NHL
– Bruins’ F David Krejci was hit by a falling pane of glass during Boston’s victory on Thursday. Fans accidentally dislodged the pane of glass during their celebrations. He missed Friday’s practice and we’re going to list him as day-to-day for now, but liked his chances of playing on Saturday. “I got a little sore neck. Other than that I’m good and I’ll play tomorrow.” He was also asked if he was tested for a concussion, but he sidestepped that question by saying that he feels good.
TNA
– After several years on the market, Hulk Hogan’s Belleair Estate at 130 Willadel Drive in Florida was sold Friday for $6.2M. He originally listed the 17,000-square-foot waterfront estate for $25M five years ago. Hogan took the home off the market but listed it again in 2010 for $10.9M. The asking price was dropped again to $8.9M. When Hogan originally purchased the property in 1992, he had the existing structure demolished and cleared. The next four years were spent constructing a grand European-inspired estate with German influence. The home was showcased on the hit VH1 reality series Hogan Knows Best.
– TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter says major changes are coming to Impact Wrestling. Dixie Carter tells F4WOnline that she met with Spike TV executives this week and both parties decided it was time to make significant changes to the presentation of the show. While she did not reveal specific details, the transformation is taking place soon and will include “format changes and new elements.” Carter added the company is making a very conscious decision to focus now on young talent. Carter also provided an update on Bruce Prichard, TNA’s Senior Vice President of Programming and Talent Relations, who recently suffered a heart attack. Prichard has returned to work, has dropped over thirty pounds and was actually scheduled to undergo heart surgery when he suffered the heart attack.
– Following months of inactivity, Rob Van Dam returned to TNA Wrestling programming on Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling. He was added to the Garett Bischoff led team for the Lethal Lockdown match at TNA Lockdown. PWInsider.com reports RVD is back full time and will be promoted as a top star going forward.
MLB
– Cardinals’ RHP Chris Carpenter (shoulder) is “feeling better,” but remains without a timetable to resume throwing. It’s unclear if this is Carpenter’s official prognosis following Thursday’s “battery of tests,” but he’s still far away from a return. Once he’s deemed strong enough to resume throwing, Carpenter could embark on a minor-league rehab assignment within 7-10 days.
NBA
– Speaking at the NBA Board of Governors meeting on Friday, David Stern said that he is “hopeful, but not optimistic” that the Kings and Maloofs will be able to work out their issues with the city in building a new arena, which would be a prerequisite in keeping the team in Sacramento. This puts serious doubt that the team will be able to stay in Sacramento. Stern went on to say “I think we have done as much as we can do,” and barring a last minute savior, it certainly seems like the team will not be in Sacramento in the long term. In addition to the positive announcement that the Hornets were bought by Saints owner Tom Benson, there were some other positives that came out of the meeting, including a mention from Stern that the Nets will officially become the Brooklyn Nets when they move into the Barclays Center, which is scheduled to open on September 28th. He also mentioned that the NBA will be doing much more to make sure that WiFi service will be upgraded in NBA arenas for next season.
NFL
– The Redskins are reportedly “making progress” on a new contract for free agent ILB London Fletcher. According to NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora, there is a “real push being made” by both sides to finalize the deal in time for the 36-year-old to participate in offseason workouts on Monday.
WWE
– According to the Hollywood Reporter, The Rock has signed on to star in Lore, a sci-fi action movie that’s being described as “Men in Black with mythological creatures.” Warner Bros, is in the process of picking up the adapted screenplay of Lore. The deal reportedly went down this week in a “high-activity bidding situation” that heated up as soon as The Rock became attached to the project. Lore will be based on the book/graphic novel written by Ashley Wood and T.P. Louise. The screenplay for Lore was written by Cory Goodman and Jeremy Lott.
– Some of the WWE crew experienced travel difficulties during this week’s European tour. Drew McIntyre was among the superstars complaining about the travel situation on Twitter:
“You ain’t stopping me from getting home you bloody useless airports. Looks like I’ll be taking 4 flights but im going home if I gotta swim!!”
The Big Show also dealt with some issues while traveling overseas:
“Boarding now! Off to Ireland! Seven hour flight and can’t fit in the restroom. Oh joy to be a giant! Lol.”
– WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus received a hero’s welcome at Thursday night’s SmackDown live event from Dublin, Ireland. Sheamus received a thunderous ovation from his hometown crowd and defeated Daniel Bryan to retain his title. After the match, Sheamus told the live crowd that he won the World Heavyweight title for the people of Ireland and plans to make them proud as champion.
– WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix also got a big crowd reaction at the RAW brand’s live event from Poland. Phoenix, whose family is from Poland, tweeted the following about the experience:
“Poland was a dream. Reunited with my dad, enjoyed an incredible “welcome home” ovation,& some quality facetime with the one I love! #blessed”