NFL
– The player rep for Chargers’ WR Vincent Jackson tells PFT that the RFA will sign his tender and report to the team next Friday. Jackson doesn’t have to sign and report until 4:00 p.m. next Saturday to accrue the necessary service time, so he’s coming in a day early. He will sit out three games due to his Roster Exempt status, putting him on track for a return in Week 12 (November 28).
– Colts’ WR Austin Collie (hand) underwent surgery this week and is out indefinitely.
MLB
– A person familiar with the proposal tells The AP that the MLB is considering a 7-day DL for players with concussions. The new DL could be instituted as soon as next season, the person told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because the proposal is in the preliminary stages. A 7-day DL will be considered this off-season by a new concussion subcommittee that is being formed under baseball’s medical advisory committee, the person said. If the subcommittee OKs the idea, it would need to be approved by Commissioner Bud Selig, then the players’ union.
– Three MLB executives told Peter Gammons Thursday that Red Sox’ pitching coach John Farrell will be awarded the Blue Jays’ managerial job. The Jays interviewed a ton of candidates for the job, including Red Sox’ bench coach DeMarlo Hale, Indians’ first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., Yankees’ third base coach Rob Thomson and Rays’ bench coach Dave Martinez. Farrell apparently stood out, and his AL East experience is huge. An official announcement should come within a few weeks.
– The Tigers have re-signed 3B Brandon Inge to a 2-year/$11.5M contract with a club option for 2013. He’ll make $5.5M in each of the next two seasons. The club holds a $6M option for 2013 or a $500K buyout. Inge, who turns 34 next May, batted .247/.321/.397 with 13 homers and 70 RBI this season, continues to be one of the better fielding third basemen in the major leagues.
– Jays’ OF Jose Bautista (sports hernia) underwent surgery in Philadelphia on Thursday and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. The injury had been bothering him since May. Bautista, who led the majors with 54 home runs this season, is eligible for arbitration this winter and is in line for a huge raise from the $2.4M he earned in 2010.
– Padres’ 1B Adrian Gonzalez (right shoulder) underwent successful surgery on Wednesday and is expected to be sidelined for four months. It was performed by Dr. David Altchek. He should be ready when the Padres open camp in February.
NBA
– Heat’ F Mike Miller (right thumb) sustained a serious thumb injury on his right (shooting) hand during Wednesday’s practice, a source tells the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Miller will be examined by a hand specialist on Thursday, leading us to believe the thumb may be broken. It would be a big blow to the Heat, who were counting on Miller as their sixth man and 3-point specialist.
– The 76ers have exercised the 3rd-year option on G Jrue Holiday and 4th-year option on F Marreese Speights. Holliday, 20, registered 8.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 73 games during his rookie campaign a season ago. Speights, 23, finished his second NBA campaign with 8.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and shot 47.8 percent from the field.
– The Bobcats have waived F Darius Miles and F Matt Rogers. The Bobcats signed Miles to a non-guaranteed contract last month after he spent the summer working out with the team. The 29-year-old Miles has played sparingly since microfracture knee surgery in 2006 and has also had legal problems.
– The NBA’s board of governors has approved several modifications to its instant replay rules. Referees now can turn to review during the last two minutes of regulation, and all of overtime, to determine if a shot hit the rim and the shot clock should be adjusted, or which of two players knocked the ball out of bounds. Also, officials can use replay to determine which player should shoot free throws if there was confusion on a foul, and to make certain a clear-path-to-the-basket foul met that criteria. The other rule passed Thursday allows refs to use replay when a ball goes out of bounds to adjust the game clock and shot clock.
NHL
– Kings’ D Drew Doughty (upper body) will be out at least a week. Doughty suffered the upper body injury, potentially a concussion, when he was hit by Hurricanes’ F Erik Cole well after passing the puck. Stay tuned for further updates as they become available.
– The Blue Jackets placed F Ethan Moreau (broken hand) on the IR Thursday and is out indefinitely. Moreau, 35, suffered the injury in Wednesday night’s 3-1 victory over Anaheim. He has one goal and one assist in five games this season.
– The Toronto Sun is reporting that Canadiens’ legend Guy Lafleur has settled his differences with the club and is ready to extend his contract as a goodwill ambassador. Lafleur, who captured five Stanley Cups with the team during his tenure between 1971 to 1985 has been a very vocal critic of the team at times and has ripped players, coaches and management alike in the press. Lafleur told a Montreal radio station that he has signed a deal with the team and was eagerly anticipating representing the club once again. Lafleur is one of five Canadiens ambassadors alongside such Habs legends as Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer and Rejean Houle.
UFC
– UFC Middleweight Chris “The Crippler” Leben was arrested earlier this week in Hawaii on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) after crashing his truck into a wall. Hawaii News Now reports:
“Officers arrested Christian Leben, 30, a middleweight fighter known as the Crippler, on suspicion of operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant Tuesday. He was released from custody after posting $1K bail.”
“Police say Leben was driving on the west-bound side of the H1 Freeway just before 2 AM, when he lost control of his pickup and crashed into a wall near the Kapiolani Boulevard off ramp. He was allegedly driving without a license and without insurance.”
Leben, who has struggled with substance abuse for many years, served time for another DUI arrest back in 2008. Leben (25-6) last fought for the UFC back in July, defeating Yoshihiro Akiyama by submission.
WWE
– Following the recent talk that WWE is considering unifying the WWE Championship & the World Heavyweight championship by WrestleMania, we’ve learned that there is a new silver WWE Championship belt being created that will be for sale early next year. No word if WWE plans on using this as a new Unified WWE championship or if it will simply be a merchandise item, but it’s an interesting development. Stay tuned.
– WWE’s planned cable network is still in the works, according to an article on the company’s website. While “Setting The Record Straight” against the inaccuracies being reported by Democrats in Connecticut and various media outlets, the company revealed that it will be adding another 140 employees next year to work on the new cable network. WWE plans to shop the channel around to the national cable television providers next year.
– WWE manager Paul Bearer appeared on the Right After Wrestling SIRIUS XM radio show this week.
Paul Bearer, who is currently involved in a feud between his “sons,” said that Vince McMahon and the WWE were responsible for saving his life. Bearer used to be morbidly obese and the reason he is alive today is because WWE paid for his gastric bypass surgery prior to his return to the company at WrestleMania XX.
“I’ve always been heavy, in fact I was morbidly obese (before WrestleMania 20) And Vince McMahon picked up the $35,000 tab for the gastric bypass surgery. There’s no doubt in my mind, if I didn’t have that surgery, I wouldn’t be here today, I would have died long before my wife did.”
Aside from just helping with the surgery, WWE was there for Bearer in other wise during some of the toughest times in his life.
“When my wife was first diagnosed with cancer in 2001, Vince and Linda and company were always there for me. When my wife passed away, they were reaching out and taking care of me.”
Bearer also revealed that during his initial interview with the company in the early 90s, he did not know anything about the Undertaker character and WWE had no idea that he had worked at a funeral parlor for many years and had a degree in Mortuary Science.
– Blood Brothers, the next WWE Studios movie starring John Cena just began production in New Mexico.
– According to PWI, regarding WWE promoting a “one time only” appearance by Triple H at their Fan Appreciation Day Supershow in Hartford, Connecticut on Oct. 20, some took it to mean he is “coming out of retirement” for the day. To clarify, they used the wording of their advertisement to signify that “The Game” was not returning to a regular schedule at this time, but rather merely making an appearance. That said, no one in the company broached on the subject believes he is retired. Everyone is under the impression that he is rehabbing his arm injury and will return to the squared circle sooner or later.
TNA
– Fans may not have seen the last of Kevin Nash in TNA Wrestling as both sides are negotiating a new contract. His old deal expired last week.
– Regarding TNA Wrestling’s recent acquisition of former WWE Diva Katie Lea Burchill, it is said that the company’s decision to sign her was largely made following her tryout match two months ago and that it was a matter of timing. One of the ring names being discussed for her is “Winter.”
– There was much bickering amongst the TNA Wrestling locker room at last week’s television tapings over TMZ.com’s report that Jersey Shore star Jenni “Jwoww” Farley was paid $15K for her appearance on iMPACT!. Others, however, are skeptical that the price tag noted to TMZ is legitimate. Meanwhile, a company source was okay with the company’s publicity stunt, even if the $15,000 figure is legitimate. “If you get TMZ to put it up and other people pick it up, then it’s worth $15,000.”
– Hulk Hogan earned a lot of respect from the locker room for appearing at last week’s television in spite of his ongoing back issues. That said, he was in great pain and unable to stand for long periods of time while backstage. The wrestling legend largely kept to himself, but was accompanied by longtime friends Ed Leslie (aka Brutus Beefcake) and Jimmy Hart.
VoV
Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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