NFL
– The Titans have signed holdout RB Chris Johnson on a 4-year/$53.5M contract with $30M guaranteed and a $13.3M annual salary. It’s actually an extension, so Johnson is locked up for six years. He’ll get at least eight days of practice in before Week 1, giving him plenty of time to prepare to play against against the Jaguars.
– RB Free agent Fred Taylor will ceremonially sign with the Jaguars Friday so he can retire with the team he spent 11 seasons with. Taylor is the Jaguars’ all-time leading rusher with 11,271 yards. He ends his career as the NFL’s 15th leading rusher, compiling seven 1,000-yard seasons and adding 2,384 receiving yards. Now 35, Taylor missed 19 games over the last two years as a member of the Patriots. He only went to one Pro Bowl.
MLB
– According to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post, Marlins’ SS Hanley Ramirez (left shoulder) is considering offseason surgery. An MRI showed no structural damage, but the objective of the surgery would be to prevent slip-outs with the shoulder, which is what occurred during a minor league rehab game with High-A Jupiter on Tuesday night. The Marlins likely would have shut him down even if he didn’t need surgery, so this just might seal it.
– Twins pitching prospect RHP Kyle Gibson (right elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery on September 7. He was diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow last month. A tough break for the youngster, as he’ll be sidelined until 2013.
NHL
– Jets’ D Dustin Byfuglien was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of boating while intoxicated. He reportedly refused a field sobriety test which led to the arrest. On an aside, Byfuglien weighed in at 286 lbs. after his arrest, while his normal playing weight is close to 250 lbs.
WWE
– Former WWE & WCW star Bill Goldberg was interviewed by Tulsa, Oklahoma’s FOX 23 last month when he hosted an MMA viewing part at the Hard Rock Casino. He was asked about his upcoming return to wrestling at a charity event in Africa, his first time in the ring since that fateful match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XX. Goldberg revealed that he is not 100% signed on to wrestle at the charity in the Africa – but is in negotiations – despite what he wrote on Twitter a few weeks ago. Goldberg was asked about his former boss Vince McMahon. Goldberg, who has been very outspoken about Vince and WWE in recent years, said he doesn’t have a single nice thing to say about Vince due to the way his character was handled during his brief WWE run.
– WWE has had discussions of turning either Kelly Kelly or Eve Torres heel and having them feud with against each other.