorities say the gunman, a former grad student, committed suicide.

The cancellations involve two home baskeball games in the NIU Convocation Center -- a women's basketball game against Ohio University scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET and a men's basketball game against Western Michigan on Sunday at 3 p.m. In addition, NIU's women's track and field, women's gymnastics, men's and women's tennis, wrestling and men's golf teams will not travel to away competitions this weekend.

Roger Goodell's Spygate Answers Deserve Further Investigation

2008-02-15T01:45:00.003-05:00

A day after meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in Washington D.C., Sen. Arlen Specter said he continues to be troubled by a number of issues surrounding the league's handling of Spygate and will continue his investigation.

From ESPN:

Among the issues that continue to trouble Specter are:

• Goodell's imposition of a penalty -- the loss of a first-round draft pick, a $500,000 fine to coach Bill Belichick and a $250,000 to the team -- before the Patriots had turned over evidence, including notes dating to 2002 and six tapes from the 2006 season and 2007 preseason, requested by the league. The Patriots were caught videotaping defensive signals from the sidelines in their Sept. 9 season opener against the New York Jets. The commissioner imposed his penalty on Sept. 13, four days before New England provided the tapes and notes.

"Did they know the scope of the wrongdoing before the penalty was imposed?" asked Specter, a former Philadelphia district attorney. "The answer is no."

NFL spokesperson Greg Aiello, in response on Thursday, said Goodell's hasty punishment stemmed from the fact that the Patriots had been caught at the Jets game and Belichick's admission that he had been taping signals since he became New England's head coach in 2000. Belichick reportedly told Goodell that he thought he was within the rules to tape other team's signals as long as the information wasn't used in the game at hand.

"[Goodell] issued the discipline as quickly as could to send a strong message to teams that this wouldn't be tolerated, and there'd be a severe penalty if you violated the rules," Aiello said. "The discipline included they had to turn over everything that had related to that taping procedure."

Specter heard that explanation from Goodell on Wednesday. On Thursday, Specter said, "The word absurd and ridiculous keep coming to my mind, because he [Goodell] says it with a straight face."

• Specter said it was unsettling to learn that the tapes, as well as notes, turned over by the Patriots in September had been destroyed in Foxboro rather than in the league's New York offices. Aiello said the documents and tapes were destroyed after they were reviewed by NFL officials Jeffrey Pash and Ray Anderson, and that the call to destroy the material came from Goodell, saying "There's no further use for it, so he said get rid of it."

Specter said the league's suggestion that the material, particularly the notes dating to the 2002 season, was destroyed because it might have afforded a competitive advantage is unbelievable.

"Everything has changed," he said. "Nobody could use those. They are scrap paper -- except evidence."

With the evidence destroyed, Specter said there is no way to tell what advantage the Patriots might have gained in the illegal taping practice.

• Specter is particularly concerned about how the taping might have affected New England's games involving teams from his home state in the 2004 playoffs.

In a preseason opener in August of that year at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, the Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles played in what proved to be a preview of the 2005 Super Bowl, won by the Patriots 24-21. And in an Oct. 31 regular-season game in Pittsburgh, the Steelers beat the Patriots 34-20. Those two teams later met in the AFC title game, which New England won, 41-27.

Later Thursday, the Steelers released a statement that read: "We consider the tapes of our coaching staff during our games against the New England Patriots to be a non-issue. In our opinion, they had no impact on the results of those games. The Steelers fully support the manner in which Commissioner Goodell handled the situation and the discipline that he levied against those who violated league rules. We are confident that the Commissioner has taken appropriate action in his investigation of this matter, and will do so again if new information arises which requires further investigation and or discipline."

• Specter believes the NFL hasn't gone far enough in its offer of legal protection to former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh, who has told ESPN.com that he has potentially embarrassing information about the team's taping practices.

The league has offered to indemnify Walsh against exposure to a lawsuit from the Patriots, but the proposal stipulates that Walsh must tell the truth and return anything he took improperly. Under those conditions, the team could still file suit against Walsh even after he turns over evidence to the Patriots and league.

"Matt Walsh is an important guy, and they have made it so conditional," Specter said. "All they got to do is say, 'We're not going to sue you.' It is not a big deal."

Specter said he has spoken with Walsh's attorney three times in the last two days and understands that Walsh is "scared." He said the Judiciary Committee could afford Walsh immunity if Walsh is ever summoned to testify at a Senate hearing. He described both Walsh and his attorney as "cooperative."

• Specter said he was concerned to learn from Walsh's attorney that an NFL security representative, Dick Farley, had been investigating Walsh. Specter said: "I confronted them on that, and Goodell says, 'Yeah, he [Farley] works for us. Yeah, he is a security guy, but we didn't know he was investigating him.' "

Aiello said Thursday that it is an overstatement to suggest the league is investigating Walsh.

"The only thing we're doing is looking at public records and trying to verify his employment history in an effort to learn about him," Aiello said.

I couldn't have said it better myself.....I support Specter 100% in his further investigation of the cheaters (cough) I mean Patriots.

Oh My Gosh! Barry Bonds Failed A Steroid Test In 2000! No Kidding?!

2008-02-14T20:34:00.004-05:00

In the midst of the heated Roger Clemens Vs Brian McNamee debates, suddenly a familiar accused steroid user popped back into the picture. The problem was, while everyone accused Barry Bonds of taking steroids, no one had actually proved or convicted him with evidence. Well, that's about to change.

A month after hitting his record 73rd home run, Barry Bonds tested positive for steroids in November, 2000. The allegation comes in the federal perjury case against Bonds and claims he received steroids from trainer Greg Anderson.

Barry Bonds tested positive for steroids in November 2001, just a month after hitting his record 73rd home run of the season, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday.

The allegation came in a legal filing in his steroid perjury case that referred to Bonds' long-time trainer, Greg Anderson.

Is this surprising? I'm actually surprised they didn't make this discovery sooner. I also find the timing of this discovery to be no coincidence either. Roger Clemens is slightly more respected overall than Barry Bonds. By revealing this information about Barry Bonds to the public at this time, some of the focus and attention should shift away from Roger Clemens and move towards Barry Bonds again.

"At trial, the government's evidence will show that Bonds received steroids from Anderson in the period before the November 2001 positive drug test, and that evidence raises the inference that Anderson gave Bonds the steroids that caused him to test positive in November 2001," U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello wrote.

The U.S. government made the assertion in a document that asked a federal court to reject Bonds' motion last month to dismiss the charges that he lied about past steroid use.

In December, the record seven-time National League Most Valuable Player pleaded not guilty to lying to a federal grand jury in 2003 when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

He testified in the BALCO sports steroid case, which ended up jailing his personal trainer, Anderson, and the head of the BALCO lab near San Francisco.

The latest government motion also referred to a question by a prosecutor during the BALCO case to "determine why Bonds apparently tested positive for anabolic steroids in November 2000."

To date, prosecutors have revealed little about the details they have in the case against Bonds, the greatest hitter of his era long dogged by suspicions about doping.

Jason Kidd Is SO Close To Being A Dallas Maverick Again

2008-02-13T21:29:00.003-05:00

The Nets and Mavs agreed in principle Wednesday to send Jason Kidd to Dallas. But Devean George, one of four players New Jersey would have received in return, unexpectedly exercised his right to block the trade.

Who the heck is Devean George anyway? He's not even a starter. He's a reserve player who is probably angry that he's just another guy being used as trade bait.

With the New Jersey Nets poised to complete a blockbuster deal to send Jason Kidd back to Dallas on Wednesday night, Mavericks reserve forward Devean George has unexpectedly exercised his right to block the trade, according to NBA front-office sources. Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that the teams verbally agreed to the deal earlier Wednesday and were preparing to submit the trade for league approval when George informed the Mavericks that he wouldn't consent to being included in the deal, which is his right based on a rare provision in his one-year contract.

The deal -- salvaged from talks on a three-way trade with Portland that developed and fizzled quickly two weeks ago -- has Dallas sending 24-year-old point guard Devin Harris, veteran swingman Jerry Stackhouse, the expiring contracts of center DeSagana Diop and George and guard Maurice Ager to New Jersey for Kidd and forward Malik Allen.

Sources say Dallas would also send the Nets the league-maximum $3 million, the Mavs' first-round draft pick this June and a first-rounder in 2010.

Kidd was with the Nets in Toronto, but didn't talk to the media before the game. He and Allen were both inactive, along with reserve Antoine Wright.

Roger Goodell Is A Horid Commissioner

2008-02-13T21:12:00.005-05:00

Did anyone actually watch this or have enough energy to watch this after sitting through the previous Congressional hearing of Roger Clemens? What genius of Roger Goodell to have his meeting with the Senator after Clemens' hearing. That doesn't mean I like Goodell. I just think thats brilliantly clever as a way to shift the focus of attention of Spygate.

Bill Belichick has been illegally taping opponents' defensive signals since he became the New England Patriots' coach in 2000, according to Sen. Arlen Specter, who said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told him that during a meeting Wednesday.

Specter said Goodell gave him that information during the 1-hour, 40-minute meeting, which was requested by Specter so the commissioner could explain his reasons for destroying the Spygate tapes and notes.

"There were a great many questions answered by Commissioner Goodell," Specter, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters after the meeting. "I found a lot of questions unanswerable because of the tapes and notes had been destroyed."

Goodell said Belichick told him he believed the taping was legal; Goodell said he did not concur.

"He said that's always been his interpretation since he's been the head coach," the commissioner said. "We are going to agree to disagree on the facts." In other words, Bill Belichick believed cheating was legal? And Goodell disagreed, but didn't do anything to stop it?

Goodell also told Specter that that he doesn't regret destroying the Spygate tapes or the notes.

"I think it was the right thing to do," Goodell said.

Still, Specter wants to know why penalties were imposed on Belichick before the full extent of the wrongdoing was known and the tapes destroyed in a two-week span. Asked if he thinks there was a coverup, Specter demurred.

"There was an enormous amount of haste," Specter said.

He scoffed at the reasons Goodell gave for destroying the tapes and notes, particularly about trying to keep them out of competitors' hands and because Belichick had admitted to the taping.

"What's that got to do with it? There's an admission of guilt, you preserve the evidence," Specter said. As for keeping the tapes out of the hands of others: "All you have to do is lock up the tapes."

Belichick was fined $500,000 and the team was fined $250,000 because of the Spygate incident. The Patriots also forfeited a first-round draft pick. That penalty so so light Belichick basically got away with murder. They ended up acquiring the second pick anyway.

Specter has questioned the quality of the NFL's investigation into the matter and raised the possibility of congressional hearings if he wasn't satisfied with Goodell's answers. Specter also raised the threat of Congress canceling the league's antitrust exemption and reiterated that in the meeting with Goodell.

Goodell also said he has not heard from Matt Walsh, the former Patriots employee who performed some videotaping duties for the team.

Walsh told The Associated Press last week during the Pro Bowl in Hawaii that he couldn't talk about allegations that he taped a walkthrough practice by the St. Louis Rams before the 2002 Super Bowl. New England, a two-touchdown underdog, won that game 20-17.

Goodell said he has offered Walsh a deal whereby "he has to tell the truth and he has to return anything he took improperly" in return for indemnity. Specter said he, too, wanted to talk to Walsh and perhaps offer a different deal.

Goodell also said he reserves the right to reopen the investigation if more information is uncovered.

So what actually was accomplished here?? Nothing! I still can't tell if Goodell knew about the cheatings, but did nothing to stop it. I still don't know exactly how long the Patriots were cheating or in what specific games. I still don't know why Goodell's penalty on the New England Patriots was so light. Finally, I still don't know if the New England Patriots was a conspiracy team protected by the NFL and Goodell from losing in order to draw in ratings and viewers.

I do find it funny, however, that lately whenever there is a dispute in sports....right away somebody wants to take it to the Congress. Doesn't our government have enough already to take care of? As an aside, I noticed from the Clemens hearings that a lot of Congressmen are bitter, old men who almost all the time already have their minds made up before cases begin and when they question people, they are only looking for the answers they want to hear. If the Congressmen don't hear answers they want to hear, they either probe further or just randomly come out with their own point of view. Just because they have more power and a louder voice doesn't mean they are any more credible.

Roger Clemens Almost Struck Out Brian McNamee

2008-02-13T20:59:00.008-05:00

Nannygate. Misremembered. Bloody pants. On Capitol Hill, today's "Roman circus" added to pop culture. But it also gave Roger Clemens and his legal team new headaches going forward.

By the end of the day, we still don't have any definitive answers. However, it is clear to me that Brian McNamee can't be trusted either. Both Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee aren't telling the truth.

The proceedings, which included newly disclosed evidence, raised further questions about the possibility of future criminal investigations and charges.

Problems For Clemens:

First, Clemens had no solid answer for the devastating testimony and written statement from Andy Pettitte. Not only did Pettitte corroborate McNamee's testimony about Pettitte's use of HGH, he also established a chronology on Clemens' statements about HGH that could lead to a perjury charge. Responding to Pettitte's assertion that Clemens told him he used HGH, Clemens insisted on several occasions during Wednesday's hearing that Pettitte had "misunderstood" him. He suggested that the subject of the Pettitte-Clemens conversation was the use of HGH by Clemens' wife. Clemens even tried to interrupt committee chairman Henry Waxman to repeat his claim at the end of the hearing, and Waxman gaveled him into angry silence. The problem for Clemens is that Debbie Clemens' alleged use of HGH came two years after Clemens' conversation with Pettitte. And, as Waxman explained, that means Clemens "made untrue statements in his deposition [sworn testimony to the committee last week]."

Now has anyone even for a second stopped to consider perhaps Andy Pettitte was wrong with the claims he made. I like how before they gave his testimonies, they built him up to sound like Mother Teresa. Even Mother Teresa lied. Pettitte is human like you and me and that makes him just as susceptible to lying. Pettitte has a weak character and when the Government came to him with questions he crawled into a hole like a defenseless, scared rabbit and told them everything that they wanted to hear. What kind of evidence is memory from 10 years ago?? Some people can't remember what they had for lunch. The courtroom made me sick in the way they praised Andy Pettitte. If he had walked in that day, the court would have bowed and worshiped him as he sat down and took off his halo. Do they not remember that he is an acknowledged cheater too?

Second, Clemens and his legal team blundered into the possibility of a charge of tampering with a witness. The potential charge could stem from their handling of a committee request for information about a woman who once served as a Clemens family nanny. (The committee staff requested the woman's contact information last week.) The committee wanted to ask her about a barbecue luncheon at Jose Canseco's house in Miami in June 1998, and whether Clemens attended the party. The protocol for producing a witness requires that a lawyer, or an investigator for the lawyer, contact a witness and send their information to the committee. Instead of following the protocol, Clemens called the former nanny personally and invited her to his home for a meeting on Sunday. We do not yet have the entire content of their conversation, but it is clear that he discussed the inquiry with her. Waxman was clearly angry that Clemens talked with the nanny before the committee's staff interviewed her and said, "At the very least, it has the appearance of impropriety."

McNamee was attacked viciously by a few Republican members of the committee and called a "liar" and "drug dealer," McNamee performed surprisingly well. He admitted that he had been less than truthful with federal agents and the Mitchell committee. He said he withheld some of his information -- and his box of syringes, vials and gauze pads -- in an effort to "downplay the use of these drugs" and protect players. But in the course of interviews with five groups of investigators, including Clemens' detectives, he gradually revealed the information he knew and the physical evidence that he had accumulated. McNamee's statements have been corroborated by Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch. Mitchell and his staff have endorsed his veracity on numerous occasions. It is unlikely that the committee will recommend charges against McNamee and equally unlikely that the FBI or the IRS will investigate him.

Andy Pettitte is the most important witness. Although the committee members clearly disagreed on the relative veracity of McNamee and Clemens, they all agreed that Pettitte is a man of integrity who responded to the committee's questions with truths that were painful to him. His testimony about his friend Clemens was a most painful act of integrity, both sides agreed. Both the Democrats and Republicans thought so highly of Pettitte and his cooperation that they granted his request to be excused from testifying at Wednesday's hearing. Excusing Pettitte might have been a mistake. If he had been present to tell his story of HGH and his conversations with Clemens, it could have been the most illuminating testimony in the hearing. It is of considerable benefit to Clemens that Pettitte, with his material highly damaging to Clemens, was not present to add to his problems. Any decision on the prosecution of Clemens will turn not on McNamee's credibility but on that of Andy Pettitte.

Why would McNamee claim to have injected Pettitte and Knoblauch with steroids (both of which have been confirmed to be true), but for some reason make up a story about injecting Clemens? That makes no sense and McNamee has no reason to lie. That's enough evidence for me to believe Clemens is lying.

Then again....

I didn't know McNamee was a former police officer. Why would a police officer, who is supposed to uphold the legal law, give players illegal steroids? What irony. That's like a fire truck catching on fire and shows McNamee can't be trusted.

So what happens now? Nothing is certain, but there might be additional investigations of Clemens' testimony and of the nanny situation. It could come from the committee or, more likely, from the team of federal agents who have been working on the BALCO investigation.

The Congressional Hearings Of Roger Clemens Vs Brian McNamee Thus Far

2008-02-13T09:54:00.047-05:00

9:55 A.M.

Well, right now we are just moments away from the big show. The ESPN guys are speculating and filling in time until the congressional hearing begins.

Something new and interesting was revealed though. Andy Pettitte, in his statement yesterday, said he took HGH in 2004....and his father provided Pettitte with those steroids. Imagine that.

I agree with the statement that this is reality television at its finest.

10:11 A.M.

Chairman Henry Waxman, among many claims, made the statement that the sole purpose of this congressional hearing is to confirm the accuracy of the Mitchell Report (not to make Clemens look bad, which will probably happen). Roger Clemens promptly denied steroid use, despite his name being listed 82 times in the Mitchell Report. Therefore, the committee wants to be certain whether they made any mistakes in the report or not. McNamee and Clemens claim to be telling the truth, yet their accounts are completely different. There is nothing in between. After this hearing, there will be no more hearings on steroids in baseball or the Mitchell report, or so Waxman claims.

10:20 A.M.

I agree with ESPN's Jayson Stark's point. This is clearly a lopsided hearing in McNamee's favor. Within the first two minutes of his opening remarks, Rep. Henry Waxman called the Mitchell report "impressive and credible." That tells you exactly what Rep. Waxman believes, and, more importantly, whom he believes.

It's as if the committee has already made up their mind before this hearing started and they are only entertaining Clemens to keep him temporarily at bay. After all, the members of the committee are the ones who assigned George Mitchell to create his report, or so I believe.

10:36 A.M

Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee just swore to tell the truth UNDER OATH. Why do I point this out? Because this is the reason why one of the two men is going to be charged for perjury.

Also, Clemens' lawyers helped talk Waxman out of not canceling this hearing, saying it would be "unfair" to cancel the hearing without giving Roger a chance to testify publicly.

Clemens, in his opening statement, firmly DENIED using steroids or HGH.
McNamee, in his opening statement, CONFIRMED injecting Clemens, Pettitte, and Chuck Knoblauch with steroids and HGH. He also made an apology statement.
Rep. Waxman made it obvious somebody is going to be charged with perjury once this hearing concludes -- because "it's impossible to believe this was a simple misunderstanding. Someone isn't telling the truth."

Now stop right here.....Why would McNamee claim to have injected Pettitte and Knoblauch with steroids (both of which have been confirmed to be true), but for some reason make up a story about injecting Clemens? That makes no sense and McNamee has no reason to lie. That's enough evidence for me to believe Clemens is lying, unless he can prove me wrong in his later testimony.

10:51 A.M.

That was laughable. Clemens agreed Pettitte is a very reliable man based on numerous sources, but then Clemens said Pettitte was wrong about their conversation involving steroids. Clemens said Pettitte "misremembers" the conversation. Can you say "contradiction" on Clemens' part?
Don't you think that's odd? I mean, how can you forget a conversation like that. Well, one thing is sure....Pettitte's testimony really did come in handy and it's making Clemens look stupid. Even Pettitte's wife's testimonies are damaging Clemens' credibility.

11:11 A.M.

I don't understand the whole Clemens bleeding through the pants angle and buying bandages. Is that supposed to be a joke back in 2001 or some kind of evidence?
Rep. Davis reported that McNamee had testified that Mike Stanton once noticed that Clemens was bleeding through his dress pants -- which caused him to start carrying band aids around, presumably for his bleeding butt.
Prompting the following exchange: Rep. Davis: "Mr. Clemens, do you recall bleeding through your pants in 2001?" Clemens: "I do not." Yet, you can't just imagine this stuff.

Also, Jose Canseco claims in his statements that Clemens never went to his barbecue in 1998 and Clemens proved he was playing golf that day. However, I do not believe this is critical evidence in Clemens' steroid use.

11:20 A.M.

Very interesting how Clemens admits to taking B-12 and says McNamee injected him with B-12. McNamee, however, denied injecting Clemens with B-12.
Also, Clemens denied talking to McNamee about HGH 3 times in the early part of his deposition, but in his later deposition he talked to McNamee twice about HGH in regards to his wife getting the injections from McNamee. We have some credibility issues on Clemens' part here.
Make this clear...if you're going to lie, make sure you remember what you said.
Give Clemens some credit though....he's keeping his cool under the hot lights.

11:32 A.M.

Brian McNamee kept the needles he used to inject Clemens because he claimed to be Clemens' friend, but yet had deep mistrust for him. He also kept Chuck Knoblauch's needles too. He felt horrible about being in the position he was in and didn't give the needles to Mitchell immediately when he was making his report. Basically, McNamee admitted to lying on numerous occasions and the congressman actually stated he doesn't believe McNamee at all. This is actually a strong testimony to help Clemens.
Rep. Dan Burton was all over McNamee, wondering about a question many of us have asked: Why would he ever have held onto vials and syringes for five years that could implicate a friend? "He was my employer," McNamee answered.
Burton: "You do this to all your employers?"
McNamee stammered an answer about how he'd "done things before for other people and gotten hurt by it, so I might as well hold onto it."
Burton asked why he didn't give this evidence to the Mitchell investigators immediately. "Because I felt horrible being in the position I was in," McNamee said.
Burton: "You kept needles for five years ... and kept working for him ... and now you say you felt bad?"
McNamee: "No, sir."
Burton: "My goodness."
However, that congressman really annoyed me with his rant about how the law works and how McNamee is trying to breakdown Clemens' career. That wasn't the purpose of this current case and its looks like he just wanted to get that off his chest.

11:48 A.M.

Clemens' side effects from recovering from an injury, based on MRI results from a very reputable doctor and McNamee, was more likely caused by steroids, rather than B-12 shots. Clemens denied that these side effects were from steroid shots. However, no one can seem to remember Clemens' side effects, except McNamee. The congressman is firm in saying that Clemens had to have received a B-12 shot. Score one for Clemens?

Interesting, I didn't know McNamee was a former police officer. Why would a police officer, who is supposed to uphold the legal law, give players illegal steroids? What irony. That's like a fire truck catching on fire.

12:10 P.M.

A very good point was made. Nowhere in the Mitchell report does it say, regardless if Clemens' showed up at Canseco's house in 1998 or not, that they discussed or shared steroids. So, throw that whole Canseco argument out the window.

12:20 P.M.

Clemens claimed 6 times he had no idea Senator Mitchell wanted to talk to him when his report was released, but on 60 Minutes Clemens told Mike Wallace that he knew Mitchell wanted to talk, but his council advised him not to. I don't know how this helps, but I thought I'd mention it. I guess, if anything, this is an attempt to damage Clemens' credibility

12:45 P.M.

The most pointless 5 minutes belongs to Rep. John Mica. He spent his entire line of questioning trying to determine the color of the various injections these two guys claim were given.
For anyone interested, Winstrol is a "powdery white," while testosterone was "oily" and "honey-colored" and HGH, when added to water, was "clear." And Clemens testified that B-12 was "red or pink."

Whew, a 15 minute break. Well, if Clemens does go to jail, at least he'll go to heaven, according to a congress woman. So far, Clemens appears to be squirming more in his seat than McNamee.

Does Anyone Notice Roger Goodell Is To Meet With Specter Wednesday To Discuss Spygate?

2008-02-13T06:40:00.006-05:00

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Sen. Arlen Specter are to meet Wednesday to discuss the Spygate case involving the New England Patriots.

The meeting will take place at 3 p.m. ET in Specter's office in Washington, according to ESPN.com's Mike Fish. The Pennsylvania Republican has asked Goodell to explain his decision to destroy the tapes and notes from the case, which go back to 2002.

What genius by Roger Goodell as yet another way to hide the New England Patriots Spygate Conspiracy Theory. No seriously, that's brilliant. Have the hearing on the afternoon where one of the biggest Congressional hearings in sports history (Roger Clemens Vs. Brian McNamee) is taking place. That's great.

First, who knows how long the Clemens hearing will drag on for. This hearing has been hyped up for so long and is so draining all day who is going to want to watch ANOTHER hearing? Because all the attention today will be on Clemens and McNamee, I don't think they will have enough cameras, cameramen, and reporters to cover the Spygate story (that's a bad joke on my part, I admit). But still, what a way for Goodell to shift the people's attention away from the Spygate scandal, at least for today.

The Congressional Showdown Between Roger Clemens And Brian McNamee Is Almost Upon Us

2008-02-13T06:09:00.006-05:00

Whatever the result of this hearing between Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee turns out to be, I dare you to argue this does not make for great television. The people in the Writer's strike should take a note from this compelling story. This story may be better than an actual MLB game (between the Devil Rays and Royals of course) and has everything a great television show needs, including a twisty, unclear story involving backstabbing, betrayal, distrust, truth, drama, and an unpredictable conclusion. Nothing will draw me away from the television while the Congressional hearing is on.

All the major players have opted out of participating except for Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee. Its a showdown between two opposing stories. Who's lying? Who's telling the truth? Who do you believe? What the Mitchell report revealed, Roger Clemens denied. So as he and Brian McNamee sit together before Congress, let the day of reckoning begin. Time will tell which one prevails...

Literally, time will tell. Obviously, no one will be sentenced to prison today. What will end up happening is both stories will contradict each other after Clemens and McNamee speak their parts. There will be no middle-ground where the stories overlap. Therefore, one of the two stories will be considered to be a lie under oath. As a result, Congress will ask to investigate which story they believe is perjury and this will be another issue that will drag on for months to come.

That's my take on it anyway.

Even NASCAR Is Issuing Discipline Now

2008-02-12T15:27:00.000-05:00

NASCAR placed drivers Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart on probation for six races Tuesday, beginning with the Daytona 500.

Stewart

Kurt Busch

The punishment stems from a confrontation between the two former series champions, who wrecked in practice last week and then carried it into the NASCAR officials' trailer.

NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the drivers were disciplined solely for the on-track portion of their clash, when the drivers deliberately used their cars as battering rams.

"We will continue to keep a check on this sport and won't let it get out of hand," Poston said. "If there is a repeat between these two, then we will take it much more seriously."

Although Busch and Stewart confronted each other during a closed-door meeting with NASCAR officials after the incident -- and ESPN.com's David Newton reported that Stewart punched Busch, according to sources close to the situation -- Poston stressed that nothing that happened off the track factored into their discipline.

And while it was Busch who slammed his car into Stewart's as they exited the track, Poston said both drivers were punished because they were involved.

I personally like it. This is what NASCAR needs....more edgier drivers to make the action more exciting than simply driving around the same pattern 400 times.

The Top 20 Best Selling NFL Jerseys As Of Today

2008-02-12T09:35:00.000-05:00

Just a few hours ago the list of best selling jerseys were released:

1. Tony Romo Cowboys
2.Tom Brady Patriots
3.Brett Favre Packers
4.Peyton Manning Colts
5. Ladainian Tomlinson Chargers
6.Adrian Peterson Vikings
7.Eli Manning Giants
8.Randy Moss Patriots
9.Brian Urlacher Bears
10.Troy Polamalu Steelers
11.Devin Hester Bears
12.Marion Barber Cowboys
13.Reggie Bush Saints
14.Ben Roethlisberger Steelers
15.Terrell Owens Cowboys
16.Jason Witten Cowboys
17.Brady Quinn Browns
18.Sean Taylor Redskins
19.Brian Westbrook Eagles
20.Bob Sanders Colts

See what happens when you win the Super Bowl? Your Jersey jumps to the #7 spot.
Brady Quinn? He hasn't taken a snap in the league yet.

Washington Redskins Interested In Chad Johnson?

2008-02-12T07:37:00.000-05:00

With a new coach on the Washington Redskins (Jim Zorn), the Redskins are interested in acquiring Chad Johnson from the Cincinnati Bengals, who wants to be traded despite the Bengals' refusal to trade him. One advantage that the Redskins have is Daniel Snyder would be more than willing to dish out the money to pay for a player like Chad Johnson, who is still an excellent receiver and can add height to that already great receiving core consisting of Santana Moss and Antwan Randle El.

Even still, it is going to take a lot of work before the Redskins can overtake both the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants in hopes of making a playoff spot.

John Rocker Just Helped Confirm My Conspiracy In Baseball Theory

2008-02-12T06:53:00.001-05:00

At least I know I'm not alone when I come up with these radical ideas and theories about random topics and stories. For those who haven't read the article I wrote about steroids as a conspiracy in baseball, basically to sum it up I said the MLB knew about players using steroids in the 90s and on, but let it slide because players smashing home runs and pitchers throwing heat were great for baseball ratings and sales. Do you really think it was a coincidence that after the baseball strike in the mid 90s halted baseball, the great home run chase of 1998 happened naturally? Do you really think that it was a coincidence that in the 80s players looked like stick figures and now they are big and built? I don't. There had to be something more (steroids) and baseball knew about it, but didn't do anything to stop it. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE GOVERNMENT GOT INVOLVED IS BASEBALL TRYING TO STAMP OUT STEROIDS BECAUSE NOW IT HAS BECOME A LEGAL ISSUE. BASEBALL CAN NO LONGER CONTAIN WHAT THEY WERE HIDING.

Why do I mention this yet again? Because an actual MLB player himself actually came on the radio and said exactly what I've been saying. Granted, John Rocker may not be the most reliable source because he is known to go running off at the mouth at times. However, according to ESPN, John Rocker said Monday that baseball commissioner Bud Selig knew he failed a drug test in 2000 and that doctors for the "league" and the "players association" advised him and several Texas Rangers teammates on how to effectively use steroids. Rocker, no stranger to controversy, made those comments on Atlanta radio station Rock 100.5. Later Monday, he told Atlanta sports talk radio station 680 The Fan that "between 40 to 50 percent of baseball players are on steroids" and "in 2000 Bud Selig knew John Rocker was taking the juice. Bud Selig knew this was going on," he said. "I failed the test, yet nobody heard about it."

Why Can't Roger Clemens Just Come Clean?

2008-02-12T06:30:00.000-05:00

Well, we are just one day away from one of the biggest showdowns in sports history. This showdown won't take place on a field or court, but rather, in a courtroom between Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee. When all is said and done, though the end of this case most likely will not be on Wednesday, one man will look like a hero while the other will face jailtime and be remembered as a disgrace.

Andy Pettitte, who was originally supposed to show up to testify against Clemens, opted out of showing up. If this isn't further proof that Roger Clemens is guilty, I don't know what is. Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens are, or were, really good buddies. Clemens was Pettitte's hero growing up. My guess is Andy Pettitte knows Roger Clemens took some type of steroids (provided by the same provider, Brian McNamee) and can't face the guilt of ratting out one of his best friends and long time heroes

There is simply too much evidence against Roger Clemens coming from every source, person, and direction possible. Roger Clemens' good word alone may not be enough to convince anyone. How can a man of his age still be throwing as fast and powerful as he is? No pitcher of his age has ever done that. Who does he think he is, Jesus Christ?

I just wonder why Roger Clemens couldn't come clean from the start. Its not like he would have gotten in trouble. He retired - he can't be suspended or fined. It would have been one of those scenarios where people would have been like "Oh, he took steroids. Wow. Oh well" and carry on with the rest of their day. However, now, because he didn't come clean from the start, he looks ten times worse. Meanwhile, Brian McNamee has nothing to lose by lying. In fact, he is being glorified for admitting to what he has done.

One Of The Worst Hockey Injuries Ever

2008-02-11T13:28:00.000-05:00

On a serious note, Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik required lifesaving surgery after severing his carotid artery. Can you imagine that? Richard almost had his throat slit by a metal blade.

Zednik is recovering at a Buffalo hospital. Zednick lost a drastic amount of blood Sunday during the game against the Sabres. He accidentally was sliced across the right side of the throat by teammate Olli Jokinen's skate.

"The surgery was successful and he's resting comfortably in the hospital," Panthers spokesman Brian Goldman said.

Canada's Sportsnet cable-TV network reported on its Web site that the skate blade just missed cutting the jugular vein.

Blood gushed from Zednik's neck after he was hurt midway through the third period of Buffalo's 5-3 victory, creating a frightening moment that delayed the game for about 15 minutes. There was also a brief discussion about postponing the game altogether.

You can't blame the brutality hockey for this type of injury. It was a freak and unfortunate accident.

Here's the video and post-game interviews for anyone who isn't squeamish:

The NFC Defeats The AFC In The 2008 Pro Bowl

2008-02-10T19:30:00.000-05:00

All I heard all week is how ESPN (of all companies) was downgrading this game and making jokes that hinted at how boring this game could be. Well, for what it was worth, it was an offensive showdown that wasn't as boring as ESPN made it seem. Granted, I understand that in an All-Star game, one generally wants to see a high-scoring offensive show, but the defenses also stepped up as well.

Making up for early sloppiness, Terrell Owens caught two touchdowns passes, including a 6-yarder from Tampa Bay's Jeff Garcia for the winning points in the NFC's comeback 42-30 victory over the AFC on Sunday.

Adrian Peterson made this Pro Bowl look easy. He ran for 2 touchdowns and 129 yards (second most in Pro Bowl history) to take home the MVP award. When he is at his best, the numbers he puts up are ridiculous. The New England Patriots better not get a hold of him.

Neither side held back the tricks, to the delight of the sellout crowd of 50,044 at Aloha Stadium. There was a fake punt, a throwback kickoff return and a handful of fourth-down gambles.

One of those was a 34-yard pass to Owens from fellow Cowboy Tony Romo that sparked the comeback. Before that huge play, Owens had a pair of ugly drops that drew boos.

He quickly turned them into cheers. Who could stay mad at Tony Romo and Terrell Owens?

What a way to cap off an incredible 2008 season of twists, surprises, victories, and defeats.

Kevin Garnett May Miss The 2008 All Star Game And Counting

2008-02-10T18:03:00.000-05:00

Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett missed his seventh consecutive game Sunday, and coach Doc Rivers said he might miss the next two games and, "I don't see him playing in the All-Star Game, either."

Garnett

"We don't know that yet," Rivers said, adding that he hadn't talked about it with Garnett but would try to discuss it Sunday night or Monday. "I just don't see that happening."

Garnett has been out for two weeks since straining a stomach muscle against the Timberwolves in Boston. The Celtics went 4-2 in their first six games without him, and they still have the best record in the NBA. However, that's only because their first 30 games were golden.

Garnett was the leading vote-getter for the Feb. 17 All-Star Game in New Orleans. But Rivers said before Garnett did not dress for Sunday's game against the San Antonio Spurs that he would probably not play Tuesday or Wednesday, in Boston's last two games before the break.

I don't mean to be critical of the Celtics, but ever since the Celtics played Charlotte on Jan 9th, they've gone for a record of 10-6. While that's still good, its no where close to the progress they were making at the beginning of the season during their first 30 games. One can notice an obvious difference in the Celtics with Garnett's absence. That is, they aren't as good and quite beatable.

Jimmie Johnson Will Have A Front Row Seat In The 2008 Daytona 500

2008-02-10T17:50:00.000-05:00

NASCAR is back. Ignoring Tony Stewart already, reigning NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson won his second Daytona 500 pole less than 24 hours after new Hendrick teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the checkered flag in the non-points Budweiser Shootout.

Pole Position

Jimmie Johnson may have won the pole for next Sunday's Daytona 500, but that doesn't exactly mean the defending Cup champ is on easy street. The last polesitter to win the Great American Race was Dale Jarrett in 2000.

Won Daytona 500 From Pole
Year	Driver
2000	Dale Jarrett
1999	Jeff Gordon
1987	Bill Elliott
1985	Bill Elliott
1984	Cale Yarborough
1980	Buddy Baker
1968	Cale Yarborough
1966	Richard Petty
1962	Fireball Roberts

Michael Waltrip, caught using what is basically steroids for cars last year, also had a great run Sunday, taking the outside pole.

Only the top two qualifiers locked in starting positions for next week's 50th running of the Daytona 500.

Asked if this makes him the favorite to win the 500, Johnson said, "We have to wait until we get out in the draft and see how these cars work. That's really a true test of these cars. We know we have the fastest single car."

Stephon Marbury Is Out For The Season...Not That Anyone Will Notice

2008-02-09T18:16:00.000-05:00

Stephon Marbury is out for the season because of a knee injury that was more severe than doctors originally had thought.

Honestly now, how often has the overpaid Stephon Marbury been on the court to begin with? Has anyone actually noticed a difference between when he did and did not play?

If anything, this should be a blessing for the New York Knicks. Now, Isiah Thomas has one less player and problem to worry about.

What happened to Stephon Marbury? I remember a time when he used to be a great player. I might as well asked what happened to the New York Knicks? Why did they spiral so badly? They achieved a record for having the worst record through 50 games in franchise history....and that's one record they shouldn't be proud of.

This Is Absolutely Ridiculous Now! Roger Clemens' Wife Used Steroids Too?

2008-02-08T18:19:00.000-05:00

I was enjoying this case until I heard that Brian McNamee told congressional investigators he injected Roger Clemens' wife with human growth hormone as she prepared for a Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition photo session five years ago, the New York Daily News reported Friday.

McNamee testified during his Capitol Hill deposition on Thursday that he injected Debbie Clemens at her husband's direction, the News said on its Web site, citing an unidentified Washington source.

Brian McNamee is so desperate to nail Roger Clemens that he is reaching out for every possible evidence available. I thought the Beer Can was ridiculous, but bringing Clemens' wife into this made the whole case just laughable.

"Did Roger get the Cy Young 'cause his wife took the HGH?" said Lanny Breuer, another lawyer for Clemens.

Why don't they just throw the whole family in jail? Accuse the kids of using steroids too! (I'm not being serious, but that just shows how ridiculous all this evidence has amounted to)

The Baltimore Orioles Finally Trade Erik Bedard

2008-02-08T17:19:00.000-05:00

Left-hander Erik Bedard was acquired by the Seattle Mariners from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday in a long-delayed trade for five prospects.

Baltimore received outfielder Adam Jones, who will probably start in center field on Opening Day. The Orioles also obtained reliever George Sherrill and pitchers Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio.

Bedard, Baltimore's Opening Day starter last year, joins a rotation that includes newly signed Carlos Silva and holdovers Felix Hernandez, Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista.

The departure of Bedard is yet another move to youth by the Orioles under president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail. Shortstop Miguel Tejada, a former AL MVP, was traded to Houston on Dec. 12.

Its hard to say at the moment whether this trade helped or hurt the Orioles. However, one thing is certain. With Bedard gone, Baltimore does not have an ace or even someone that's a lock to pitch on Opening Day. Jeremy Guthrie and Adam Loewen are the top candidates, and Daniel Cabrera might be given consideration.

The Mariners, with Bedard, Silva, and Washburn, have a chance to compete in the AL West. I remember last year they went on such a tear at one point I was ready to start supporting them, but then they quickly quieted down again. I still don't think they will be able to match the Angels hitting and pitching, but they'll make things interesting like they did last year.

Is Punishment For Steroids Too Severe?

2008-02-08T17:10:00.000-05:00

Former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski avoided jail time and was sentenced Friday to five years' probation after cooperating with baseball's investigation into performance-enhancing drugs.

Radomski, who admitted giving dozens of major leaguers steroids and human growth hormone, also was ordered to pay an $18,575 fine by U.S. District Judge Susan Illston.

He pleaded guilty in April 2007 to distributing steroids and laundering money, admitting he sold speed, steroids and HGH to players from 1995 until Dec. 14, 2005, when agents raided his Long Island, N.Y., home.

As part of his plea deal, Radomski was required to cooperate with investigators probing baseball's doping scandal. He led investigators to Brian McNamee, the former New York Yankees strength coach who claimed he injected Roger Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone at least 16 times from 1998 to 2001, an allegation the seven-time Cy Young Award winner vehemently denies.

Ok, so I was wrong when I said that steroid users and suppliers should just admit what they did. I figured, with SO many steroid people out there, they couldn't possibly punish them all. However, Kirk Radomski doesn't play baseball. Punishing him wouldn't take away anything from the game at all. He was also very honest about what he did back in 2003...and still got punished. I can only imagine what they are going to do to Roger Clemens.......

Radomski is scheduled to testify before Congress on Wednesday along with Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch and McNamee.

What To Look Out For This NFL Offseason

2008-02-08T10:43:00.001-05:00

Just like any other hardcore football fan, I too am depressed that the season is over. Sure, it ended with one of the greatest games ever, but it ended nonetheless. Nevertheless, this NFL offseason should prove to be interesting as teams work on filling gaps in their rosters and snap up rising talent. This is a short list of possible things that could happen this offseason in football teams' quest for continuous improvement.

1) Rise of the defensive line. As the New York Giants just showed, one of the most crucial components of a successful football team is a strong defensive line. Having four players who can pressure quarterbacks without blitz is key to shutting down even the best of offensives. Watch for other teams to realize this fact and adjust their defenses as necessary.

2) Watch the Patriots, again. Last year, the New England Patriots realized their biggest weakness-their receivers-and made an amazing fix with the pick up of Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, and Randy Moss. This season, the Patriots' weakness lies in their secondary. Cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Randall Gay are free to leave as free agents. Safety Rodney Harrison is considering retirement. So look for the Patriots to address these defensive holes through the draft and free agency. If these weaknesses are addressed, the Patriots could be once again striving for a perfect season next year.

3) The Bills with keep Losman. Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losmas was supposed to be the next Jim Kelly. That has not happened yet. Now with 2007 thrid-round pick Trent Edwards as starter, Losman wants out of Buffalo. However, he is under contract for one more year and the Bills will likely keep him for fear of Edwards being injured.

4) Midnight for McNabb? The Philadelphia Eagles could very well trade quarterback Donovan McNabb. They picked up Kevin Kolb during last year's draft and are looking to play him soon. McNabb has been less than spectacular lately and a new, fresh quarterback will certainly help this underrated team.

5) Watch the Rams. The St. Louis Rams did not deserve a 3-13 record this season. The major reason for this year's failure was injuries. This team suffered many major injuries throughout the season. Next season, the Rams will surely be a team to contend against with good first-round draft picks and the return of a healthy Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson. Expect a turnaround for this team.

Happy Birthday To The Following Athletes

2008-02-08T06:11:00.000-05:00

Today, February 8th, I'd like to wish a Happy Birthday to:

1901 - Janina Spychajowa-Kurkowska, Poland, women's world champion archer
1914 - Bert Haas, baseball player
1920 - Buddy Blattner, baseball player
1921 - Hoot Evers, baseball player
1924 - Joe Black, baseball player
1925 - Raimondo d'Inzeo, It, equestrian (Oly-gold/2 silver/3 bronze-1948-76)
1930 - Catherine Hardy, Carollton Ga, 4x100m runner (Olympic-gold-1952)
1936 - Manohar Hardikar, cricketer (batted in 2 Tests India v WI 1958-59)
1942 - Fritz Peterson, baseball pitcher (NY Yankees)
1943 - Bob Oliver, baseball player
1944 - Bunky Henry, golfer
1947 - Sam Gannon, cricketer (Austr lefty quick, 3 Tests v India 1977-78)
1949 - Scott Allen, USA, skater (Olympic-bronze-1964)
1954 - "Sensational" Sherri Martel, [Russell], New Orl, wrestler (WWF/AWA)
1955 - Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, wrestler (WWF/WCW/NJPW/CWFI/Calgary)
1959 - Heinz Gunthardt, Switzerland, tennis star
1959 - Irina Kalinina, USSR, springboard diver (Olympic-gold-1980)
1960 - Linda Fratianne, LA Calif, figure skater (Olympic-silver-1980)
1963 - Mohammad Azharuddin, cricketer (elegant Indian batsman 1984-)
1963 - Raleigh MCkenzie, NFL center/guard (Phila Eagles, SD Chargers)
1964 - Dennis Gibson, NFL inside linebacker (SD Chargers)
1965 - Carmen Savy, Brisbane QLD, golfer (1990 Brisbane and District)
1965 - Jim Thornton, NFL tight end (Houston Oilers)
1965 - Lee Knight, CFL full back (Hamilton Tiger Cats)
1965 - Rod Bernstine, NFL running back (Denver Broncos)
1965 - Terry McDaniel, NFL cornerback (Oakland Raiders, LA Raiders)
1968 - Joy Fawcett, Inglewood Calif, soccer defender (Olympics-96)
1968 - Ron Goetz, CFL linebacker (Saskatchewan Roughriders)
1969 - Herb Hohenberger, hockey defenseman (Team Austria 1998)
1970 - Cameron Cuffy, cricketer (St Vincent and WI fast bowler 1994-)
1970 - Alonzo Mourning, NBA center (Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets)
1972 - Adrian Rollins, cricketer (Derbyshire batsman, bro of Robert of Essex)
1972 - Marcus Pollard, NFL tight end (Indianapolis Colts)
1973 - Tom King, Australian 470 class yachter (Olympics-96)
1973 - Michelle Brogan, Australian basketball forward (Olympics-bronze-96)
1973 - Dave Dopek, Bolingbrook Illinois, 200m runner
1973 - Andreas Gliatis, soccer player (NEC)
1976 - Holly Manthei, Edina Minn, soccer midfielder/forward (Olympics-96)
1976 - Jim Parque, Norwalk Calif, baseball pitcher (Olympics-bronze-96)
1978 - Christa Williams, Houston TX, softball pitcher (Olympics-gold-96)

Will Curt Schilling Pitch Again?

2008-02-08T00:03:00.000-05:00

Curt Schilling has an undisclosed injury in his right shoulder, and the MLB pitcher has been squabbling with the Boston Red Sox over whether he should have surgery that could cost him the season or try something less drastic.

Schilling said Thursday night that he has agreed to abide by the club's request to rely on rest and rehabilitation. "There have been disagreements these past few weeks in an effort to provide me with a solution that would allow me to pitch as much as possible during the 2008 season,'' Schilling wrote. "At no time did I ever consider taking a course of action against the club's wishes. In the end, regardless of who agreed with whom, I have chosen the club's course of action and will vigorously pursue any and every option I can to be able to help this team to another World Series title in 2008.''

The Boston Herald first reported Schilling's injury on its Web site, saying the injury was serious enough to consider surgery that could keep him out for the whole 2008 season. The Boston Globe reported later Thursday that even without surgery Schilling would be out until at least the All-Star break.

Schilling, who spent seven weeks on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis last year, went 9-8 with a 3.87 ERA during the regular season last year. In the playoffs, he went 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA to help the Red Sox win their second World Series in four seasons.

He agreed in November to a one-year, $8 million contract that allows him to earn an addition $5 million in performance and weight bonuses. The 41-year-old right-hander has said that this will be his last year.

At least the Red Sox pitching rotation is so skilled and deep that this temporary loss shouldn't effect them much at all.

Quote Of The Day! And More Physical Proof

2008-02-07T20:05:00.000-05:00

Brian McNamee's attorneys presented two color photographs of needles, vials of testosterone and other evidence turned over to the government that they said Thursday will prove the former personal trainer injected the star pitcher with performance enhancers.

This quote comes from Earl Ward, one of McNamee's lawyers

"Roger Clemens has put himself in a position where his legacy as the greatest pitcher in baseball will depend less on his ERA and more on his DNA."

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner's repeated denials of McNamee's allegations in the Mitchell Report about drug use drew Congress' attention. Clemens spoke under oath to the committee Tuesday _ the first time he addressed the allegations under oath, and therefore the first time he put himself at legal risk if he were to make false statements.

Richard Emery, one of Brian McNamee's attorneys, hold up photos that were submitted as evidence Thursday.

There is a public hearing scheduled for Wednesday, when Clemens, McNamee and other witnesses, including New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, are to testify.

Steve Spagnuolo Becomes The Highest Paid Defense Coordinator And He Deserves It

2008-02-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who interviewed for the Redskins' head coaching job the past three days, has decided to stay in New York.

Spagnuolo was not offered the Redskins job but his agent Bob Lamont said "it didn't matter because his heart is in New York City."

Or perhaps New York is where the money is......

The Giants are also giving Spagnuolo a new three-year contract in excess of $2 million per year, which would make him the league's highest-paid defensive coordinator.

But don't you think he deserves such an enormous raise? He took down the New England Patriots! Every team thought they mapped out the blueprints to beat the Patriots, but this guy was the only one able to perform what seemed to be the most impossible task.

With Spagnuolo out of the running, former Giants head coach Jim Fassel emerges as the leading candidate to get the Redskins job.

Tyler Hansbrough Passes Michael Jordan In The Scoring Category In Their Loss To Duke

2008-02-06T22:39:00.000-05:00

There is nothing quite like Duke (20-1) Vs UNC (21-2) in College Basketball. That's the equivalent of the Patriots Vs Colts in the NFL in my opinion.

UNC was missing Ty Lawson. Duke wasn't missing Wednesday night. As a result, the No. 2 Blue Devils won 89-78 on their ACC rivals' floor, sinking 13 three-pointers to improve to 20-1. UNC fell to 21-2

Duke's depth really took care of short-handed North Carolina, keeping the second-ranked Blue Devils alone atop the Atlantic Coast Conference.Greg Paulus scored 18 points and was one of six players in double figures in the Blue Devils' 89-78 win over the third-ranked Tar Heels on Wednesday night, ending a three-game losing streak in the heated rivalry.

Jon Scheyer added 17 points for Duke (20-1, 8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), which ran its spread-the-floor offense to perfection most of the night and repeatedly knocked down 3-point shots to control the game almost the entire way. Duke led by as many as 11 points in the first half and never trailed after the break, taking plenty of the drama out of the game and beating the Tar Heels for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

Duke shot 46 percent and went 13-for-29 from 3-point range, with Paulus going 6-for-8 from behind the arc. This was a major reason why they won.

Tyler Hansbrough had 28 points and 18 rebounds in what became virtually a one-man effort for the Tar Heels (21-2, 6-2), who looked a step off all night without injured point guard Ty Lawson. Lawson sprained his left ankle in the weekend win at Florida State. He passed Michael Jordan in the scoring category as a Tar Heel. ... I heard Michael Jordan was pretty good.

Now Lebron James Wants A Blockbuster Trade For The Cavs?

2008-02-06T22:03:00.000-05:00

Like nearly everyone else, Cleveland's Lebron James was shocked by Shaquille O'Neal's trade to Phoenix.

"Unbelievable," James said after practice Wednesday. "That's all I got. It's unbelievable."

O'Neal, one of the league's top centers for more than a decade, was traded by Miami to the Suns for forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks, a blockbuster deal that rocked the league like one of Shaq's backboard-bending dunks.

It was the second jaw-dropping swap involving All-Star players in days. Last week, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired 7-foot center Pau Gasol from Memphis, a trade that may have forced the Suns into retooling their team in order to stay ahead of their nearest competitor in the Pacific Division.

With the Lakers and Heat acquiring superstars, Lebron James is starting to wonder when the Cavs will acquire a superstar (with no disrespect to Lebron's teamates) of their own.

James recently said he would love for general manager Danny Ferry to make a run at New Jersey point guard Jason Kidd, who has made it no secret that he wants the Nets to dish him off before the Feb. 21 trading deadline.

When James was asked if being paired with Kidd, his teammate last summer on the U.S. national team, could win the Cavs their first championship, Cleveland's superstar delivered an answer as resounding as any of his powerful slam dunks.

The Cavs are going to have to compete with the Dallas Mavericks, who are also interested in acquiring Jason Kidd.

The Cavaliers would like to add another star player to complement James, who's having an MVP-caliber season. Larry Hughes hasn't been what Cleveland had hoped since Ferry signed the oft-injured shooting guard to a five-year, $60 million contract before the '05 season.

James was asked if it's necessary for a team to have multiple stars to win an NBA title.

"It helps," he said with a laugh. "It does help when you have guys on the team that are perennial All-Stars or can go out there and produce every night and you know what you're going to get."

Reminded that Kidd was still available, James grinned.

"I know that," he said.

James, too, knows that adding another big player can lead to problems.

"It can mess up the chemistry a little bit and it could take a little longer for them to fit in, maybe not," he said. "The reward is you get a good player. Like the Lakers, they got a guy [Gasol] who has averaged 20 [points] and 12 [rebounds] for his whole career. Last night, Kobe Bryant gets six points and the Lakers win by 15, that's the reward.

"It all depends on what caliber of player you are getting and how fast he can adjust to the new system."

If the Cavaliers stand pat and don't make a trade, James is confident the defending Eastern Conference champs are still good enough to win it all.

"As long as I'm healthy, we're going to give ourselves a chance to win," he said. "No matter who is out on the court with me."

From James' comments, you wouldn't be able to tell if he wants another superstar on his team or not. However, it is clear that James is happy and confident with the way things are now.

Bizarre Sports Memorabilia

2008-02-06T20:10:00.000-05:00

Perhaps even more peculiar are the people who buy these things,,,,and the amount of money they are willing to dish out.

Weird Sports Memorabilia

Luis Gonzalez's Gum

A piece of bubblegum chewed up and spit out by Luis Gonzalez of the Arizona Diamondbacks was recently auctioned off for ten thousand dollars. How twisted is that? Someone wanted to buy a piece of dirty, flavorless bubblegum just because it had been chewed by Luis Gonzalez! Here's a list of some other weird sports-related stuff that people have paid big money for.

Shady Brady and Bill Belicheat Music Video

2008-02-06T18:39:00.000-05:00

I do not take credit for this music video and Peter Spano on this site was actually the one who discovered this video. However, I decided to post it because not only is it funny and sounds good, but is very relevant to the Spygate scandal.

By the way, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday at the Pro Bowl that the NFL is willing to give former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh legal indemnification for any information and materials he would provide to the league regarding his work with the Patriots. In general legal terms, indemnity is a guarantee against any loss which another might suffer, often financially.

Among the things the league wants to talk to Walsh about is a recent Boston Herald report that a member of the Patriots' video staff taped the St. Louis Rams' pregame walk-through before Super Bowl XXXVI.

"We were aware of this before," Goodell said. "We pursued it and weren't able to get any information that was credible. We were aware of some of the rumors and we pursued some of them and we continue that. From Day 1, I said if we feel there is new information that's inconsistent with what we've been told [by the Patriots], I reserve the right to reopen it.

So while we wait for the interviews and evidence (if any), enjoy this music video.

Shady Brady and Bill Belicheat Music Video

Shaquille O'Neal Is Going To Bring Some Heat To The Phoenix Suns

2008-02-06T18:01:00.000-05:00

In one of the most improbable trades in NBA history, the Miami Heat traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, sources close to the situation told ESPN.com.

Who would have thought that trading Shaquille O'Neal would have been so simple? The Miami Heat, other than the obvious fact that they are a very bad team, have terrible team chemistry issues. Pat Riley and Shaq were not getting along. Likewise, Shawn Marion wasn't mixing well with his team either.

The Suns have been plagued by well-chronicled concerns about their chemistry for nearly two years, generally focusing on the occasional dissatisfaction voiced behind the scenes by either Marion or Stoudemire. In the locker room as well as the front office, sources told Stein, there are factions that have believed for some time that one of them would eventually have to be traded for the Suns to reach their full potential.

Marion asked to be traded before the season but has rarely mentioned that declaration since, with many Suns insiders believing that he went public with that request mostly as a protest response to being mentioned in trade rumors for years.

O'Neal turns 36 in March and has been plagued by a persistent hip problem that has cost him 14 games this season. He refused to speak with Miami reporters after Tuesday's practice, while Riley insisted that O'Neal would soon undergo an MRI after missing the Heat's past six games.

And when he has been healthy, O'Neal is averaging a career-worst 14.2 points and 7.8 rebounds, while the Heat's demise has deepened after they followed their historic comeback from 2-0 down against Dallas in the 2006 NBA Finals by absorbing a first-round sweep by Chicago last season.

Marion, a four-time All-Star, is averaging 15.6 points and 9.8 rebounds this season, while Banks is putting up 5.2 points and 1.0 assist per game.

Obviously, Marion and Wade will fit will together. But, what can Shaq offer the Suns? Though this seems on the surface to be a terrible trade, the Suns are hoping to get out of Shaq at least 20 minutes of offensive and defensive pressure in the paint that wasn't there when Marion was playing for them. Now, they have a huge center that can compete with Tim Duncan and the Spurs or Andrew Bynum on the Lakers. They can still run up and down the court with their fast paced offense, but when all else fails, just throw the ball to the big man under the rim.

Hall Of Fame Pitcher Nolan Ryan Takes The Next Big Step Of His Career

2008-02-06T16:26:00.000-05:00

We all know a majority of the good players can't walk away from their game after they retire. They have to contribute in some, way, shape, or form.

Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan has agreed to become the Texas Rangers team president, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press.

In recent years, he has been a consultant for the Houston Astros, a former team, and part owner of two Astros minor league teams in Texas.

The person spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet made an announcement. The agreement was first reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

It was not immediately clear how much control over personnel Ryan would have in his new role, but the all-time strikeout leader told Houston television station KRIV that he would be "over all of the Rangers baseball operations."

"This is something new for me," Ryan said. "It'd different from what I've done in the past or on the playing field."

Ryan, who had a record seven no-hitters, won 324 games in a record 27 seasons, the last five with the Rangers.

The 61-year-old Ryan replaces Jeff Cogen, who owner Tom Hicks moved to the Dallas Stars during a shake-up of his hockey team in November.

Ryan leaves the Astros with more than a year remaining on a five-year personal services contract he signed in 2004. He most recently served as special assistant to the general manager, scouting players and holding pitching camps.

Ryan's return could bring a jolt to a franchise that has struggled to stay competitive in many of the seasons since he retired in 1993.

The Rangers have finished no better than third in the AL West since 2000, although the only three playoff appearances in franchise history came after he retired in 1993. Pitching has long been a frustration; the Rangers had the fewest strikeouts in the AL last season and their team ERA ranked in the bottom five.

Texas last month bolstered is rotation by signing free agent Jason Jennings, who grew up in Dallas watching Ryan pitch. But bringing Ryan into the front office is likely to stir the most excitement among Rangers fans, many of whom still revere the Texas native.

Nolan Ryan should be their pitching coach rather than President. Between Kevin Millwood, Vincent Padilla, and Jason Jennings, the Rangers have decent pitching to work with. Even still, I'd rank them to be 3rd in their division this year. They can't equal the Angels and Mariners, at least not right now.

Roger Clemens Can Not Provide The Evidence That Brian McNamee Can.

2008-02-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately in today's society, giving somebody your word just isn't good enough anymore. People want to see physical proof. Well, in the latest turn in the Roger Clemens case, the public got their physical proof.

Former personal trainer Brian McNamee has turned physical evidence that he believes will show Roger Clemens used performance-enhancing drugs over to federal investigators, his attorneys told the New York Daily News. "This is evidence the government has that we believe will corroborate Brian in every significant way," McNamee lawyer Earl Ward told the Daily News. The lawyers wouldn't discuss what the evidence is, but a source told the Daily News that McNamee gave vials with traces of steroids and human growth hormone, as well as blood-stained syringes and gauze pads that might contain Clemens' DNA, to the Justice Department's BALCO investigators.

I know people may be thinking that McNamee may have grabbed random syringes and blood from an animal or something to set Clemens up. Well, thats where the wonders of technology and science come into play.

The evidence has been sent to a lab for testing, and prosecutors might seek a court order for a DNA sample from Clemens if the evidence contains traces of drugs and blood, the Daily News reported. McNamee kept the vials, gauze pads and syringes from the 2000 and 2001 seasons because he feared Clemens would deny using performance-enhancing drugs, the source told the Daily News. "We will provide Congress with corroborative physical evidence that takes this case out of the he-said, she-said purview," another McNamee attorney, Richard Emery, told the Daily News. "From our point of view, this corroborates that Brian told the truth from Day One and Clemens has not."

Other witnesses may also come forward with information that corroborates McNamee's, the source told the Daily News.

Clemens gave a sworn deposition for about five hours to congressional lawyers behind closed doors Tuesday, addressing his former personal trainer's allegations. And this time, Clemens was under oath. "I just want to thank the committee, the staff that I just met with. They were very courteous," the seven-time Cy Young Award winner said, wearing a pinstriped gray suit instead of a pinstriped New York Yankees uniform. "It was great to be able to tell them what I've been saying all along -- that I've never used steroids or growth hormone." Tuesday's deposition was the first time Clemens faced legal risk if he were to make false statements.

One thing is for certain here. Next week in front of Congress if Roger Clemens doesn't change his testimony, then either Clemens or McNamee will be lying under oath. So far, the momentum has shifted in McNamee's favor.

Will Shaquille O'Neal Be Traded To The Suns For Shawn Marion?

2008-02-05T20:58:00.000-05:00

This is the rumor going around.

The Miami Heat's season has come to this: Shaquille O'Neal may be on the trading block.

Citing two sources close to the situation, the Miami Herald reported on Tuesday that the team has told the center that he should be prepared for a possible deal.

The Herald goes on to report that a trade of O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks has been discussed. One of O'Neal's representatives told the newspaper that they were informed that talks with Phoenix were ongoing and serious.

ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports that this scenario has been rumored for a week, but it will not work without major modifications due to financial restraints.

The Heat have a league-worst 9-37 record and have lost four straight. O'Neal has missed the last six games with a sore left hip. Heat coach Pat Riley said on Tuesday that O'Neal will undergo an MRI.

I can't possibly see this trade happening for 2 reasons. First, Shaq is getting up there in years and pretty soon he'll be obsolete. He'll retire as a Heat player. The Heat need to draft or acquire a young center to replace Shaq and keep Shaq on the bench as an experienced back up at best. His days as a player are numbered. Second, I can not see the Suns breaking apart that magnificent team, which is led by Steve Nash, Shaun Marion, and Amare Stoudemire. To break those guys apart (especially for someone like Shaq) would be just plain dumb.

Quote Of The Day!

2008-02-05T17:51:00.000-05:00

Sadly, I couldn't make it to the NFL New York Giants parade to celebrate winning Super Bowl XLII, but I did catch glimpses of the parade on ESPN News. I'm not a Giants fan, but it's been 8 years since New York has won anything in one of the four main sports, so it would have been good to have gone.

Anyway, I found this quote particularly funny because it not only gives a punch to the jaw of the New England Patriots, but captures the day of celebration in a nutshell.

State Senate President Richard J. Codey took a jab at the Patriots when he referred to their videotaping scandal at Giants Stadium against the Jets in September.

Very clever. I like it.

"If the Patriots were here today, they could film all they want," Codey said.

Roger Clemens Tries His Luck On Capitol Hill

2008-02-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

First, Andy Pettitte gave his private testimonies on Monday. Today, it was Roger Clemens' turn. Next, Brian McNamee will take part in a private session...all leading up to the big congressional hearing

Roger Clemens arrived to give private, sworn testimony Tuesday to congressional lawyers about whether he used performance-enhancing drugs, pausing briefly to look around the House hearing room where he is to testify next week.

Wearing a pinstriped gray suit instead of a pinstriped New York Yankees uniform, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner was accompanied by two attorneys.

Clemens declined to take questions from reporters on his way in, saying only, "Good morning," before heading into the offices of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Clemens was scheduled to give the deposition to committee lawyers behind closed doors one day after his former Yankees teammate and workout partner Andy Pettitte delivered sworn testimony for about 2½ hours.

Both pitchers' private interviews with staff members from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are part of preparation for a Feb. 13 hearing. That public session is expected to focus on allegations made in the Mitchell report by his former trainer, Brian McNamee, that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with performance-enhancing drugs

Roger Clemens, followed by one of his attorneys, Lanny Breuer, arrived Tuesday morning to give testimony in front of house committee lawyers.

Clemens, 45, ranks eighth in major league history with 354 career wins. He put off retirement yet again in 2007, returning to the Yankees in June and going 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA.

"Roger is not going to take the Fifth Amendment," one of Clemens' lawyers, Rusty Hardin, said in a statement e-mailed Monday by spokesman Joe Householder. "He is going to answer the committee's questions truthfully under oath."

McNamee is scheduled to appear Thursday. One of his lawyers, Earl Ward, said no decision had been made on whether he would submit to a deposition or transcribed interview. It is a crime to lie to Congress, regardless of whether a person is under oath, so the distinction between the two has more to do with the format of the questioning and the confidentiality of the transcript.

Updated News As The 2008 Baseball Season Approaches

2008-02-05T00:09:00.000-05:00

The long-awaited Erik Bedard trade to the Mariners reportedly may be nearing completion. The Baltimore Sun and Seattle Post-Intelligencer are reporting that Mariners outfielder Adam Jones -- the key prospect the Orioles are expected to receive for Bedard -- is in Baltimore to take a physical. The Sun, citing an unnamed source, reported Monday that the trade of Bedard from Baltimore to Seattle is pending only completion of physicals. The newspaper reported that if Jones passes his physical, a trade could be announced as soon as Monday.

Talk about old school! Juan Gonzalez is trying a comeback with the St. Louis Cardinals. After sitting out the past two seasons, the two-time AL MVP will be one of 26 non-roster players invited to St. Louis' spring training camp this month. The 38-year-old Gonzalez last played regularly in 2003 when he had 24 home runs and 70 RBIs in 324 at-bats for the Texas Rangers. He had one at-bat with Cleveland in 2005 before injuring his hamstring.

Shelley Duncan is at early spring training workouts, healthy and looking forward to the season following offseason treatment for a blood clot. Duncan will be competing for time at first base with Morgan Ensberg, Wilson Betemit, Jason Lane and Jason Giambi, who is heading into the final season of his $120 million, seven-year contract. Duncan also played both corner outfield positions last season along with first base.

Free agent first baseman Sean Casey has reached an agreement a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Boston Red Sox, ESPN's Peter Gammons reports. Friday's deal was made pending a physical. Casey will give the Red Sox an experienced backup at first to starter Kevin Youkilis.

The Detroit Tigers could have kept Curtis Granderson around for a while, retaining his talents with one-year deals until he became eligible for free agency after the 2011 season. The Tigers, though, don't just wait around to make moves these days. Granderson and baseball's busiest team agreed Monday to a $30.25 million, five-year contract that includes a club option for 2013 that could make the deal worth up to $43.25 million.

Khalil Greene's big 2007 season with the San Diego Padres resulted in the shortstop agreeing to a two-year, $11 million guaranteed contract with the team, according to a published report.

The 2008 Pro Bowl Will Be Without Their Main Attractions Because Certain Players Decided To Be Sore Losers

2008-02-04T20:51:00.000-05:00

A star-studded lineup won't be playing in the Pro Bowl this season.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss joined Chargers tight end Antonio Gates and defensive tackle Jamal Williams in deciding on Monday to skip the Feb. 10 game in Honolulu.

Browns quarterback Derek Anderson will replace Brady and Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow will sub for Gates on the AFC's roster. Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Casey Hampton will take Williams' spot.

Brady

Moss

Cincinnati's Chad Johnson will replace Moss, who caught five passes for 62 yards and a touchdown in New England's 17-14 loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII on Sunday night.

Brady, who was sacked five times by the Giants and pounded throughout the Super Bowl, has been bothered by a tender ankle. There was no official word why Moss wasn't going to play.

I have a guess as to why Brady and Moss aren't going to play....because they are so embarrassed and sore they lost the Super Bowl to the Giants that they are ashamed to show their faces to the public and other players. I don't blame them either in a way. That was the greatest upset in Super Bowl history. Even still, they shouldn't be sore about losing. After all, they were voted in by the fans and to not give the fans what they want for no reason at all as a professional athlete is pretty sour of them. Its kind of babyish to say that because we lost the Super Bowl, now we don't want to play in the Pro Bowl.

Gates is still bothered by the left big toe he dislocated in San Diego's wild-card playoff win over Tennessee on Jan. 6. He was able to play in a divisional playoff win at Indianapolis and the AFC Championship Game loss at New England.

Williams had been bothered by an ankle injury since December.

They join teammate LaDainian Tomlinson in pulling out of the game in Honolulu. Tomlinson reinjured his sprained left knee in the 21-12 loss to the Patriots.

The withdrawals still leave six Chargers in the game.

In a release, the Browns did not provide a reason for Anderson replacing the Patriots star.

With Anderson and Winslow making the trip, the Browns will have six players in the Pro Bowl, the club's most since sending six in 1994.

Johnson will accompany teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who was picked for his first Pro Bowl. It will mark the first time a pair of Bengals receivers reached the Pro Bowl together.

Johnson is coming off a most unhappy season in Cincinnati, where his self-promotion has worn thin on coaches, teammates and fans. He stopped talking to the local media after a columnist suggested the team might be better off without him.

College Basketball Says Goodbye To A Living Legend

2008-02-04T20:44:00.000-05:00

Texas Tech coach Bob Knight, the all-time winningest Division I men's basketball coach known as much for his brilliance as his fiery temper, resigned Monday in the middle of the season.

Love him or hate him, you can't dispute the numbers. He was the best coach college basketball ever had. His fiery temper only motivated players to perform at their fullest potential.

"He said he was tired and that it was best to go ahead and do it now," Texas Tech Chancellor Kent Hance told The Associated Press. "I think Bob is through with coaching. I think he got to the point where it wasn't fun for him."

The program will be turned over to his son, Pat Knight, who was named head coach-designate in 2005.

Knight's resignation was first reported by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Chris Cook, a spokesman for athletic director Gerald Myers, confirmed the resignation.

Knight informed Myers of his decision in a meeting around noon, Hance said. Knight then informed Hance of his decision in a 10-minute phone call.

Knight spent Sunday deciding whether to quit, one day after his Red Raiders beat Oklahoma State 67-60 in what now appears to be Knight's 902nd and final win.

Milestone Man

Bobby Knight's first collegiate coaching win came when Richard Nixon was president. His 900th came over 30 years later. Here's a look at his milestones:

Victory	Date	Result
100	Feb. 27, 1971	Army 64, Navy 50
200	Dec. 19, 1975	Indiana 93, Georgia 56
300	Feb. 7, 1980	Indiana 83, Northwestern 69
400	Dec. 8, 1984	Indiana 81, Kentucky 68
500	Jan. 14, 1989	Indiana 92, Northwestern 76
600	Jan. 6, 1993	Indiana 75, Iowa 67
700	March 5, 1997	Indiana 70, Wisconsin 66
800	Feb. 5, 2004	Texas Tech 75, Nebraska 49
880*	Jan. 1, 2007	Texas Tech 70, New Mexico 68
900	Jan. 16, 2008	Texas Tech 68, Texas A&M 53
* -- Became winningest men's coach in NCAA Division I history

"He thought about it Sunday all day and talked to his wife and decided this is something I want to do," Hance said.

Knight was not available for comment Monday, said Randy Farley, a spokesman for the Texas Tech basketball program.

"Coach Knight has had a great career. His coaching record speaks for itself. His love for basketball is clear, but most importantly his love for teaching and the students has been a hallmark of his tenure here at Texas Tech," said Sally Logue Post, a spokeswoman for Texas Tech.

The 67-year-old Knight has been a head coach for 42 years at three Division I schools. He got his 100th victory at Army, then moved to Indiana, where his Hoosiers went 662-239 and won three national championships from 1971-2000.

His first NCAA title came in 1976 when Indiana went undefeated, a feat no team has done since. In 1984, he coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in Los Angeles.

"He's accomplished everything he can accomplish," a source close to the coaching staff told ESPN.com's Andy Katz. "He was going to do this at the end of this year anyway. I'm sure he's talked to a lot of people before he made this decision. This is a situation where he's letting Pat have the rest of this year so he has experience coaching the team rather than starting fresh."

Super Bowl XLII Was The Most Watched Super Bowl In History

2008-02-04T18:21:00.000-05:00

The New York Giants' thrilling win over New England was the most-watched Super Bowl ever with 97.5 million viewers, a total that is second only to the "M*A*S*H" finale audience, Nielsen Media Research said Monday.

The AC Nielsen numbers are in, and in terms of viewership, Giants-Patriots was the M*A*S*H finale of Super Bowls. The best of the most-watched matchups:

Most viewers, Super Bowl history
		Millions
XLII (2008)	Giants-Patriots	97.5
XXX (1996)	Cowboys-Steelers	94.08
XLI (2007)	Colts-Bears	93.18
XX (1986)	Bears-Patriots	92.57
XXVII (1993)	Cowboys-Bills	90.99

The game eclipsed the previous Super Bowl record of 94.08 million, set when Dallas defeated Pittsburgh in 1996. The final "M*A*S*H" episode, which drew 106 million viewers in 1983, is the only other show in American broadcast history watched by more people.

Sunday's game had almost all the ingredients Fox could have hoped for: a tight contest with an exciting finish involving a team that was attempting to make history as the NFL's first unbeaten team since 1972.

But the Giants ended New England's bid for perfection, 17-14. Throughout the game, the teams were never separated by more than a touchdown.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who was to appear on David Letterman's "Late Show" on Monday, also won bragging rights over his brother: Last year's win by Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts was seen by 93.2 million people, now the third most popular Super Bowl.

Fox, a division of News Corp., charged $2.7 million for 30 seconds of advertising time on the game.

An eye-popping 81 percent of all TV sets on in the Boston area Sunday were tuned in to the game. In New York, the audience share was 67 percent.

The audience peaked between 9:30 and 10 p.m. ET -- the fourth quarter -- with 105.7 million people watching, Nielsen said.

Andy Pettitte Tries His Luck On Capitol Hill

2008-02-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte talked for about 2½ hours Monday with lawyers from a congressional committee looking into drug use in baseball. Wearing a pinstriped gray suit and bright striped tie, Pettitte was accompanied by his wife and at least one lawyer.

His interview is part of preparation for a Feb. 13 public hearing expected to focus on Roger Clemens' denials of allegations about his use of performance enhancers made in the Mitchell report by former personal trainer Brian McNamee.

Clemens's lawyer told The New York Times that they expected Pettitte's statements would help, not hurt, his former teammate.

"We have nothing to fear about what Andy may testify to," Rusty Hardin, Clemens's lawyer in Houston, told the newspaper. "Everyone says Andy is honest; we have no reason to believe he will lie." Hardin added that when Clemens speaks to congressional investigators, he would strongly deny McNamee's claims that he injected the pitcher with steroids or HGH. "Let me be clear to all the doubters out there: Roger is not going to change his mind about testifying," Hardin told the newspaper. "He is not going to take the Fifth Amendment. There are no bombshells coming from our end. He is going to go in there and answer their questions truthfully under oath."

Pettitte lent credence to former Senate majority leader George Mitchell's findings by acknowledging he received two injections of human growth hormone from McNamee.

A former Yankees teammate of Pettitte and Clemens, Chuck Knoblauch, spoke to committee staff Friday. The day before, an employee of the sports agency that represents Clemens and Pettitte went to Capitol Hill to be interviewed.

McNamee said he injected Clemens with HGH and steroids in 1998, 2000 and 2001. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner has denied the allegations repeatedly and in various settings -- but not under oath.

McNamee also told Mitchell he injected Pettitte two to four times with HGH -- and two days after the report was released in December, Pettitte said he took HGH for two days to deal with an elbow injury in 2002.

The 35-year-old Pettitte, who won four World Series championships with the Yankees, returned to the team last season and went 15-9. This offseason, he put off retirement and agreed to a $16 million, one-year contract to play for the Yankees next season.

The Cincinnati Bengals May Have To Do Without Chad Johnson For The 2008 Season

2008-02-04T02:23:00.000-05:00

I always sensed there was tension between Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer. Little did I realize, however, that the tension actually existed between Chad Johnson and Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. Now that the tension is over, Chad Johnson is finally revealing his emotions and frustrations.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson feels betrayed by head coach Marvin Lewis and is privately threatening to sit out the 2008 season if he isn't traded, according to a source.

Johnson

Johnson was upset after the coach quit speaking to his receiver early in the season, according to the source. The Bengals star wideout has been making the rounds with the media at the Super Bowl. When asked on Jim Rome's radio show this week about whether or not he was happy with Bengals, Johnson sounded less than happy. "I'm not allowed to say. I get the blame; the so-called best player, I'm the problem. Someone in-house is spreading this. Maybe they want me to quiet down [and] stop being me. That is not going to happen. I can't function that way. I tried it. It sucked. There was no excitement."

Lewis has said he won't trade Johnson, who finished with a single-season franchise-record 1,440 receiving yards. Johnson has had six consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards and is under contract with the Bengals through 2011 after signing a $35.5 million extension in April 2006. "Obviously, there is a lot of frustration with things that happened last year as it pertains to Chad," Johnson's agent, Drew Rosenhaus told The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Rosenhaus tried to explain his client's recent statements to the media. "What Chad is doing [in the radio interviews] is expressing his emotions and frustration."

I don't know the whole truth to this story, but why would a coach just stop talking to his main receiver in the middle of the season? That seems strange. There's obviously more to this than what meets the eye.

The New York Giants Win The Super Bowl?!?!?!!!

2008-02-03T21:36:00.001-05:00

SUPER UPSET !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All season, the talk around the NFL was about whether the Patriots were the greatest team of all time. Turns out they weren't even the best team Sunday. Giants win Super Bowl

The Giants had the perfect answer for the suddenly imperfect Patriots: a big, bad defense and an improbable comeback led by their own Mr. Cool quarterback, Eli Manning. One Manning after the other.

Bill Belichick always talked about his team playing the whole 60 minutes of football. Well, the Giants must have listened to him.

The Patriots were heavily favored, but Eli Manning has put the New York Giants ahead 10-7 in the 4th quarter. However, a wide open pass to Randy Moss caused the Patriots to take the lead 14-10. Could the New York Giants put together a final, successful, comeback game winning drive? If the Giants want to win the Super Bowl, they were going to have to earn it.

After being pressured for most of the game, Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense responded late in the game. Did the Giants have an answer in Arizona?

David Tyree caught one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history on 3rd down to keep the Giants final drive alive.

In one of football's biggest shockers, New York shattered New England's unbeaten season as Manning hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left in the Super Bowl. Sunday's 17-14 win was the Giants' 11th straight on the road, and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year.

It was the most bitter of losses, too, because New England (18-1) was one play from winning, but its defense couldn't stop a 12-play, 83-yard drive that featured a spectacular leaping catch by David Tyree, who scored New York's first touchdown. The Giants outplayed the Patriots and fought and clawed hard all game to come away with the victory.

Tom Brady, the league's Most Valuable Player and winner of his first three Super Bowls, was battered all game. He was sacked five times, hurried a dozen more, and at one point wound up on his knees, his hands on his hips following one of many poor throws.

Hardly a familiar position for the record-setting quarterback. And a totally strange outcome for a team that seemed destined for historic glory.

Oddly, it was a loss to the Patriots that sparked New York's stunning run to its third Super Bowl and sixth NFL title. New England won 38-35 in Week 17 as the Patriots became the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to go spotless through the regular season. But by playing hard in a meaningless game for them, the Giants gained something of a swagger.

Their growing confidence carried them through playoff victories at Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay, and then past the mightiest opponent of all.

Eli Manning won the MVP, which he deserved. Two TDs in the 4th quarter that lead his team to victory calls for an MVP trophy.

AND A WIDE OPEN PLAXICO BURRESS CATCHES THE GAME WINNING TD CATCH!

AND THE PERFECT SEASON IS PERFECT NO LONGER!!!!!

A WHOLE SEASON OF TORTURE FROM WATCHING THE PATRIOTS WIN WAS WORTH ALL THE JOY AND HAPPINESS I GOT FROM WATCHING BRADY ON THE FLOOR THIS GAME AND THE PATRIOTS LOSE IN THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME THAT MATTERS!

I still can't believe the Pats were beat. Now, the question is will the Pats be remembered as one of the greatest teams ever assembled...or will they be remembered as the team who went 18-0 only to choke in the Super Bowl?

I'm sure Don Shula and the 1972 Dolphins must be dancing for joy as still the only team to complete a perfect season by capping it off with a Super Bowl win.

Interesting how Plaxico Burress made the bold statement of saying the Patriots would score only 17 points. Well, they only scored 14! A season low as a matter of fact.

Some Tragic News On Super Bowl Sunday

2008-02-03T15:11:00.000-05:00

New Orleans Saints defensive end Charles Grant was stabbed in the neck (ouch!) at an Atlanta nightclub on Saturday, according to a broadcast report.

Grant

The NFL Network reported that Grant was involved in an incident that also included a pregnant woman being shot and killed.

The Saints told the NFL Network they are aware of the incident but declined to comment.

Grant had 2½ sacks in 2007 while starting 14 games. During his six-year career, Grant has 38½ sacks.

Let's hope for the best.

Everyone Loves Michael Jordan...Some Perhaps A Bit Too Much

2008-02-03T00:12:00.001-05:00

It's been well-documented that Michael Jordan likes the ladies. We knew he liked 'em young, but we didn't know he liked 'em crazy ... until now. According to this report, MJ was forced to file a lawsuit to stop a woman from harassing him over a claim that he fathered her now three-year-old son, a claim which has been refuted in two separate paternity tests.

Apparently Lisa A. Miceli refuses to take these tests seriously, as she's been (allegedly) bombarding Jordan with e-mails and phone calls since the second paternity test in 2005. Due to the fact that the messages have been "increasingly violent and threatening," Jordan filed the suit to get a court order to make the woman stop. Here's a sample of what's in the suit.

Miceli is accused of sending nearly 400 e-mails to Jordan and his representatives since Aug. 26, 2005. She has also placed hundreds of phone calls to his office and to his representatives, and left more than 200 voice-mail messages, according to the suit.

"The content of Miceli's e-mails, notes and telephone calls clearly demonstrates that she is a seriously disturbed individual," the suit reads.

The lawsuit alleges that Miceli, in one message, stated that she hopes Jordan would be murdered and "wiped off the (expletive) planet."

Further Evidence Of Spygate Is Being Revealed

2008-02-02T22:19:00.000-05:00

I love it. For months and months I've been writing about the Patriots cheating and how every week you should pick the Patriots to win because the NFL wants them too. It angered me that there was a team this good, but I truly believed they were only that good for unfair reasons (just like steroid users in baseball). I could flood this entire website with banners of how the Patriots are such a fake team if I wanted too, but for now since this story is in the early speculation stages, I'll wait until they get nailed before I make any drastic claims. For the record, I believe they have been cheating for years, and the latest story reveals that they've been cheating ever since the beginning of their dynasty in the Super Bowl against the Rams. If this whole story turns out to be true, then the Patriots will have ruined the game of football for me because the lines between fair and unfair will be blurred forever, but if I'm wrong about this whole case, I'll admit it when the time comes. But...for now, I'm just writing about the story as it continues to unfold everyday. Here's the latest in the Spygate situation:

An unnamed source has claimed a New England Patriots employee secretly videotaped the St. Louis Rams' pregame walk-through the day before Super Bowl XXXVI, the Boston Herald reported Saturday.

According to the report, an unnamed source close to the team during the 2001 season said that following the Patriots' walk-through at the Louisiana Superdome, a member of the team's video staff stayed behind and taped the Rams' walk-through
-- a non-contact, no-pads practice at reduced speed in which a team goes through its plays.

The cameraman was not asked to identify himself or produce a press pass and later rode the media shuttle back to the Patriots' hotel, the source told the Herald. It is not known what became of the tape, or whether the cameraman made the tape on his own initiative or at someone else's instruction, according to the report.

Mike Martz, who was St. Louis' head coach during the Super Bowl game in question, spoke to ESPN.com investigative reporter Mike Fish about the allegations.

"I hope that is not true," Martz said. "I have great respect for [Patriots head coach] Bill Belichick. It's hard to believe that is true. It's a serious allegation and I hope it is not true.

"Obviously if there is enough substance to it the league should look into it.''

In responding to the report, Patriots media relations official Stacey James said, "The coaches have no knowledge of it," according to the Herald.

The next day, the Patriots upset the favored Rams 20-17 for their first Super Bowl championship. New England will play the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII on Sunday in a bid to become the first NFL team to finish a season 19-0.

Former Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, currently with the Arizona Cardinals, told Fish that if the league has heard those claims, he is surprised it has not spoken to former Patriots video department employee Matt Walsh. He said if Walsh or any other source has information, it should be investigated.

Walsh, a former Patriots video assistant, has suggested to ESPN.com that he has information that could have exposed the Patriots prior to the NFL catching New England taping the New York Jets' defensive signals during the 2007 season opener. The Patriots were fined $750,000 and lost a first-round draft pick as punishment.

"If I had a reason to want to go public, or tell a story, I could have done it before it even broke," Walsh told ESPN.com. "I could have said everything rather than having [Jets coach Eric] Mangini be the one to bring it out.

"If they're doing a thorough investigation -- they didn't contact me. So draw your own conclusions. Maybe they felt they didn't need to. Maybe the league feels they got satisfactory answers from everything the Patriots sent them."

Told of the newest allegation, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told The Associated Press on Saturday:

"We were aware of the rumor months ago and looked into it. There was no evidence of it on the tapes or in the notes produced by the Patriots, and the Patriots told us it was not true."

James reiterated that sentiment.

"The suggestion that the New England Patriots recorded the St. Louis Rams' walk-through on the day before Super Bowl XXXVI is absolutely false," James said. "Any suggestion to the contrary is untrue."

Rams spokesman Rick Smith, reading a statement from team president John Shaw, said, "At this point, we have no comment."

Walsh, 31, now an assistant golf pro at the Ka'anapli Golf Resort in Lahaina, Hawaii, worked for the Patriots from 1996 until the winter of 2002-03, when he was fired. He has hinted to ESPN.com that he has information that could be damaging to both the league and the Patriots but has declined to make it available, saying it could be seen as stolen property.

Walsh said he is fearful of potential legal action against him by either the league or the Patriots if he details what he knows. He refused to provide evidence of potential wrongdoing unless ESPN agreed to pay his legal fees related to his involvement in the story, as well as to an indemnity that would cover any damages found against him in court. ESPN denied his requests.

On Friday, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said he had written NFL commissioner Roger Goodell seeking an explanation as to why evidence in the NFL's investigation of the Patriots videotaping was destroyed.

"I am very concerned about the underlying facts on the taping, the reasons for the judgment on the limited penalties and, most of all, on the inexplicable destruction of the tapes," Specter wrote.

Specter, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the matter could put the league's antitrust exemption at risk. In a phone interview with The New York Times, which first reported Specter's interest in the matter, he said the committee at some point will call Goodell to address the antitrust exemption as well as the destruction of the tapes.

Goodell, in his previously scheduled news conference Friday from Phoenix, said, "I am more than willing to speak with the senator. There are very good explanations why the tapes were destroyed by our staff -- there was no purpose for them."

There were six tapes, according to Goodell -- some from the 2007 preseason and the rest from 2006. He said he had them destroyed because he was confident the Patriots had turned over all of the tapes and notes the NFL had requested in its investigation. He also said they were destroyed in order to prevent leaks to the media -- as some footage from one of the tapes was leaked shortly after the story broke.

"We wanted to take and destroy that information," Goodell said. "They may have collected it within the rules, but we couldn't determine that. So we felt that it should be destroyed."

Belichick had little to add on the subject.

"It's a league matter," he said Friday during his news conference. "I don't know anything about it."

Again, I'm just pleased that the cat is finally out of the bag and everyone who jumped on the Patriots bandwagon this year (not the original fans who always supported them) should learn not to always side with who's popular in the public eyes.

Congratulations To Redskins' Receiver Art Monk And Others

2008-02-02T18:45:00.000-05:00

'08 Hall Of Fame Class

It was the Redskins' day on Saturday as Washington legends Darrell Green and Art Monk headlined the list of 2008's Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Here's a look at the full class.

Player	NFL team(s)
CB Darrell Green	Redskins
WR Art Monk	Redskins, Jets, Eagles
LB Andre Tippett	Patriots
DE Fred Dean	Chargers, 49ers
OT Gary Zimmerman	Vikings, Broncos
CB Emmitt Thomas	Chiefs

It was a Hall of Fame day for the Washington Redskins, with Art Monk and Darrell Green elected to the shrine Saturday. Former commissioner Paul Tagliabue failed to get in for the second straight year.

"There's going to be a party at Redskin Park soon," Green said while talking by teleconference with Monk.

Also voted in were New England linebacker Andre Tippett, San Diego/San Francisco defensive end Fred Dean, Minnesota/Denver tackle Gary Zimmerman and senior committee choice, Kansas City cornerback Emmitt Thomas.

In his eighth year of eligibility, Monk finally was chosen. He concluded his career after the 1995 season with Philadelphia, but spent 13 years with the Redskins as one of the NFL's premier receivers. Monk held records for most consecutive games with a reception (164) and career catches (820). Both have been surpassed, but Monk didn't play in as wide-open an era on offense as many other receivers. He was one of the most consistent possession and third-down receivers in the league throughout his 14 pro seasons.

Green, one of the NFL's speediest and most skilled cornerbacks for two decades, spent his entire career (1983-2002) with the Redskins. He holds the record for consecutive seasons with an interception (19), and had 54 picks for 621 yards and six TDs. A member of the 1990s All-Decade team, Green made seven Pro Bowls.

"This is incredible. This is so special," Green said when informed of the vote. "This is out of this world. This literally transcends football, everything I have gone through to do what I was able to do. It was more than the ability to run and cover. It just goes so far beyond that."

One of the NFL's all-time best defensive backs, the Redskins' Darrell Green was rewarded for a standout NFL career by being named to the 2008 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

The other player in his first year of eligibility, receiver Cris Carter, was not elected. Carter finished his 15-year career second on the career list in receptions and TD catches.

Inductions will be at the Pro Football Hall of Game in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 2.

"I looked forward to the day we are going to Canton," Green said, breaking up with emotion. "Hopefully, there are several hundred thousand hotels there, and several hundred thousand tickets."

Perhaps the most surprising outcome was Tagliabue again not getting enough support.

Also failiing to get in were Redskins guard Russ Grimm, Buffalo Bills receiver Andre Reed, Oakland Raiders punter Ray Guy, Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar, Chicago Bears defensive end Richard Dent, Miami Dolphins guard Bob Kuechenberg, Vikings guard Randall McDaniel, and Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas.

Senior committee nominee Marshall Goldberg was not elected, either.

How Long Have The New England Patriots Been Taping Signals? Here's The Evidence!

2008-02-02T03:06:00.001-05:00

The following article comes from Mike Fish, an investigative reporter from ESPN, and helps confirm my beliefs about the New England Patriots' history of recording signals from other teams. The incident with the New York Jets earlier this season certainly wasn't the first. Rather, that incident just opened up the can of worms. I have a list of questions I'd love to ask Bill Belichick, though I doubt I'd get a meaningful response:

Why is there always a receiver open?
Why do the Patriots always come back in the 4th quarter?
Does anyone find it odd how they blew out teams in the first half of the year, but kept things close in the second half?
How come Randy Moss was so terrible on the Oakland Raiders, but dominated his position as a receiver on the Patriots?
Not only does Randy Moss dominate, but how does he just blow by defenders like they aren't even playing?
How come the Patriots get almost all the calls by the refs in their favor? (most notably the Ravens game)
Is it possible for a team to honestly be this good, or is there more to it than meets the eye?

We all know the New England Patriots cheated. The most important question, however, that must be asked now is how long they were cheating? In an effort to save and support the New England Patriots in having a perfect season, the NFL and Roger Goodell burned the evidence.

Does anyone see a similar scenario here? This is the same situation as the steroid scandal in baseball. Both the MLB and NFL knew about the "cheating" going on within their sports, but didn't do anything to stop it because these players and teams were racking in cash and ratings for their sports. However, now that the government has stepped in and started investigating, the NFL and MLB has to come clean and make it appear as if they had no idea steroids were in baseball or the NFL was in support of a perfect Patriots team. All these players in baseball were crushing home runs thanks to some extra help (steroids). All I'm suggesting is the Patriots have become as dominant as they are thanks to some extra help too. Anyway, here's the article which may land the Patriots and the NFL in serious trouble:

Matt Walsh worked seven years with the New England Patriots before being let go on Martin Luther King Day in 2003. He was on the New Orleans Superdome sidelines when the Pats kicked off their dominant run, upsetting the St. Louis Rams in the 2002 Super Bowl. He wasn't a chiseled athlete, but a go-getter who climbed his way up the team's support staff ladder -- first as a public relations intern, then as a video assistant and later, in his last year, a college scout.

Mostly, though, his years with New England were spent shooting football video. He was the third, and last, employee on the video staff. In his words, he was Matt Estrella before Matt Estrella, a reference to the Patriots video assistant caught filming the Jets' defensive signals by league officials last September at halftime of a game against New York -- the violation that birthed "Spygate" and led, in part, to some of the heftiest penalties in league history. New England coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 -- the biggest fine ever for a coach and the team was docked its first-round draft choice this year.

And now, Walsh, 31, an assistant golf pro on Maui, might be positioned to further pull back the curtain on the Patriots' taping history, expose where and how they gained advantages and, perhaps even, turn over video proof. If Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is serious about calling a hearing to delve into the issue -- particularly the questions of why the NFL hastily destroyed all evidence, including tapes handed over by the Patriots, and what other as-yet-undisclosed material might be out there -- perhaps one of his first calls should be to Walsh, who in conversations with ESPN.com suggested he has information that could be damaging to both the league and the Patriots. In a New York Times story on Friday and again at a news conference later in the day, Specter expressed frustration with a lack of response from the NFL to his Nov. 15 letter inquiring about the league's investigation. He said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell would eventually be called before the committee to address, among other things, the destruction of the tapes. NFL officials and Patriots employees possibly could be brought before the committee to testify. Walsh told ESPN.com that, in the wake of the cheating scandal that broke early in the season, he has never been contacted by NFL officials to inquire about his insight into the Patriots' illegal taping practices, which he says date back to his time with the franchise. Nor, he said, has there been any communication with the Patriots.

Mike Fish, ESPN.com

Matt Walsh might hold the key to 'Spygate,' but isn't unlocking any doors.

"If they're doing a thorough investigation -- they didn't contact me," Walsh told ESPN.com. "So draw your own conclusions. Maybe they felt they didn't need to. Maybe the league feels they got satisfactory answers from everything the Patriots sent them." Goodell said at his annual address to the media at the Super Bowl on Friday that the tapes turned over by the Patriots date back only to 2006, well after Walsh had left the organization. Does Walsh know anything that might be of interest to that inquiry? He won't say, but he hasn't dodged the suggestion that he does. On a number of occasions in interviews with ESPN and ESPN.com in recent weeks, he has hinted about evidence and information he might be able to provide.

"No, the league has never called me," he said. "Neither have the Patriots. And really, I would be surprised if they did. Then all of a sudden -- I don't know how much the league or Patriots know about my stance or how I feel about things -- for them to put in a call to me, what are they going to say? Are they going to try and threaten me? Or say, don't talk about it? Then, they are putting themselves out there and looking bad as far as if I turn around and say, 'Hey, guess what, the league called me and said [we're] gonna take away your pension if you say anything about this.'"

Later, Walsh said his reference to a pension meant his 401k retirement plan. Walsh suggested he could have blown the whistle long ago, if he'd been so inclined. "If I had a reason to want to go public or tell a story, I could have done it before this even broke," he said. "I could have said everything rather than having [Eric] Mangini be the one to bring it out." It is widely assumed that Mangini, the Jets head coach and former Patriots assistant under Belichick, was responsible for exposing the Patriots' spying tactics earlier this season.

Several members of New England's staff came to the Jets with Mangini when he took the head job in New York, including assistant coaches Brian Daboll and Jay Mandoleso and video director Steve Scarnecchia, a former Patriot video assistant. The Jets' staff, under orders from team management, refused comment for this story. "Obviously, Mangini knew what was going on and it had been going on for a while," Walsh said. "They tried to catch them doing it last year and weren't able to. So they were just waiting for them to throw the camera up this year on the sideline. But afterwards, I get the impression the league said to them, 'Hey, kind of back down from this; let us take care of it,' because Mangini probably could have come out and said more, made more of a deal out of it if he wanted to."

Walsh said that when he worked with the Patriots, a very limited number of people within the organization were privy to details about the team's video practices, notably video director Jimmy Dee and Ernie Adams, Belichick's prep school friend and right-hand man. Walsh said that during his tenure in New England, no taping was done without Dee's knowledge. As for the prospect of Adams sharing insight into the suspicious practices, Walsh said: "You've got a better chance of him telling you who killed JFK than anything about New England. There are lots of stories there. He told me stories of things they used to do in Cleveland [where Adams assisted Belichick with the Browns]."

Mike Fish, ESPN.com

Walsh says he could have broken a story about spying by the Patriots before the Jets' Eric Mangini did.

Asked Friday at his Super Bowl news conference about the New York Times story that indicated Specter's interest and identified Walsh as a person who might have inside knowledge about the Patriots' operations, Belichick said, "It's a league matter. I don't know anything about it." Despite suggestions that he could be a player in expanding the Spygate probe, Walsh repeatedly has refused to provide ESPN.com with any evidence of wrongdoing by the Patriots. He also has refused to confirm that he has tapes in his possession. Walsh said he is fearful of possible legal action against him by either the league or Patriots if he details what he knows. He refused to provide evidence of potential wrongdoing unless ESPN agreed to pay his legal fees related to his involvement in the story, as well as an indemnification agreement that would cover any damages found against him in court. ESPN denied his requests.

On Friday, Walsh told ESPN he is uncertain whether he would voluntarily meet with a Senate committee, if asked. Previously, however, he expressed a willingness to tell league officials what he knows if they should call. "I wouldn't lie to them about anything, and especially because I don't know what they have," Walsh said. "I don't know what evidence they have. So there is no reason for me to lie to anybody, anyways. It is one thing for me to say, 'Hey, look, just not gonna talk about it.' It is not like a felony or crime or something where I got to go on a stand in court and swear on a Bible or something. It is the kind of thing where for me, personally, it could potentially do more harm to talk about it than not talk about it. "But if the league contacted me and said, 'Did you do this? Did you do that? …' Maybe they have evidence I did, so I am not going to say, 'No, I didn't.'" Like others trying to break into the NFL, Walsh came to the Patriots fresh out of college with little experience and a world of ambition. He graduated from Springfield College, class of 1998, with a degree in sports management. He didn't play college football; and though he claims to have spent parts of two seasons on the golf team, the college's sports information office has no record of him in its files. He began his time with the NFL by working on the Patriots' game-day press box staff during his college years. Those connections led Walsh to an internship in the franchise's public relations department during the first semester of his senior year at Springfield. In an effort to get ahead with the team, Walsh told ESPN.com, he offered to help out in the scouting department, which was then headed by Bobby Grier, after his day shift in PR ended. Walsh found himself without a full-time job after graduation. He was working as a lifeguard on Cape Cod when the Patriots called just days before the start of camp and offered him a job as a video assistant, even though he had no expertise or training in that area. In the winter of 2002-03, Walsh said he was fired by Patriots vice president for player personnel Scott Pioli, and then spent a year on the video staff of the Cologne Centurions in now-defunct NFL Europe. Walsh says he was frustrated with the monotony of the scouting job in New England -- he focused on the few football-playing colleges in western New York -- and that may have been a factor in his dismissal. He suggested it likely got back to the Patriots that he had made overtures about video jobs with other teams. He eventually landed a series of assistant golf pro jobs at private clubs in New England and Arizona.

He can be found these days on the staff at the Ka'anapali Golf Resort in Lahaina, Hawaii, a 36-hole layout that caters to tourists visiting the high-end hotels and resort condos that line the long stretch of beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean. As he spoke with ESPN.com on a recent morning, he strode around the course confidently, talking up guests between an occasional golf lesson.

Walsh described himself as a guy who makes friends easily, and who is adroit at working deals. When he worked video for the Patriots, he said, he often finagled a round of golf at top course in exchange for game tickets. After he left the Patriots, he hooked up with a high school friend who worked security for his favorite group, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and followed the band on tour over 27 stops, sharing drink and food backstage with band members by night, and playing golf by day. His air of confidence, though, came and went as he chatted about whether he wants to involve himself in Spygate.

He has a young wife who is a physical therapist, and an 8-month-old son. He has family back in New England who, he said, could be in harm's way if he damages the Patriots with any information he might disclose. Even in Hawaii, he remains a New England season-ticket holder. And he said he worries about how he might be perceived by future employers if he blows the whistle on the Patriots. And he wondered aloud what might be in it for him if he does. He said he fears the potential wrath of the Patriots, and their ability to tie him in up in court for an extended period of time. Although he stopped short of saying he has actual video evidence, he suggested he does; and so raised the possibility that it might be viewed as stolen property. He mentioned a confidentiality agreement he signed with the club, though he's not sure how that might factor into what he has to say. "So whether that still covers me talking about things that we did when I was there or not, I'm not completely sure," Walsh said. "But if it doesn't -- if the worst they do is get pissed off that I am coming out talking to national media about all these things that I know that they have done and what not, and they just decide to pull my season tickets -- well, OK. At the end of the day, what did I get out of it? I lost my season tickets." At one point, when the discussion turned to potential evidence, he said, "I'd use it if they came after me. The last thing I need is for people to make a case against me." During an afternoon tour of the golf course where he works, Walsh stopped and pointed out Black Rock, a cliff where a nightly ritual features a lone figure lifting a torch to salute the sky before plunging into the dark waters, home to the occasional small shark. He used that scene as an analogy to the risk he'd face coming forward with his story. "That guy is taking a chance jumping into shark-infested waters," Walsh said, motioning toward the cliff. "There'd be nothing to come out of it for me. Be a helluva risk." He said he does not feel an ethical urge to do what some might perceive as the right thing, to help set the record straight -- either by exposing the Patriots or by depicting them as simply doing what every other team does. "I'll be honest with you: I can't really be guilted into anything," he said. "Maybe after this whole thing, you don't think I have a conscience because of the people I was exposed to and what they had me doing. "Really, I just [have] no incentive to really talk to anybody, no reason to do it. For me, personally, I haven't really been able to see the gain in doing it." But now the Senate Judiciary Committee knows about him. And perhaps the incentive will come in the form of a subpoena from Specter's committee.

So, the Patriots will win the Super Bowl once again, but soon after, they will have to face legal issues. I'm sure the evidence will soon follow. If they can nail baseball players using steroids, then they most certainly should be able to nail the Patriots cheating all these years in due time. Just be patient people, the evidence will come...if Roger Goodell doesn't burn any more evidence.

The New York Mets FINALLY Finalize Deal On Johan Santana

2008-02-01T19:13:00.000-05:00

The New York Mets have reached agreement on a contract extension with Johan Santana completing the trade for the pitcher with the Minnesota Twins from earlier in the week. Terms of the deal have not been announced.

The two sides were given a 5 p.m. Eastern deadline to complete a deal after the Mets engineered the trade that involved sending four prospects to the Twins. But more time was needed to to work out the details and baseball officials granted an extension.

Said the Mets in a statement Friday evening: "Negotiations have been completed and the player will take a physical."

After all this clawing and scratching to get Johan Santana he better pass his physical.