MLB
– The White Sox have officially signed LHP John Danks to a 5-year/$65M contract extension. Danks is set to earn $8M in 2012 and $14.25M per season from 2013-2016. He would have become a free agent after the 2012 season. The 26-year-old has a 4.03 ERA over his first five seasons in the big leagues, averaging 7.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9.
NFL
– Vikings’ OC Bill Musgrave indicated that Adrian Peterson (ACL, MCL, meniscus) will undergo reconstructive knee surgery on Friday. Patriots’ WR Wes Welker waited for his MCL to heal before reconstructive surgery two years ago, but the ligament was only sprained, as opposed to a complete tear. Peterson’s surgery is coming just six days removed from the injury, which could give him a better chance at being ready for the 2012-13 season. It remains to be seen how this will affect his speed and cutting ability.
NHL
– Flyers’ F Jaromir Jagr is expecting a hear a lot of boos tonight when he makes his return to Pittsburgh. cascade of boos from the crowd when he makes his return to Pittsburgh on Thursday night. The 39-year-old, who was expected to sign with the Penguins before the season, shocked Pens’ fans by signing with their rival. Jagr has 11 goals and 30 points in 31 games.
“Everybody knows how I’m going to be received. How, in a situation like that, can there be so much bad attitude and anger from those people? I don’t get it. What kind of world are we in right now? That’s (bleeping) scary. We should be in a world with a lot of love. Instead there’s one guy, who is 40 years old, who is almost done, and he’s causing all that (animosity) over hockey? My brain just doesn’t understand that.
“I’ll be honest: my brain doesn’t really understand it, either. Jagr does a fine job of explaining the rather hilarious love-hate-love-really-hate relationship in Pittsburgh.
“When I left Pittsburgh I was traded. The first time I came back with Washington everybody booed me so bad. But I was traded. I didn’t leave. But they are going to hate me anyway. They’ve hated me for seven years.
“Then, when there is a chance that I am going to go back there, all of the sudden they switch for one or two months? Then I don’t go, and they go back to hating me, but even more than before. I don’t get it. I don’t know what kind of world we’re living in. I don’t get it.”
– Capitals’ D Mike Green (groin) is expected to make his return to the lineup next week. “I’ll skate tomorrow again, see how I feel. You never know. Maybe I could play [this weekend]. But it looks like next week.” Green skated with his teammates for the third consecutive day Thursday. He has been out of action since November 11.
– Sabres’ D Andrej Sekera (UBI) is expected to miss the next few weeks. Head coach Lindy Ruff said, “He’s going to be out for a while. He’s got a serious enough injury on a hit from behind again that he’s going to miss weeks.” The injury occurred during the second period on a hit from Devils’ F Eric Boulton.
– Blues’ D Kris Russell (groin) will be sidelined for 3 weeks, but will not require surgery. He has five points, 19 shots and a plus-6 rating in 21 games.
WWE
– Jim Ross believes John Morrison will return to WWE next year after parting ways with the organization in November. He tweeted,
“Morrison didn’t renew his contract. Taking time off to heal, rest, train. He’ll likely be back sometime in 2012. Smart move.”
Morrison, whose real name is John Hennigan, claimed in an online video earlier this month that he is taking time off to heal and re-train for a return to wrestling.
– Participants for WWE’s annual Raw Elimination Chamber Match are tentatively scheduled to include Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, John Cena, Kane, R-Truth and The Miz. The outcome of the match is expected to based on whether Cena’s match with The Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII will have the WWE Championship on the line.
– When Vince McMahon told Alberto Del Rio to work stiffer and appear more aggressive in the ring, it was indicated that he was due for another WWE Championship reign in 2012. Del Rio is expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks after suffering a torn groin during the Six-Man Tag Team Match on the December 19, 2011 Raw SuperShow.
– Mark Henry was recently interviewed by NorthJersey.com, Here are some highlights of what the former World Heavyweight champion said about:
His Current Push On Hold Due To Injury: “I’ve had my opportunities. Injuries are something that always seem to get in the way. I’ve gone almost a three- or four-year stretch, thank God, without an injury.”
20 Years Since Competing At The Olympics: “It seems like it’s been a long time to me and I would rather it feel that way. I’ve done a lot in my life. I’ve enjoyed the journey. I’ve had a chance to reflect and look back. But more than anything, the fact that I’m able to still be relevant and the world of sports and entertainment still know who Mark Henry is, it means a lot to me.”
Being An Ambassador Of WWE: “I’ve been that. I’ve never been a drug abuser. I’ve never been somebody that was abusive outside of professional entertainment. I’ve always done things necessary to grant and warrant carrying the gold.”
– WWE debuted a new set at Thursday night’s RAW-brand live event:
– Layla is slated to enter the Divas Championship picture upon her return from injury due to the feeling that Beth Phoenix’s feud with Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres has worn out. Natalya is also expected to vy for the title in 2012.
– The first program to air on the WWE Network will be WrestleMania Rewind. The three-part series will air the day of WrestleMania XXVIII. The program is based on last year’s The True Story of WrestleMania, but with additional footage from recent shows.
– WWE referee Justin King (undisclosed) will undergo surgery in a few weeks and is expected to be sidelined for several months. The surgery is not related to any injuries on the job.
– Stacy Keibler now receives $25K per appearance due to her relationship with George Clooney and prominence in celebrity gossip pages.
TNA
– Speaking to Power Slam, Gail Kim explains why she deliberately eliminated herself from the Divas Battle Royal on the August 1, 2011 episode of Monday Night Raw.
“I have no regrets. They didn’t care. It didn’t affect the outcome of the match. If it was going to affect the outcome of the match, I wouldn’t have done it. It got to the point where … it’s just what I did, you know. Like I said, I don’t have any regrets.”
Kim quit WWE that night; she says it felt good.
“You know why? It was about my life and my happiness at that point, and having control of my life again. It felt good to know that I made that decision for myself. I wasn’t going to be unhappy anymore. And, most of all, I just wanted to wrestle again.
“The day that I told Johnny [John Laurinaitis) that I quit was a relief. He asked me why, and I said to him, “Really? Are you really asking me why?” And he knew: he knew my frustration. I know a lot of wrestlers are very happy in WWE. But, in my case, I had to move on.”
Kim was also asked whether her success in TNA Wrestling worked against her during her second run with WWE.
“Hmmm. I’m not sure. You always hear things about how that company thinks. I really don’t know. You know, that’s the whole reason they hired me back, because of the success I had in TNA. Kharma/Kong, she may not have even got hired, if it wasn’t for those matches we had in TNA. That’s what made our names in women’s wrestling at that time.”
“It’s funny that they knew we could do something like what we did in TNA and they didn’t do it. I don’t know what to say. But I can’t care about that now. I’m just trying to do the best with what I’m given now, and that’s on Impact Wrestling.”
– Rosita posted several messages on her Twitter account Wednesday mocking an Asian woman she rudely encountered the night before at a Fuddruckers restaurant in Connecticut following her twenty-first birthday party. The TNA Knockout claims the woman tried to cut in line. She then posted a picture of her, calling her “Kung Foo Panda.” She tweeted,
“THIS IS KUNG FOO PANDA.. PERFECT PICTURE TO DESCRIBE HER IGNORANCE.”
She then wrote to Velvet Sky,
“You sooo shoulda been there! King foo panda was allllllll ready! Offered to order the b*tch bamboo sticks but she wasn’t having it..”