WWE
– Hours before his match against the Undertaker at WrestleMania 28, Triple H spoke to The Houston Chronicle and had this to say about the following topics:
WWE Being in a “Good Place”: “We’ve grown and matured as a company. This Wrestlemania will be the biggest single night in our industry’s history, but we’re just scratching the surface of where we’re going. We’re into movies, publishing and creating our own television network later this year.”
Which Job He Prefers: Wrestler Or WWE Executive: “I’ve always had a fascination with business. I’ve been involved with the creative side practically since the day I started with the company in 1995. That’s the part I love most, creating the stories, coming up with the spark of an idea and seeing our talent go out there and execute it. Being allowed to be creative in your work is a wonderful gift. It’s a cliché, I know, but we put smiles on people’s faces every day. That’s the fun of our business. When you go to a WWE event, and you perform, and you see the smile you put on a kid’s face … that’s an incredible feeling.”
“You’d have to be a professional athlete or entertainer to get that. I do miss the pain. Every year, I know I’ll feel like a bus hit me the day after Wrestlemania. And the second day I’ll feel like the bus backed over me again. It’s a badge of courage almost. To an athlete, it becomes a point of pride, how beat up you feel the next day. It means you left everything on the playing field.”
– Yahoo! Sports has an article up looking at Yankees’ 3B Alex Rodriguez attending WrestleMania 28 over the weekend with girlfriend Torrie Wilson and A-Rod being “in awe” when he met his wrestling hero – John Cena. During Cena’s ring entrance, he greeted Rodriguez & Wilson at ringside and told A-Rod to deliver a special message to his Yankees teammate Derek Jeter – Cena wore Jeter’s Nike sneakers during his main event match with The Rock.
– Following up on the story of Randy Orton being pulled from the WWE Studios film The Marine 3. TMZ.com spoke with Cpl. Mike Vinn, who served with Orton when he went AWOL and was dishonorably discharged:
“On behalf of all the Marines from Aco 1/4 98-02, that were outraged to hear about Randy Orton portraying a Marine in the next movie “Marine: Homefront”, I’d like to thank the WWE for pulling Orton from the role when they heard about his disloyal service to the United States Marine Corps. It shows respect for not only the unit I had served in, but for every person that has ever defended this nation. Thank you WWE.”
– Former WWE performer Maven Huffman was arrested in Florida on Monday on charges of doctor shopping (using multiple doctors) to obtain prescriptions to controlled substances, according a report on TMZ.com. This practice is against state law. Authorities allege that Huffman was using three Florida doctors to obtain prescriptions to Oxycodone and Hydrocone, drawing an estimated 1,000 pills. Huffman, who is 35 years old, was released on $2,000 bond. He faces up to 5 years in prison if convicted of doctor shopping. Huffman competed in the first season of WWE’s Tough Enough reality series, which he co-won with Nidia Guenard. He competed for the organization from 2001 to 2005, which included three reigns as Hardcore Champion. Following his departure from WWE, he became a guest expert on the Home Shopping Network.
– Gus Ramsey, a reporter for ESPN, stated on his Twitter account Wednesday that WrestleMania XXVIII garnered 1.9M PPV buys.
“accidentally deleted my earlier tweet. Rock and Brock each sign 1 year deals. WM28 did 1.9M buys. WWE was targeting 1.5M,” he wrote.
The message has since been deleted.
– Drew McIntyre indicated on Twitter that he injured his shoulder during the Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny match at WrestleMania XXVIII.
“Yes the shoulder was hurt, was I stopping? HELL NO!! I am a WRESTLER and it was Wrestlemania. You’d have to kill me then I’d still get up.”
McIntyre did not compete at Tuesday’s WWE television event in Orlando, Florida.
NHL
– Canadiens’ G Carey Price (head) has officially been diagnosed with a mild concussion. With just three games left in the season and nothing to play for, it’s unlikely he’ll play again this season. Price sustained the injury in a collision with F David Desharnais at practice on March 20, but played in four games after the incident and didn’t report his headaches to the medical staff until Monday.
– According to head coach Lindy Ruff, D Tyler Myers (foot) injury is believed to be long-term. Myers was seen wearing a walking boot on Tuesday. When Ruff was asked if Myers would be back for the playoffs his response was, “What round?” Myers is believed to have a broken foot, but it remains unconfirmed.
MLB
– The Reds have officially signed 1B Joey Votto to a 10-year/$225M contract extension with a club option for 2024. Votto will be 40 years old when the guaranteed portion of the contract ends, and the Reds are unlikely to pick up the option. It’s a smart deal to re-sign Votto, but if the Reds are unable to increase their budget, the deal could come back to haunt them. The team has its sights set on a new TV deal.
– Adam Rubin of ESPN NY reports that the Mets and LHP Jon Niese have agreed to a 5-year/$25M contract extension, pending a physical. The deal buys out all three of his arbitration seasons and his first year of free agency. According to Rubin, the deal also includes two club options which could push the total value to $52M.
– Brewers’ RHP Zack Greinke confirmed Wednesday that he has hired Casey Close to be his agent. ”I didn’t want to say anything until it was official. I thought it would be better to do it before the season than after the season. I kept getting advice that it would be better to do it before. If I found somebody I liked, I was going to do it before the season.” It’s not clear if Greinke, who becomes a free agent at season’s end, plans to cut off contract talks with the Brewers on Opening Day, but GM Doug Melvin plans to talk with Close over the phone on Thursday to see what he has in mind.
NBA
– Bulls’ G Derrick Rose (groin) went through a full contact practice on Wednesday and could play on Thursday against the Celtics. Rose hasn’t been able to take contact practice before Wednesday, but he went through the entire session without complications. He’ll be a game-time call against the Celtics on Thursday. Rose is averaging 22.8 points, 8.0 assists and 1.4 treys this season.
– Magic’ head coach Stan Van Gundy said that F Ryan Anderson (ankle) will “likely be out another 5 or 6 days.” Orlando plays on Thursday against the Knicks and Saturday against the Sixers, and there’s also a chance Anderson could miss Monday’s game against the Pistons as well as Tuesday’s game against the Wizards. He’s wearing a walking boot and said that his ankle remains swollen.
NFL
– Raiders’ RB Darren McFadden (right foot) confirmed in a Sirius XM Radio interview that his injury last season was of the Lisfranc variety. The Raiders, though, never confirmed the extent of McFadden’s injury. “It’s a long recovery from a Lisfranc injury… But I’m feeling pretty good now.” McFadden insists that he won’t change his playing style due to frequent early-career injuries. “If you get hurt, you just get hurt.”