WWE
– Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer was asked by a reader during his radio show why WWE has not utilized Mick Foley on television more frequently since his return to WWE last November. He said this is due to wrestler/executive Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque’s lobbying, who is resentful of “The Hardcore Legend.” Meltzer reports Levesque deprecates Foley whenever his name is broached in creative meetings. While Brian Gewirtz, WWE’s Senior Vice President of Creative Writing, feels Foley is a creative and a good performer, Levesque thinks otherwise. He says Foley ‘doesn’t look tough’ and can’t be taken seriously as an in-ring performer. A former WWE creative writer told Power Slam in 2008 under the condition of anonymity that Levesque would disparage Foley whenever he appeared for the company, and in the process, diminished his value in the eyes of Vince and Stephanie McMahon. Levesque was reported as saying by the writer
“Foley is an out-of-shape nobody. No one cares about him at all. Funaki puts more asses in the seats than Foley does. He should pay us for coming on our shows.”
Meltzer believes the real reason Levesque still holds Foley in contempt is because he gets irritated over the consensus of his closest co-workers that his memorable matches with Foley in 2000 ‘made him a star.’ Foley has criticized Levesque in the past; he took several veiled shots at ‘H in his 2007 autobiography The Hardcore Diaries. He also took issue online with Levesque belittling ring announcer Lilian Garcia with a remark he felt was hurtful during an April 2010 episode of Raw. Foley acknowledged then that he may have cost himself professionally for speaking out against Levesque, but felt he had to stand by his principles.
– Former WWE talent Kenn Doane (aka Kenny Dykstra) posted a message on his Twitter this week alleging that some of John Cena’s marital problems stem from adultery on the part of the WWE Superstar. Doane said on the micro-blogging website earlier that he believes Cena is among those within the sports entertainment organization lobbying for Randy Orton’s dismissal following his second violation of the Talent Wellness Program. A Twitter user chastised Doane for spreading rumours about Cena. He responded,
“Everyone is entitled to their beliefs. I’m sure his [adultery] in his marriage is a rumor by me too? Or is it truth being told?”
Doane also recalled a negative backstage encounter he had with Cena at a WWE show last November. After being asked whether the multi-time champion was good or bad to him during his time with the organization, he responded,
“We were cool until last time I was there he hated me. Didn’t even want to talk or shake hands. Everyone else was cool though.”
Doane then posted a message Thursday in response to Cena fans agitated by his remarks:
“Before I get hate tweets from Cena fans, just know I’m not lying. Have no reason too. His issue is his issue. Sure he has bigger problems #RafoolLaw.”
“[Cena] will never respond cuz 1 its the truth everything I said and 2 he has bigger problems #RafoolLaw “#BigShow” “#Johnny” b4 #KD’struth.”
“I say things others are afraid they will get “heat” for. I don’t care. Truth is truth.”
He is also not upset with wrestling news outlets reporting his Twitter remarks.
“They covered everything I said. If it wasn’t true I wouldn’t of wrote it.”
Doane, who at one point was engaged to fellow wrestler Mickie James, says he split with the then-WWE Diva after discovering that she was cheating on him with Cena.
“Oh hell no. Broke up with her once I found out she was cheating with John. #Rat.”
James’ relationship with Cena briefly turned into a WWE storyline in mid-2008, but ceased once the two broke up. They, however, remained friends as late as May 2009, with James proclaiming then during an interview with GoErie.com that Cena was ‘one of her road pals.’ James said,
“I hang out with John. He’s a sweetheart, and he’s very personable.”
Cena married his high school sweetheart, Liz Huberdeau, two months later. Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer later implied in a thread on the F4WOnline.com message board concerning Cena and James’ relationship that James was transferred from Raw to SmackDown in the fall of 2009 because she didn’t professionally handle breaking up from Cena, thus forcing organization officials to separate the two from each other at work.
NHL
– The Lightning have acquired G Anders Lindback, F Kyle Wilson and a 7th-round draft pick from the Predators for G Sebastien Caron, two 2o12 2nd-round picks, and a 3rd-round pick. Lindback only has 38 NHL games under his belt, but has a very high ceiling and will likely begin the season as the starter. Lindback will be an RFA on July 1. The Predators now have nine selections in next week’s NHL Entry Draft.
In addition, the Lightning have re-signed F Adam Hall to a 1-year/1-way contract and F JT Wyman to a 1-year/2-way contract. The 31-year-old Hall played 57 games last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, collecting two goals and seven points to go along with 17 penalty minutes. The 26-year-old Wyman played 40 games last season with the Lightning, collecting two goals and 11 points to go along with eight penalty minutes. Hall said,
“I’m happy and excited to be returning to the Lightning for the upcoming season. The expectations for this year are understandably high, and I look forward to contributing where I can to help the team return to the playoffs with the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”
– Senators’ impending UFA D Erik Karlsson expressed optimism regarding a long-term contract between himself and the Sens. Karlsson posted a career-high 78 points last season. “There are no issues. I want to stay and they want me, so I don’t think there are going to be any problems signing a new contract.”
– As expected, the Oilers will not trade the No. 1 overall pick, according to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. The Oilers still haven’t decided who they will take with the top selection. This will be the third straight season that Edmonton has gotten the first pick.
– D Sheldon Souray has reportedly turned down a 1-year/$3M contract offer from the Stars. Souray had six goals and 21 points in 64 games last season. The 36-year-old is a free agent on July 1, and may not be able to get $3M on the market given his injury history.
– The Canucks have re-signed F Aaron Volpatti to a 1-year contract on Friday. The 27-year-old native of Revelstoke, BC, recorded one goal and 37 penalty minutes in 23 games with the Canucks last season.
– Check out Kings’ F Dustin Brown’s kids drinking chocolate milk out of the Stanley Cup:
– Paulina Gretzky was seen partying with the Stanley Cup champion Kings recently:
The Kings also had some fun with some oompa loompas and former MMA figher Chuck Lidell:
NFL
– Cowboys’ executive VP Stephen Jones expects WR Dez Bryant to emerge as the Cowboys No. 1 receiver over WR Miles Austin. ”I think (Bryant) needs to be a No. 1 receiver. Not to take anything away from Miles, but I would submit to you that when we line up out there that the guy that they’re most worried about is Dez.” Jones admits that Bryant must improve his route running in order to do so.
– Check out rapper Vanilla Ice spitting rhymes on ESPN SportsCenter:
MLB
– The Blue Jays have placed RHP Kyle Drabek (sprained UCL) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 14. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out or if surgery is a possibility. Drabek was forced to leave Wednesday’s game against the Washington Nationals in the fifth inning after suffering the injury. He has 4.67 ERA in 13 starts this season, while holding opponents to a .250 average.
– Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports that the Blue Jays are “particularly interested” in Twins’ 1B Justin Morneau, but so far the Twins don’t seem interested in trading him. Knobler also notes that teams are wondering whether the Twins would be willing to deal OF Josh Willingham, but at this point it doesn’t appear they’re ready to part with either player. Morneau has 10 homers and 33 RBI with a .241 AVG and a .313 OBP this season, but his interest stems from him being one of the few Canadians in the majors. His concussion history, however, remains a red flag. He’ll make $14M next season.
– The Athletics have released DH Manny Ramirez. The A’s made the move after ManRam requested his outright release. The 40-year-old batted .302 (19-for-63) in 17 games with Triple-A Sacramento, but had just three doubles and no homeruns. His baseball career could be over.
– Cubs’ RHP Carlos Marmol has regained his closer’s job, according to Cubs manager Dale Sveum. Sveum cited the need to stabilize the back end of the bullpen as the main reason behind the move. After entering with a 3-0 lead on Friday, the Red Sox loaded the bases with a single, walk and man reaching on an error. But, Marmol was able to pitch himself out of the inning without surrendering a run.
– Rockies’ SS Troy Tulowitzki (left groin) is scheduled to fly to Philadelphia on Monday for further evaluation. Tulo aggravated the injury Wednesday while playing in a rehab game at Triple-A Colorado Springs. Of note, he’ll see Dr. William Meyers on Monday, a surgeon who has extensive experience with sports hernia injuries.
– Rangers’ manager Ron Washington said that OF Josh Hamilton (intestinal virus) who was hospitalized for the illness, is unlikely to play at all during the weekend series against the Astros.
– Angels’ RHP Jered Weaver (back) threw 60 pitches in simulated game Friday. Weaver used all of his pitches and said that he felt good. The Angels will see how he feels on Saturday before deciding the next step.
– The Reds have placed OF Drew Stubbs (strained left side) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 6.
– The Padres have agreed to terms with 1st-round draft pick LHP Max Fried of Harvard-Westlake High School in Studio City. Fried went 8-2 with a 2.02 ERA, 105 strikeouts against 29 walks his senior year. The 18-year-old was rated as the top left-handed pitcher by Baseball America among all players in the 2012 draft class.
– The Red Sox have placed 1B Aubrey Huff (sprained right knee) on the 15-day DL. Huff was injured banging his knee on the guard rail during Matt Cain’s perfect game celebration. Giants manager Bruce Bochy says Huff did not accompany the team on its nine-game road trip to Seattle, the Angels and Oakland. Bochy says he hopes the 15 days will be the right amount of time for Huff to recover.
– Rays’ manager Joe Maddon said Friday that 3B Evan Longoria (partially torn hamstring) could be activated from the DL by the middle of next week. Longoria is scheduled to serve as the DH Saturday in his first rehab game with Triple-A Durham and will play third base on Sunday. Maddon previously said that Longo would need about 7-10 days on a rehab assignment. “It could be sooner. After Tuesday we’ll know, and if there is any kind of hesitation then it will be about seven days. It could be possibly less if everything goes well.” Longoria has been out since the end of April.
– Red Sox’ RHP Josh Beckett (right shoulder inflammation) will likely miss 1-2 starts, and will re-evaluated on Saturday.
– The Rangers have placed RHP Koji Uehara (strained right lat) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 10. An MRI revealed a small tear, but the injury doesn’t appear to be too serious. There’s no timetable for his return, but GM Jon Daniels said Thursday that Uehara will be shut down from throwing for two weeks.
– The Braves have released RHP Livan Hernandez, 37. Hernandez was 1-1 with a 4.94 ERA and one save this season.
– Check out Indians’ 1B Carlos Santana making an all-out dive to get this foul ball on Thursday against the Reds:
– Check out the Rangers’ rookies singing Shania Twain’s “I Feel Like a Woman.”
CYCLING
– The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has filed formal charges against seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, threatening to strip him of his victories in the storied cycling race. Armstrong, who forcefully denied the accusations, could face a lifetime ban from the sport if he is found to have used performance-enhancing drugs. The move by USADA immediately bans him from competing in triathlons, which he turned to after he retired from cycling last year. Armstrong has been dogged by doping allegations since his first Tour victory in 1999, but had hoped his fight to be viewed as a clean champion was finally won after U.S. federal prosecutors closed a two-year criminal probe in February without bringing any charges.
Armstrong’s lawyers demanded access to evidence gathered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, including test results and the names of witnesses who said they saw the seven-time Tour de France champion use performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong has until June 22 to respond in writing to the fresh allegations, the first step of what could be a months-long process. He told the AP,
“I’m exploring all my options. They’re not limited only to arbitration with USADA. I think there are other questions that need to be answered with regard to their behaviour and tactics.”
EURO
– In case you missed it, check out these riots from the Poland/Russia match:
BOXING
– One of boxing’s major sanctioning bodies will review Timothy Bradley’s controversial split decision victory over Manny Pacquiao, the first step toward what promoter Bob Arum hopes will be “clarity” in the judging of the fight. WBO President Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel said in a statement Wednesday that the WBO’s championship committee will review video of the fight with five “recognized international judges” and make a recommendation. He said the WBO does not doubt the ability of the scoring judges. Most reporters seated ringside and the vast majority of fans inside the MGM Grand arena on Saturday night thought Pacquiao had easily defended his welterweight title against Bradley. The first surprise came when ring announcer Michael Buffer announced that there was a split decision, and the biggest surprise came in the reading of the scores. Jerry Roth had it 115-113 for Pacquiao, while judges Duane Ford and C.J. Ross had it for Bradley by the same score. The Associated Press scored the fight 117-111 for Pacquiao. Arum told the AP,
“The public saw the fight and they’re outraged, and we need clarity here. We need those responsible to investigate, to see what happened, how the judges could be so off.
“Was there any funny business going on? Or no funny business? Did they have a conversation with each other? We need to get clarity. The public is demanding it.”
– Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s request that he be released from jail because the low-quality food and water have threatened his health was denied by a Las Vegas judge who says he should eat and drink what is being given to him behind bars. Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa wrote in her late Wednesday decision that water has been made available to Mayweather around the clock and the only reason he isn’t eating properly is because he refuses to eat the provided meals. Saragosa said Mayweather’s complaints that he is unable to exercise in jail are also unfounded.
“After consideration of the arguments of counsel, the criminal record of the defendant and the seriousness of the crime committed, the court determined that a jail sentence was appropriate.”
“The Court finds the alleged dehydration of the Defendant to be self-induced as water is made available to him 24 hours a day.”
“The Court further finds the estimated intake of only 800 calories per day is also self-induced as Defendant chooses not to eat the food provided.”
“Finally, the court finds that while the physical training areas and times provided to Defendant may not be consistent with his prior regimen, he is indeed provided sufficient space and time for physical activity if he so chooses.”
Just 10 days after Mayweather turned himself in to begin his three-month sentence, his legal team filed an emergency motion Monday asking the court to put him under house arrest or move him into the general jail population, something that jail officials had avoided to protect the celebrity fighter. The motion claimed the undefeated champion might never fight again because he was getting out of shape in solitary confinement. Mayweather pleaded guilty last year to reduced domestic battery charges stemming from an attack on his former girlfriend while two of their children watched. The plea deal allowed him to avoid trial on felony charges that could have gotten Mayweather up to 34 years in prison if he was convicted. Mayweather was sentenced December 22, but was allowed to remain free long enough to make a Cinco de Mayo weekend fight.
NBA
– Blazers’ G Jamal Crawford fully intends to opt out of his contract and already has a list of teams on his radar as potential landing spots, according to Fox Sports Ohio. The teams on Crawford’s “wish list” include the Heat, Clippers, Kings, Knicks and Cavaliers. He averaged 14.0 PPG last season while playing just under 27 minutes per game.
– Saints’ owner Tom Benson has officially gained control of the Hornets from the NBA. The completion Friday of the $338M sale of the NBA club comes two days after the league’s board of governors approved the decision to sell to Benson. As part of the deal, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has approved the Hornets’ lease extension at the state-owned New Orleans Arena, which runs through 2024 and provides for $50M in improvements. Benson agreed in April to buy the Hornets. The team had been owned by the NBA since December of 2010. The Hornets recently have been awarded the No. 1 overall pick in the June 28 NBA draft and are expected to select Kentucky’ F Anthony Davis.
– Bobcats’ president of basketball operations Rod Higgins says Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan notified the team he has pulled out of the running for the head coaching position. ”It’s all part of the process and I’m sure it’s happened before.” Sloan was one of three finalists for the job.
– Check out these adult film stars offering free oral to their Twitter followers if the Heat win the NBA Championship:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b55ZhfqaKS0&feature=player_embedded
TNA
– TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion Eric Young (throat) said on Twitter that he underwent surgery Thursday to remove polyps.
“Surgery sucks. I have had nothing to eat or drink since last night at 1000pm. I want to kill some body right about now. My surgery starts in 30 mins and I’m still in waiting room ggrrraaaggghhhhhhhhhh. Still in waiting room for surgery. They have no idea how close they are from death like @REALBobbyRoode after 4 hrs with out food @RobbieEImpact.”
Young wrote Friday that he has resumed his daily activities and that his throat feels okay. Since 2004, he has undergone over 15 throat surgeries.
– TNA star Chris Sabin (knee) injured his knee at Thrusday’s Impact during the Ultimate X match. A source in TNA says the situation “doesn’t look good.” The injury took place when he landed outside of the ring. He immediately held his knee in pain after the spot and was not involved in the rest of the match. Sabin recently returned to action after missing several months due to a torn ACL in his other knee.