NFL
– Cowboys’ QB Tony Romo (fractured left clavicle) will miss 8-10 weeks, but will not require surgery. Some timetables have him returning closer to 8 weeks, meaning sometime around Christmas. The Cowboys will try to avoid placing Romo on IR, but if they’re out of contention, and it appears they will be at 1-5 and John Kitna as the new starting QB, there doesn’t seem much purpose to making him play the final two games.
– Eagles’ coach Andy Reid announced on his radio show Monday that WR DeSean Jackson (concussion) has passed his post-concussion test. Earlier in the day, Reid said the receiver had yet to pass the test but that he had a “pretty good chance” at returning after the team’s Week 8 bye. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff MacLane notes that the passed test doesn’t make Jackson a shoo-in to play, as Riley Cooper passed a test earlier this month but still subsequently missed two games with his concussion. All signs point to Jackson progressing ahead of schedule and starting against the Colts in Week 9.
– 49ers owner John York said he is committed to coach Mike Singletary through the duration of the season. York said that the reported “grumbling” from the owners after Week 7 was simply because they lost and it wasn’t directed at Singletary in particular. The preseason NFC West favourites are 1-6 this season, with the only win coming in ugly fashion against the Raiders in Week 6. Singletary is an unlikely bet to return for next season unless the Niners experience a turnaround.
– The Browns have waived RB James Davis. Davis was a healthy scratch in Week 7. The 2009 6th-round pick impressed during his rookie-year preseason, but has been injury prone and ineffective since. He managed just nine yards on four carries in his lone appearance as a ball carrier this season. Still, Davis might not pass through waivers with plenty of teams in need of young running back prospects. Keep an eye on the Packers.
WWE
– With all the buzz surrounding the Brock Lesnar/Undertaker confrontation at UFC 121 last weekend, its becoming more apparent that the chances of the two men actually wrestling in a WWE ring are virtually zero. The match would have been a blockbuster, but Lesnar is under UFC contract and UFC President Dana White says it ain’t happening.
There’s been a lot of discussion by WWE creative in recent months about who will wrestle the Dead Man at WrestleMania 27. Two names that have been rumored are John Cena and Sheamus. More recently, the front-runner is Nexus leader Wade Barrett. At Sunday’s Survivor Series PPV, Barrett’s Nexus group interfered in the Undertaker’s Buried Alive match, attacking him and costing him the victory. WWE is very behind Wade Barrett right now and are confident he’s on the verge of being solidified as a new heel main evener.
As reported earlier, Undertaker’s shoulder is injured and he is being evaluated this week to determine whether it will require surgery to repair. Surgery would keep him out of action for around 4 months and the feeling is that if surgery is needed – he should get it over with now so he can be back in time to kick off the Road to WrestleMania in a few months.
– Shaul Marie Guerrero, the 20 year old daughter of Vickie Guererro and the late Eddie Guererro, has reportedly signed a developmental deal with WWE. According to sources, Shaul Marie Guerrero has reportedly been telling fans at recent FCW live events that she’s signed to a deal and waiting to begin her training. Guerrero been seen at ringside at several WWE shows over the years, including the annual Hall of Fame ceremonies. Guerrero has since updated the “About Me” section of her MySpace page with a message that says she is moving from El Paso, Texas to Florida to pursue a professional wrestling career with WWE’s developmental territory, FCW.
– Randy Orton will defend the WWE Championship against Wade Barrett once again at WWE Survivor Series on November 21. Nexus member John Cena will serve as the special guest referee for the match. Barrett said that if he doesn’t win the WWE Title, Cena will be fired. If Cena makes sure Barrett wins, he will be relieved of all responsibilities he has with Nexus.
To update how long John Cena will be a part of Nexus, a commercial that aired during Monday’s Raw announced Randy Orton & Mark Henry are scheduled to face Sheamus & Wade Barrett in a tag team match at the Raw World Tour house show to be held in Biloxi, Mississippi on December 12. The ad stated John Cena would be in the corner of Sheamus and Barrett during the match. While these TV ads are always subject to change, it’s worth noting that WWE is advertising Cena as a member of Nexus as far off as December.
– Chris Jericho is now considered a former WWE Superstar as his profile on WWE.com has been moved to the Alumni section. Jericho, who has been touring Europe with his band Fozzy since his departure from the organization, will be taking parting in a WWE function this Saturday at Ringside Collectibles’ Ringsidefest this Saturday at Caroline’s on Broadway in New York City. He will be signing autographs and taking part in a Q&A session. Kane and The Miz are also scheduled to appear.
– Wade Barrett announced on RAW that Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty are officially Nexus members.
– According to a fan seated behind the stage for the Buried Alive Match at Bragging Rights, a stairwell was built into the the faux cemetery at the convenience of Paul Bearer, who’s mobility is greatly limited these days due to his advanced age and large frame. The fan noted Bearer’s strenuous climb up the stairs — to hide behind a tombstone — as “beyond unintentionally hilarious.”
– There is talk of holding next year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden. SummerSlam has taken place from the Staples Center in Los Angeles the past two years and it had been reported that Los Angeles was going to be a regular host-city for SummerSlam, but nothing is confirmed at this time.
MLB
– Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Yankees are expected to give manager Joe Girardi a 3-year contract extension worth roughly $3M. Heyman adds that talks “shouldn’t take long.”. The Yankees won their 27th World Series title under Girardi in 2009 and went all the way to the ALCS in 2010.
– Braves’ 1B Freddie Freeman (sprained left thumb) has been shut down from the Arizona Fall League after being examined by team hand specialist Dr. Gary Lourie on Monday. He’s expected to spend the next two weeks in a splint before returning to Atlanta for further evaluation. There’s a chance he could be cleared to begin taking dry swings in about three weeks, so it doesn’t sound like anything serious. The 21-year-old is expected to be the Braves’ Opening Day first baseman in 2011.
– The Cardinals have re-signed hitting coach Mark McGwire to a 1-year contract.
– The Rockies will not sign LHP Jorge De La Rosa to a contract extension before he hits the free agent market. The Rox tried to work something out after the end of the regular season, but he has decided that he would rather field multiple offers and then make his decision. With a solid 1.32 WHIP and 113/55 K/BB ratio over 121 2/3 innings in 2010, he’ll be sure to have some calls. GM Dan O’Dowd said Monday that his club remains interested and very much in the running. Stay tuned.
– Marlins’ president David Samson said Tuesday that the club will announce its new manager soon after the World Series. The Fish are still in the early stages of discussions with most of their candidates and might still be tracking down options for the vacant position. Former D’Backs’ third base coach Bo Porter is believed to be the front-runner at this point, but the Marlins have also made contact with Yankees’ bench coach Tony Pena, former Padres’ bench coach Ted Simmons and longtime major league manager Jim Fregosi.
NHL
– Leafs’ GM Brian Burke says he has received what he calls two “solid” trade offers since the weekend. Speaking on Toronto’s AM 640 radio on Monday, Burke did not elaborate on the particulars of the deals. He did indicate that a move may not be imminent, and explained that the trade market is picking up some steam. The Leafs remain under the cap and are capable of taking on salary.
“It’s unlikely that someone is going to make the deal that we want after six or seven games. Nobody is desperate, and nobody has had a poor enough start that they absolutely have to move a key guy. You’re not going to get into a real deal probably for a bit yet. But we’re ready and we’re flexible when it does come through.”
“We have cap space and budget space, and I would say we hadn’t even gotten a sniff until the last two days, and now it’s finally starting to heat up. We’re encouraged that we’re finally starting to get something on the line. Everyone knew we had space and budget room, and nothing was happening. Now I’m a little more encouraged.”
“With each passing day, our cap space goes up. We’re in a good position to add a player that can make a difference. We’re not in a position where we have unlimited funds to spend. We do have some room, but we’re going to wait and make the deal that we think is best.”
– The Kings have placed D Drew Doughty (concussion) on the IR. He’s expected to return Saturday but has yet to be cleared to play.
– Bruins’ F Marco Sturm (knee) was on the ice for about 30 minutes Tuesday morning. “It was good, better than I expected. I’m just going to start rolling now. I’ll try to skate almost every day and then we’ll see what happens in the next 2-3 weeks.” That’s good news, but Sturm isn’t sure if he’ll return by late November, as was initially hoped.
– The AHL’s Hershey Bears’ D Sheldon Souray (broken hand) will miss the next two weeks. He suffered the injury Saturday in a game against Adirondack when he fought Matt Clarkson. The 34-year-old defenseman was assigned by the Oilers to their own AHL club in Oklahoma City, and was then loaned to the Bears before the start of the NHL season. Although Hershey is the top affiliate of the Washington Capitals, Souray has no official connection with the Capitals.
– Ducks’ F Dan Sexton (broken nose) will have surgery Thursday and will miss two weeks. Sexton suffered the injury when a shot off the stick of Detroit’s Ruslan Salei hit him in the face on October 23. Anaheim lost the game, 5-4. The second-year forward has nine goals and 10 assists in 48 career games for Anaheim.
NBA
– The Bucks have exercised the 3rd-year option on G Brandon Jennings worth $2.5M. He started all 82 games for the Bucks last year and finished third among rookies with 15.5 points, 5.7 assists and 1.3 steals. After beginning his NBA career with a four-year stint in San Antonio The 35- year-old Argentine played with the Washington Wizards last season, averaging 1.5 points and 1.8 rebounds over 57 games.
– The Knicks have cut G Patrick Ewing Jr.. It’s the second time in three years they made the Hall of Famer’s son their final roster cut. He averaged just 1.8 points and 6.0 minutes in four exhibition games
– The Blazers have signed F Fabricio Oberto.
– Wolves’ F Martell Webster (back) will miss 4-6 weeks after undergoing successful surgery.
– The Heat have released F Da’Sean Butler and G Patrick Beverly.
VoV
Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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