NFL
– According to Rams’ GM Les Snead, the team decided “early on” that they would stick with QB Sam Bradford at quarterback rather than trading him at the deadline. ”I’ll be clear. We decided early on that Sam was our quarterback.” The Browns, where old Rams OC Pat Shurmur is now head coach, was known to have interest in Bradford. Snead admitted that he considered drafting Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 overall pick, but only to deal RG3 later on, however, trading Bradford was never an option.
– Saints’ RB Mark Ingram (knee) underwent arthroscopic surgery Thursday and will miss the next 6 weeks. It’s Ingram’s third known surgery since August of 2010, and second on the knee, which was also “scoped” just prior to his final college season. The recovery timeline suggests it’s another routine scope, but it’s a big red flag for a player with a history of knee problems. Ingram’s other surgery was an operation to repair a turf-toe injury in January.
NBA
– Knicks’ F Amare Stoudemire (hand) was participating in practice drills on Thursday, and should play on Sunday, according to head coach Mike Woodson. Stoudemire had his left hand “heavily taped,” but he was catching and dunking the basketball. Stoudemire remains listed as doubtful
NHL
– The Senators have signed F Peter Regin to a 1-year contact. Regin, 26, was limited to 10 regular season games in 2011-12 after injuring his left shoulder in a December 20 against the Sabres. He recorded four points (two goals, two assists) and two penalty minutes in those games.
– Flames’ F Olli Jokinen (torn abdominal muscle) underwent successful surgery on Tuesday and will miss 3-4 weeks. Jokinen first reported discomfort on March 22 against the Wild. The 33-year-old impending UFA had 23 goals and 38 assists in 82 games this season.
MLB
– MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli reports the Orioles plan to sign free agent 3B/SS Miguel Tejada if he can pass a Monday physical. Tejada received minimal interest over the winter after posting a .239/.270/.326 batting line with the Giants last season. According to Ghiroli, Tejada would spend the “foreseeable future” in extended spring training if he passes his physical.
– The Orioles have placed OF Nolan Reimold (herniated disc in neck) on the 15-day DL. Reimold’s neck has been an issue for over two weeks, and he hit just .190/.227/.286 with zero home runs between April 26 and April 30 after returning from a six-day absence. He was off to a hot start before his neck acted up, and is batting .313/.333/.627 to go along with five home runs, six doubles and 10 RBI through 69 plate appearances.
– Phillies’ LHP Cliff Lee (oblique) will throw a bullpen session on Saturday. Lee is coming off a pain-free Wednesday session, and if all goes well this weekend, he’s expected to rejoin the rotation next Wednesday against the Mets.
– Royals’ OF Lorenzo Cain (groin) is expected to miss another 4-8 weeks. Cain originally just had a left groin strain, but that has turned into a torn hip flexor. Cain won’t start rehab work until next week.
– Mariners’ manager Eric Wedge has announced 3B Chone Figgins will no longer be an everyday player, and that 2B Dustin Ackley will take over as Seattle’s leadoff hitter. Figgins hit .231/.304/.287 while stealing just 55 bases in 267 games since signing a 4-year/$36M contract in December 2009, and is batting just .189/.250/.305 through 108 plate appearances this season. Kyle Seager and Alex Liddi are likely to split time at third going forward.
WWE
– Former WWE diva turned porn star Chyna was at the Gold Gala over the weekend, and it appears she has had some drastic plastic surgery performed. This was her first public appearance since January, when she was already showing signs of face work. Celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn spoke to Celebitchy.com about Chyna’s drastically different appearance:
“Chyna’s face looks like a bloated version of itself… It appears that a cosmetic surgeon plumped it up beyond recognition, likely with injections of fat or other facial filler. To say it looks overdone is an understatement.”
Check out these pictures. And may God have mercy on us all…
– According to the Wrestling Observer, Bill DeMott is expected to assist John Laurinaitis in shaking off ring rust for his scheduled match against John Cena at Over the Limit on May 20. He began training Friday at a warehouse the company owns in Norwalk, Connecticut in preparation for the bout.
– Zack Ryder is back with a new episode of the Z! True Long Island Story. On this week’s show, Ryder accepts Dolph Ziggler’s challenge to wrestle for Ryder’s Internet Championship at WrestleMania 29 next April:
– According to the PWInsider, John Cena participated in filming this week for Fred 3: Fred Goes To Camp, which is slated to premiere on Nickelodeon in late 2012. He reprises the role of the title character’s father.
– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQcom. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Michael Cole’s Commentary: “I’ve been impressed with Michael Cole’s more balanced commentary recently. He’s the new voice of WWE w/o question. Our handshake at WM28 ended any personal issues that I may have had with him. End of story.”
WWE’s Tag Team Division: “I see WWE tag team wrestling taking positive steps forward in 2012. Go ahead, roll your eyes at will. The lack of overall talent depth, no territories, etc affects all areas of the genre whether some fans want to admit it or not.”
His Favorite Broadcast Partner: “Besides the King, my favorite broadcast partner, when looking at antagonists, is @HeymanHustle. He knew what buttons to push to get me to raise my game. I never played the role of an announcer and was always just myself, for better or for worse. Being real. Bobby Heenan was an amazing partner too but ‘The Brain’ was more funny than a villain. I’ve said it before, Bobby Heenan may well be the most talented, all around performer in the history of the wrestling business.”
Brock Lesnar: “Lesnar and WWE may be a marriage made in Hell but it’s a relationship that I, as a fan, want to follow. When we signed Brock back in the day we knew tht he was going to be a handful and he was. However, athletic freaks like him don’t grow on trees and, like many coaches, etc, we put in the time necessary to keep Brock headed in the right direction as best that we could. He’s stubborn, anti social, uber talented, and volatile. Time will tell where Lesnar’s latest foray into WWE life takes him but as for me, I’m staying tuned.”
– Nick “Hogan” Bollea was granted an early release from his five year probation on Friday stemming from 2007 car accident that critically injured his friend John Graziano. Nick will not have the felony charge on his record as a result of his sentencing terms being met.
– Husky Harris is back on the road with WWE, wrestling Alex Riley at this weekend’s RAW-brand live events. Harris is now working a religious gimmick and will be evaluated by WWE officials to see how he’s progressed since the last time he was on the main roster.
– According to the PWInsider, Gerald Brisco has been scouting amateur wrestlers for WWE in recent weeks. He was at the Olympic trials in Iowa City last week and currently has two heavyweight wrestlers that he sees as having potential, including a 6’5″, 285-pound Greco-Roman wrestler from Turkey.
– WWE developmental talent DT Porter, who is currently out of action with a knee injury, posted the following message on his Facebook account. Based on what he’s writing – one has to question his mental stability and whether he has what it takes to make it in the business:
“Guys, I don’t know how much longer I can handle this. Every day is a constant struggle to keep my sanity. I love wrestling and it’s all I ever wanted to do. Already going crazy since I’ve been for like ten months now, but it gets worse. Every day a trainer goes out of his way to rib or disrespect me in front of the boys because I’ve been out so long. I can’t clear myself. I wanna wrestle more than anything, but I don’t even know who I am anymore. It’s so fucking hard. I just feel it just building inside of me and I don’t know how much longer I can contain it. I have daydreams of just fucking everyone up on some real shit. I’m not a kid. I’m a fucking man. But what do you do when the people in charge of helping you get to the main roster are the ones making your life the hardest. I’ve been drinking almost every day. It’s to the point to where I keep Vodka and Gin in my trunk. Help me!”
TNA
– According to the Wrestling Observer, Scott Steiner’s recent claim that TNA announcers no longer call TNA action for Orlando is partially true. Mike Tenay and Tazz do commentary live from the Impact Zone on weeks when that show airs the same week. On weeks when the episode of Impact that is taped does not air until the following week, they fly to Nashville do commentary in post-production, after the show has been edited. This is done because TNA wants to keep the commentary timely and does not want it to be outdated by the time the show airs a week later.
– According to the Wrestling Observer, Al Snow is the person who hand picked Alex Silva to participate in the most recent Gutcheck Challenge on Impact. Moving forward, Gutcheck will feature talents similar to Silva, mostly from TNA’s developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling. OVW has had an increase in business thanks to TNA, including a local pizza sponsorship and several former names returning, including Cliff Compton. TNA plans add other new concepts to Impact in the coming months.
– Ric Flair’s daughter Ashley has reportedly begun training to be a professional wrestler.