MLB

– According to Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown, the Dodgers have called about Astros’ RHP Roy Oswalt, Cubs’ LHP Ted Lilly, D’Backs’ RHP Dan Haren, as well as Indians’ LHP Jake Westbrook and RHP Fausto Carmona. They’ve also inquired about Jays’ LHP Scott Downs, RHP Kevin Gregg and RHP Jason Frasor. The Yankees are also said to be interested in a number of these pitchers, including Oswalt and the three Jays’ relievers. The Dodgers sit 6 games back in the NL West race but only 2.5 games back in the NL wild-card race. Stay tuned.

– Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the White Sox have gone hard after Nationals’ 1B Adam Dunn this summer. At the moment, however, talks have stalled. “The problem [general manager] Kenny [Williams] is finding out is that [Nationals GM Mike] Rizzo is acting like Dunn is Ryan Howard,” Cowley’s source said Monday. The 30-year-old Dunn is batting .286 with a .950 OPS and 22 home runs in 332 at-bats this year and would bring some serious pop to the middle of the White Sox’s lineup. Williams is apparently willing to deal prospects Daniel Hudson and Dayan Viciedo, but not SS Gordon Beckham or OF Carlos Quentin.

– The Rangers have reportedly expressed interest in Marlins’ 3B Jorge Cantu.

– The Padres are set to sign OF Wily Mo Pena to a minor-league deal.

NHL

– F Mike Modano doesn’t plan on making a decision regarding his future until after he skates on August 5. Modano isn’t sure if he wants to retire or return to the NHL for the 2010-11 season. If he decides to play, he’ll sign a contract with the Red Wings, Wild or Sharks.

– Blackhawks’ F Patrick Sharp has been told by GM Stan Bowman that he won’t be traded. “I told (Sharp) he can relax, he’s not going anywhere. He’s a big part of this. He means a lot to us on the ice and off the ice.” Bowman said that the Blackhawks still have cap issues, even after trading away F Dustin Byfuglien, F Ben Eager, F Colin Fraser, F Andrew Ladd, D Brent Sopel and F Kris Versteeg. Bowman said he doesn’t have a solution yet, but he doesn’t want to resort to trading away one of the key members of Chicago’s 2009-10 Stanley Cup run.

NBA

– The potential sign-and-trade deal that would send F Matt Barnes to the Raptors is now “dead,” according to a league source. “The sign and trade (scenario) is dead,” the source was quoted as saying, as neither Toronto, or the Magic have the money available to make the deal. It sounds like there was a serious “miscalculation” in the talks, and while it’s not certain that he won’t be joining the Raptors, it does sound unlikely to happen. Which is unfortunate, since Barnes already announced the deal on Twitter.

– Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey said that F Yao Ming (foot) possibly missing the first two months of the season is “totally false.” Morey was disputing an earlier report from the Racine Journal-Times. The GM says that Yao is entirely on track to be ready for the start of training camp and expects him to be in the lineup on opening night.

– The Bulls, Cavs and Clippers have expressed interest in G Flip Murray. He averaged 9.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game last season.

– ESPN is reporting that the company that insures Knicks players’ contracts told the team that it wouldn’t cover F Amare Stoudemire for international competition. The news was a shocker to the Knicks and the national team. While Stoudemire was with the Suns, he had what were considered successful operations on a knee and eye. But ESPN reports that the insurer had its “doubts.”

NFL

– According to the Baltimore Sun, Ravens’ FS Ed Reed (hip surgery) is likely to begin the regular season on the PUP list. Reed admits he’s doubtful for Week 1, and placement on reserve/PUP would cost him the first 6 games. Big blow to the Ravens’ D.

WWE

– WWE has announced two new hosts, both appearing on Raw this October. Actor Bobb’e J. Thompson will host Raw on October 18 in Calgary, Alberta. Thompson stars in the upcoming WWE Film’s release Knucklehead with Big Show, set for release October 22. WWE also announced that country singer Toby Keith will guest host on October 25, the night after the Bragging Rights PPV, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Keith is a huge wrestling fan who has appeared on TNA television in the past.

– Here is the updated card for SummerSlam on August 15:

WWE Championship Match
Sheamus (c) vs. Randy Orton

7-on-7 Tag Team Match
John Cena, Bret Hart, Edge, Chris Jericho, R-Truth, The Great Khali and John Morrison vs. Wade Barrett, Skip Sheffield, Michael Tarver, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young and David Otunga

VoV

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NBA

– The Kings have officially traded F Tracy McGrady to the Knicks in a three-way deal. The who’s-going-where is a bit of a mess, so here it is, nicely ironed out.

To Knicks: F Tracy McGrady, G Sergio Rodriguez
To Rockets: G Kevin Martin, F Jared Jeffries, F Hilton Armstrong, F Jordan Hill, the Knicks’ first-round draft picks in 2011 and 2012
To Sacramento: G Larry Hughes

– The Bulls have traded F Tyrus Thomas to the Bobcats for G Flip Murray, G Acie Law and a future first-round pick.

– The Jazz have traded F Ronnie Brewer to the Grizzlies for a protected first-round draft pick in 2011. Brewer becomes an immediate backup. The Grizz obviously feel as though F Rudy Gay will walk this offseason.

– The Bucks have traded G Jodie Meeks and F Francisco Elson to the Sixers for G Royal Ivey, a second-round pick and F Primoz Brezec.

– ESPN reports that while a buyout is likely for Wizards’ F Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Mavs have expressed interest in signing him, as F Erick Dampier is out after finger surgery.

– The LA Times reports that the Clippers are planning to leave a lot of cap room this summer. When all contracts expire, the Clippers will be left with five players, giving them $35M in wiggle room. Expect the Clippers to bid (and lose) on some big name players in this summer’s huge free agent frenzy.

PGA

– PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has explained why the the timing of Tiger Woods’ prepared statement on Friday morning is so important. According to the AP, Finchem submitted a letter to the PGA Tour policy board that read as follows:

“As we understand it, Tiger’s therapy called for a week’s break at this time during which he has spent a few days with his children and then will make his statement before returning. Accordingly, there was very little flexibility in the date for the announcement.”

Because Woods’ statement will occur during the Accenture’s World Golf Championships-Match Play Championship, suspicion over its timing has been the primary focus. Since Accenture dropped Woods as a spokesperson, some believed that Woods was spiteful. Woods was photographed jogging on Wednesday and hitting balls today. His next possible return site would be at the WGC-CA Championship at Doral on March 11-14.

Shortly after it was announced that Tiger Woods would speak on Friday, his web site released a brief statement. In its entirety, it reads,

“Tiger Woods will be speaking to a small group of friends, colleagues and close associates at 11:00 a.m. EST on Friday at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Tiger plans to discuss his past and his future, and he plans to apologize for his behavior. While Tiger feels that what happened is fundamentally a matter between him and his wife, he also recognizes that he has hurt and let down a lot of other people who were close to him. He also let down his fans. He wants to begin the process of making amends, and that’s what he’s going to discuss. His remarks will be open to a press pool for live coverage. It is NOT a news conference.”

MLB

– Red Sox’ C Victor Martinez told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he would “obviously” like to stay with the Red Sox. “Who don’t want to be here in the long term?. This is an organization that, everyone wants to be here.” Martinez told Speier that “it’s all in [the Red Sox'] hands” as to whether or not he will discuss a contract extension during spring training. The BoSox will make sure Twins’ C Joe Mauer is locked up before they start any long-term extension talks.

– The Fort Wroth Star-Telegram reports that the Rangers are interested in C Jose Molina. The team has already offered him a minor-league deal, which he declined.

– According to James Schmehl of MLive.com, the Tigers have already emptied a locker in Lakeland “for what most are assuming” will be free agent OF Johnny Damon. Look for Damon to accept the two-year/$14M deal the Tigers offered him more than a week ago. If the offer is legit, Damon would have no real reason to turn it down, despite speculation of the contrary. Position players are scheduled to report to Tigers’ camp on Monday and their first full workout is scheduled for Tuesday.

White Sox’ GM Kenny Williams plans to address the Damon situation on Sunday, according to Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald. “I will talk about this on Sunday,” said Williams, his first public comment regarding Damon. Gregor reminds that Williams has a long history of ignoring media requests when he’s on the verge of making a trade or signing a free agent. Coincidentally, Sunday is the day pitchers and catchers report to Glendale. Gregor takes this to mean that Williams already knows that Damon has agreed to sign with the Tigers. The White Sox have reportedly offered him a one-year/$4.5M deal. It’s just speculation at the moment, so stay tuned.

– The Angels and SS Erick Aybar avoided arbitration on Thursday by agreeing to a one-year/$2.05M contract. Aybar requested $2.75M while the Angels offered $1.8M when arbitration figures were swapped last month. He has a chance to earn $50K bonuses for 575 plate appearances and 625 plate appearances. Aybar, 26, batted .312/.353/.423 last season and is the favourite to fill the void in the leadoff spot.

– The Marlins have signed RHP Mike MacDougal.

NHL

– The Fourth Period reports that Oilers’ captain F Ethan Moreau could be dealt at the trade deadline. “There isn’t really a bad scenario. I love playing the game. Either here, playing in this city and this organization that I’ve enjoyed for the last 10 or 11 years or somewhere else with a new opportunity. For me, there is not a lot of anxiety. He’ll likely get traded for prospects or draft picks since Edmonton is in a rebuilding mode. Edmonton is also apparently trying to get rid of D Sheldon Souray, F Shawn Horcoff, D Lubomir Vishnovsky and F Mike Comrie before the March 3 deadline.

NFL

– NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora reports the Ravens will not move RB Willis McGahee despite his $3.6M salary in 2010. McGahee will  back up RB Ray Rice, but will see touches at the goal line. The 28-year-old did great in the backup role, averaging 5.0 YPC with a career-high 14 combined TDs.

WWE

– In the new 2010 WrestleMania XXVI Almanac magazine, WWE superstar Shawn Michaels says he has regrets about his WrestleMania 14 match with Stone Cold Steve Austin. At the time, Michaels’ back was in terrible shape and his career was thought to be over. He was also an emotional wreck and admits he was not an easy guy to get along with in the WWE locker room. When asked if he has any regrets in his career, Michael said:

“The one I always come back to is my match against Steve Austin at WrestleMania 14. I just wasn’t in a great place physically or emotionally. That one could have been so much more. Steve didn’t get me at my best. And that’s unfortunate, because it was the last time I got to work with him. Steve went on to such great things afterward, and I had an opportunity to make that match so much more.”

Michaels also looks back at his matches with Bret Hart during the mid-90′s and thinks the two legends could have accomplished a lot more together if not for their personal differences:

“I will say that I wish I had been in a better place in my life with Bret. Our matches were phenomenal, but I shudder to think what he and I could have accomplished had we gotten along.”

Michaels also named his classic ladder match with Razor Ramon from WrestleMania as high on his list of all-time great WrestleMania matches:

“Over the years, the ladder itself has become the central figure of that particular stipulation, but in our situation, it served as a backdrop for something much bigger. We were two guys claiming rightful ownership of those titles, and the ladder was just there as a way for us to prove who was the best. Now, the ladder is the primary element, and these matches are often about what the contestants can do with it.”

VoV

– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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MLB

– Giants ace RHP Tim Lincecum told reporters Thursday that he’s open to signing a long-term extension with the Giants as soon as this offseason. Lincecum, who’s making just $650K this season, is eligible for arbitration this offseason for the first time in his career and could land close to $10M, if not more. If the Giants are going to be forced to doll out a huge chunk of cash, they might as well make it part of a long-term deal. Lincecum said, “I definitely like San Francisco. I’ve seen nothing but positive things as far as my personal experiences. It’s where I see myself being for awhile.”

– According to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles will not pick up 3B Melvin Mora’s $8M option for 2010. It will end his nine-year tenure with the Birds. The 37-year-old’s stats have fallen drastically and he’s become a major injury risk. Mora’s a career .278/.352/.436 hitter, but is batting just .259/.317/.361 in ’09.

NHL

– Former Stars coach Dave Tippett has been named the new head coach of the Coyotes in liu of Wayne Gretzky’s resignation.

– The Avalanche have signed F Milan Hejduk to a one-year contract extension through the 2010-11 season. Hejduk, entering his 11th season, led the Avs with 27 goals last season and shared the team scoring lead with 59 points.

– The Capitals are currently working on a deal to send disgruntled F Michael Nylander to Europe. Nylander hasn’t played in any of the Caps’ four preseason games and he apparently left his wife and six kids back in Sweden when he came back for training camp, supposedly because he thinks he won’t be in the States for long.

Earlier this off-season, the rumor was that Nylander had interest from the KHL, the Eurasian league founded in 2008 out of the remains of the Russian Superleague. According to Nylander’s agent at the time, Nylander wasn’t going to sign any deals unless the Caps actually sent him packing, which is looking more and more likely.

– Recently retired D Patrice Brisbois plans on joining NASCAR’s Canadian circuit.

MLB

– Cubs RHP Rich Harden (rest) has been shut down for the rest of the year. He’s a free agent at season’s end, and is unlikely to re-sign with the Cubbies.

– According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates will look into an offer for soon-to-be free agent OF Rick Ankiel.

NBA

– The Bobcats have signed G Flip Murray to a one-year/$1.99M deal.

– According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Cavs are looking to add another guard. The report indicates that the team is looking at G Chucky Atkins, G Juan Dixon, G Bobby Jackson, F Jerry Stackhouse and G Jacque Vaughn.

– The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Wolves are shopping G Antonio Daniels. President David Kahn wants to get the $6.6M contract of Daniels off of his head, but he says he’d take another big expiring contract in exchange.

WWE

– BroadcasterMagazine.com reported today that WWE has signed a new 3-year deal with The Score network in Canada. In a press release that was issued today, Shane McMahon, WWE’s Executive Vice President of Global Media said

“We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with The Score which would not be possible without the dedication of our WWE fans in Canada. The expansion of our programming on The Score with entertaining television such as WWE Vintage Collection along with our established programs of WWE Experience, RAW and SmackDown allows viewers more opportunities to enjoy the action-packed excitement of WWE.”

– Chavo Guerrero apologized to his fans for harsh comments he made on Twitter earlier in the week. After getting made fun of for constantly coming up on the short end of the stick in his feud with Hornswoggle, Chavo went off, calling the fans “retards” and questioning their sanity for thinking wrestling is real. Today, he wrote, “Had a few to many last night! u know 1st day of the tour and all.” He added, “Ok, so I have a temper. i’m Latino, Remember! lol … If I offended anyone last night, sorry. I’d kiss u all if I could.”

TNA

– Scott Steiner has been telling friends for a couple of months now that he doesn’t expect to stick around TNA much longer. Steiner is very tight with Jeff Jarrett, and people within the company assume he won’t stick around long if he’s under the impression there‘s no chance of Jeff coming back.

Those close to the situation say that Steiner, now 47, was already financially prepared to retire when he turned 40 years old. Friends say that Steiner still has the desire to perform despite the everyday pain he endures, stemming from years of injuries.

In January of this year, a report was published with the following quote from a fellow wrestler: “If Scott has a decent, hard match where he takes five or ten bumps, he is feeling much more pain than the average beat up wrestler [and he feels it for up to] 24 hours after the match. [...] His back is so bad, watching him go through a 12 step process to sit in a car seat is excruciating.”

While in the late-90′s and early-2000′s he developed one of the worst backstage reputations in the business, TNA sources say Steiner has been a pleasure to work with. Even during his short WWE run prior to joining TNA, sources say he kept to himself and didn’t cause any trouble like he did in WCW. His most publicized incidents in WCW include a backstage fight with DDP, threatening the lives of Terry Taylor and Ric Flair (separately), and racing the n.W.o. Hummer vehicle – causing thousands in damage- immediately after they told him not to drive it over 60 miles per hour. Steiner often went without any disciplinary action, because if WCW pressed charges it would violate his probation and they would lose one of their top draws, and if they fined or suspended him it would violate his WCW contract – which actually prohibited any fines or suspensions.

– TNA announcer Taz posted a message on his Facebook page defending his commentary at Sunday’s TNA No Surrender show. Taz wrote,

“Whats up everyone! I just want to say something about announcing. On a PPV’s Tenay & I will speak for 3 HOURS LIVE. Dont expect a homerun in every at bat folks! Some of u will take 1 sentence a wrestling announcer says, not like the comment and rip the guy! What about the other 100-200 sentences one of us said in the 3 hours? A few of u need to lighten up a tad.”

NFL

– Saints RB Mike Bell (groin) is out three-to-four weeks.

NHL

– The Leafs have finally acquired RFA F Phil Kessel from the Bruins in exchange for a first and second-round pick in 2010, as well as a first-round pick in 2011. The Leafs also signed Kessel to a five-year/$27M deal. Kessel scored 36 goals and added 24 assists in 70 games with Boston last season. Kessel is out until November as he underwent rotator cuff surgery in the off-season. Great move by the Leafs. Boston had no chance of re-signing him, and while Toronto did give up a lot in draft picks, they locked down a sniper for years to come. The team is now loaded with young stars in Bozak, Kadri, Stalberg and Hanson.

– The Wild have officially signed F Petr Sykora to a one-year/$1.6M deal.

– It is being reported that F Rob Niedermayer is negotiating with a KHL club for the coming NHL season.

– D Chris Chelios is trying to get the NHLPA to bring the recently fired Paul Kelly back. “There’s an awful lot of conversation going on among the players. We’re trying to figure out what happened. Players are going to have to find out how this could have happened to us again and then, obviously we’re going to have to make some decisions. There’s all kinds of questions about the process.” Of the player representatives involved, 22 of the 27 voting went against Kelly.

MLB

– The Rays are expected to open next season with a $70M payroll, about $7M too rich for owner Stuart Sternber, which is raising questions about the availability of OF Carl Crawford and OF B.J. Upton. Replacing whoever gets traded will likely be OF Desmond Jennings, who spent time in double-A and triple-A this year, hitting .318 and stealing 52 bases.

Crawford, who will turn 28 next season, has one more year left on his contract worth between $10-11M. He’s hit .303 so far this year and stolen 57 bases. Upton is arbitration-eligible this off-season, is hitting .233 with 10 homers, and has 37 steals. He’ll be 25 next season.

– According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Indians manager Eric Wedge is once again in the hot seat. GM Mark Shapiro is saying the decision has not been made on whether to keep Wedge and his coaching staff just yet.

– According to ESPN Chicago’s Bruce Levine, the Cubs are not shutting RHP Rich Harden down for the rest of the season. The Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan heard from sources Thursday afternoon that the Cubs are calling it quits on the ’09 season for Harden, but that doesn’t appear to be the case – at least yet.

– Phillies RHP Chan Ho Park has been diagnosed with a strained right hamstring and won’t be available to pitch for another two-to-three weeks. Park will head to the Phillies’ spring training complex in Clearwater, Florida this weekend to begin treatment and rehab. He had a 1.93 ERA and 23/7 K/BB ratio since the All-Star break, and will be sorely missed in the middle of the Philadelphia ‘pen.

– The D’Backs are trying to negotiate a change in contract with RHP Brandon Webb. Webb would reportedly prefer to become a free-agent this winter rather than picking up his $8.5M option for 2010.

– The White Sox will shop 3B Josh Fields this offseason.

WWE

– As seen on RAW this past Monday, Lilian Garcia made a noticeable error by announcing a Triple Threat Match for the Number One Contendership to the WWE Divas Championship. There were only two Divas in the matchm though – Alicia Fox and Gail Kim. In an update, two explanations have been given from people inside WWE regarding the matter.

The first is that the match was originally written down as a three-way bout earlier that day, but plans were changed at the last minute and she was simply never told. The other is that it was indeed planned as a singles match but was deliberately told it was a three-way match so that she’d look stupid (considering she is on her way out of the company). Unlike a few of her noticeable miscues in recent months, we can confirm that she was fed the bad line on purpose as she did not make it up out of the blue.

As many wrestling fans know, WWE has a history of embarrassing talent who decided to leave the company on their own accord during their final few days. Furthermore, if the latter scenario is true, this would not be the first time in which Garcia was the butt of a joke for the guys to laugh at backstage. Her final show with WWE is expected to take place next Monday night in Little Rock and the rumored plan of her hosting Raw on her final night appears to be off the cards considering WWE already has a guest booked in Cedric the Entertainment. Hence, it should be really interesting to see how WWE handles her departure from television as more often than not, it’s not a graceful one (as Vickie Guerrero, Amy “Lita” Dumas and several others can attest to).

– Regarding John Morrison, he is well liked among his peers in the locker room, and many feel it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a top star. For the record, he is still dating Melina, who is not quite so popular in the locker room. While many feel she has improved her reputation from where it was during her previous stint on the SmackDown! brand, multiple wrestlers still accuse her of being phony.

– WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair officially announced that he’s coming out of retirement this morning on the “Grill Team” radio show based out of Sydney, Australia.

Hogan was in the studio promoting the tour when the hosts announced there was a “surprise” caller on the line – Ric Flair. After some back and forth between the two legends, Hogan made the challenge.

Hogan said, “You put your name on the dotted line and we’ll have the epic battle. Ric Flair, I’m throwing out the challenge to you, brother. Do you accept?” The Nature Boy responded, “Ric Flair accepts on the grandest level of all. Australia in search of a real legend, Ric Flair is on his way!”

Hogan then joked with the hosts, “I’ll need your attorneys to put the deal together because I’m flat broke till I get the advance from the promoters!”

NBA

– Cavaliers G Delonte West was arrested Thursday at 10 p.m. after officers pulled him over for speeding on a motorcycle while carrying two loaded handguns and a loaded shotgun in a guitar case. He had a loaded 9mm Beretta in his waistband, a Ruger .357 strapped to his leg and a loaded shotgun in a guitar case on his back. West is said to suffer from bipolar disorder and left the Cavs for several weeks last season for treatment for depression.

– The Nuggets have offered G Flip Murray a one-year/$1.1M deal. The word is that he would like another $800K in the deal, but the team is already $5.5M over the salary cap. If Murray doesn’t sign, G Keith Bogans is likely the next candidate.

– CBS’ Ken Berger reports that NBA referees received a formal notice of a lockout from the league shortly after 3 p.m. on Friday. The league has also stated it will use replacement officials, starting with training camp next week. Get ready for even worse officiating (if that’s even possible).

– The Rockets don’t want G Brent Barry around this year and are looking to trade him, according to Fox. If a decent deal can’ be found, he’ll likely retire and the Rockets will buy out the last year of his contract.

– According to the NY Times, Nets owner Bruce Ratner is believed to be trying to sell a majority share of the Nets to Russian billionaire, Mikhail Prokhorov. Ratner supposedly flew to Russia in July to meet with Prokhorov about buying a portion of the team. You can be sure he would love to unload this turkey. His company has already suffered $380M in pretax net losses for something it only spent $300M for back in 2004.

– The Spurs are in contract negotiations with Greek C Ioannis Bourousis.

UFC

– UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre (hamstring) told TSN that he will be ready to resume training in October and will be ready to fight in 2010.

TENNIS

– Roger Federer has been fined $1,500 for using a profanity while arguing with the chair umpire during the U.S. Open final.

Federer is being docked the same amount as two other players – Vera Zvonareva and Daniel Koellerer – for audible obscenity. A total of $31,500 in fines is being collected by the tournament, topped by Serena Williams $10K for unsportsmanlike conduct. She also was fined $500 for racket abuse. Canadian Daniel Nestor was docked $5K for unsportsmanlike conduct toward a fan.

NFL

– Former All-Pro LB Derrick Brooks, who recently signed on with ESPN2, is still a free agent and has continued to express interest in his desire to play in the NFL this season. The Saints and the Bears are rumoured to have interest.

– According to ESPN, free agent WR Matt Jones is in discussions with the Titans, Cowboy and Bears.

– The Bills have sigend CB Terrence McGee to a long-term extension.

– Former Steelers RB Jerome Bettis has been offered a position within the team.

NFL

– Commissioner Roger Goodell has announced that Eagles QB Michael Vick will be eligible for the third game of the season. His return is no longer conditional, though Vick will be on a short leash the rest of his career. The Eagles will have to decide whether to place Vick on the exempt list, which would prohibit him from practicing with the team. Since it’s just two weeks, they could instead opt to trade QB A.J. Feeley and go with just one backup. The Eagles host the Chiefs in Week 3 before a Week 4 bye.

NBA

– Free agenet G Allen Iverson is expected to decide on Friday whether to accept the Grizzlies’ one-year contract offer. A.I.’s agent said a decision will be made before the weekend. The most likely alternative would be the Bobcats, but it’s still not clear where Iverson would fit into the Charlotte backcourt. Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace said the odds of landing Iverson were “50-50″, but just in case they are in contact with G Brevin Knight, G Tyronn Lue, G Jacque Vaughn, G Luther Head and G Flip Murray.

– The Wolves have submitted a four year/$16M offer to free agent PG Ramon Sessions. The Bucks have the opportunity to match the offer, but they likely won’t, seeing as they don’t have any free money. Sessions should be the starting pivot in Minnesota.

– According to Mavericks F Dirk Nowitzki’s attorney, prison medical records show Dirk’s former fiancee is not pregnant. Cristal Taylor, 38, is serving a four-year prison sentence in Missouri following her May 6 arrest at Nowitzki’s Dallas home on a probation violation. Taylor had told The Dallas Morning News she was pregnant with Nowitzki’s child. But Nowitzki attorney Robert Hart said a pregnancy test sought through a July court order has come back negative.

NHL

– Multiple reports are suggesting that one reason Paul Kelly was fired as executive director of the NHLPA earlier this week was that he may have read a confidential transcript from a players-only meeting. Privacy has been a sensitive issue for the players, especially since Kelly’s predecessor, Ted Saskin, was alleged to have monitored private player emails. The allegations about Kelly were reported Thursday by the Globe and Mail and the Sporting News. The Globe and Mail said that one executive board member reached for comment would not confirm the report, but also did not deny it.

The Sporting News reported that NHLPA Ombudsman Buzz Hargrove presented evidence of Kelly’s alleged transgression, but he would not confirm that suggestion. A source told The Sporting News that Kelly had allegedly asked an NHLPA employee to help him access the sealed transcripts. Kelly was fired early Monday after 22 months on the job.

– Glenn Healy has resigned as Director of Player Affairs of the NHLPA.

– The Bruins have extended coach Claude Julien to a multi-year extension. The Bruins have jumped from their 13th place finish in the Western Conference in the season before Julien took over to a 116 point finish last season. The Bruins have made the playoffs in each of Julien’s first two seasons with the club and he won the Jack Adams Award last season.

– The Blue Jackets have signed F Derick Brassard to a four-year/$13M contract extension. Brassard’s new deal won’t kick in until the 2010-11 season, meaning that the Blue Jackets now have him locked up for five seasons. Brassard is one of the Blue Jackets’ most promising young players and started the 2008-09 season with a bang, scoring 10 goals and 25 points in 31 games. A shoulder injury cut his rookie campaign short in December, but he is healthy and ready for training camp.

– The Rangers are expected to sign F Brandon Dubinsky to a contract prior to training camp. Dubinsky turned down the Rangers’ qualifying offer of a one-year/two-way contract that would have paid him $522,500 at the NHL level. The qualifying offer was previously thought to be worth $698K for the 2009-10 season. The Rangers reportedly have a number of multi-year offers on the table, ranging from two-to-five years. If the Rangers fail to lock Dubinsky up to a long-term deal, he will be eligible for salary arbitration next season.

– D Philippe Boucher has retired from the NHL after 17 seasons. Boucher was a first-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres (13th overall) in 1991. The 36-year old Quebec native finishes with exactly 300 points (94 goals, 206 assists). His best season was with the Stars in 2006-07, when he had 19 goals, 32 assists, and represented the Western Conference at the All-Star Game.

– The National Hockey League said again today that the Toronto Maple Leafs do not have a veto power when it comes to protecting their territory from another team invading the southern Ontario market. Bill Daly, Deputy Commissioner of the NHL, made that clear in an interview with TSN’s Darren Dreger and Bill Watters on AM 640 Toronto Radio.

Although the Maple Leafs might disagree, Daly said the NHL thinks a majority vote is all that would be required to get a second team in Southern Ontario. Daly also pointed out that the commissioner has unassailable rights to interpret the league constitution as he sees fit.

TNA

– TNA Wrestling has released former Knockouts champion Angelina Love. According to PWInsider.com, Angelina Love – a Canadian citizen – let her work visa expire and did not renew it as needed. She had been on a work visa originally granted to her from when she was under a WWE developmental deal.

One company source says TNA’s hands were tied on the issue, since it would be illegal for them to use her without the work visa. There was a lot of unhappiness within the company over the whole situation, and it seemed to be more a feeling of disappointment rather than heat on Angelina. There’s no word yet on how they will handle her departure in the storylines, but one can assume they would bring her back if she gets a new work visa.

– Jenna Morasca’s brief tenure with TNA Wrestling has come to an end. The Survivor star’s contract recently came up for renewal and both sides passed on going forward, according to sources. Morasca arrived in TNA this past March, becoming a “financial backer” for the Main Event Mafia at the insistence of Kevin Nash. She would later become his valet.

Morasca’s most notable moment in TNA took place this past July at their Victory Road pay-per-view where she made her wrestling debut. In what would turn out to be her lone wrestling match in TNA, the Survivor star came out on top, defeating Sharmell via pinfall. It was recently reported that she would be taking a leave of absence from the organization to film the 20th season of Survivor, although no indication was given that she would be leaving TNA permanently. Morasca’s last appearance in TNA took place on the August 20, 2009 episode of Impact, accompanying the Main Event Mafia during a promo segment.

MLB

– Former Red Sox RHP Curt Schilling said Thursday the chances he will run to replace Democrat Edward M. Kennedy in the U.S. Senate are “slim to none” but he will not rule it out. The three-time World Series champion said he retired from baseball in March to spare his family the downside of the public spotlight. He has also invested millions in his fledgling video-gaming business, 38 Studios.

CFL

– Contrary to earlier reports, the Blue Bombers will not be signing CB Adam “Pacman” Jones. A CFL source requesting anonymity told The Canadian Press that Jones was having trouble crossing the border into Canada because of his past legal troubles, and that played a major part in the Bombers’ decision.

– Vince McMahon is said to be more focused on the RAW program than ever before, and giving less time to SmackDown and ECW. There’s a lot of frustration within WWE regarding the shaky status of MyNetwork TV going forward, and as a result, SmackDown isn’t commanding as much of Vince’s attention as it has in the past. There are some weeks where lead SmackDown writer Michael Hayes spends as little as 20-to-30 minutes running the show by Vince.

WWE

– WWE has signed Ring of Honor wrestler Nigel McGuiness.

UFC

– UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) will face Shane Carwin (11-0) at UFC 106 on November 21 in Las Vegas. It was originally rumoured that Carwin would fight Cain Velasquez (6-0) at UFC 106 with the winner getting a shot at Lesnar next year. However, Valasquez will now fight an unnamed opponent and there’s talk of him getting a shot at the winner of Lesnar-Carwin. For those unaware, Carwin is almost a mirror image of Brock. Should be a dandy.

MLB

– The Cardinals have signed RHP John Smoltz. Smoltz, 42, is 2-5 with an 8.33 ERA in eight starts for the Red Sox this season. Great add for the playoff run. GM John Mozeliak said Smoltz would likely start Sunday at San Diego, and would probably get at least a few turns in the rotation.

– The Astros have placed SS Miguel Tejada on waivers, but pulled him off when another team made a claim. The Astros did the same thing with former C Ivan Rodriguez, and a similar fate is expected to happen with RHP Jose Valverde. For some reason, owner Drayton McLane and GM Ed Wade continue to state that they are still in it for this year and aren’t building for next year.

– The Mets have released RHP Livan Hernandez. The 34-year-old Hernandez was 7-8 with a 5.47 ERA,  and had allowed 18 earned runs in 14 1-3 innings. He allowed six runs in a 10-1 loss to San Francisco on Monday, and the Mets went 2-10 in his last 12 starts.

Speaking of the Mets, they have placed LHP Billy Wagner on waivers, and according to ESPN, he is apparently ready to waive his no-trade clause. Anybody who takes Wagner will have to shell our about $2.7M for the rest of this season, in addition to a $1M buyout for next year. Wagner will be in tough for a job, though, as he has an $8M option for next season. It’s unlikely anyone will claim him off waivers, so the Mets will probably try and work out a trade. Wagner is coming off Tommy John surgery and hasn’t pitched in the bigs since last September, so his trade value is rock bottom. Still, Wagner doesn’t want to finish his career this way and apparently would like to get up to the 420-save mark or thereabouts. He’s at 385 now.

Still with the Mets, they had placed OF Gary Sheffield on waivers last week, and pulled him later on. It’s now believed that Sheff won’t last the season with the team. If the Mets place him on waivers again, they lose the ability to pull him off or negotiate a trade. Sheffield, 41, says he wants to go somewhere with a strong lineup, but thus far, only the Marlins and Rangers have shown interest.

According to the NY Post, Sheffield asked for a contract extension from the Mets Thursday and was denied, and is now threatening to leave the team and might soon be released outright. Things had been running smoothly in New York until Sheff made a couple of curious comments on Tuesday night in reaction to trade rumors. “Based on what I know now, no, I do not think I will be here. But if I am sent to a team that I don’t want to play for, I would go home.” He was scratched from the lineup Thursday night.

– The Brewers have traded 3B Bill Hall to the Mariners for P Ruben Flores. Hall hit 35 home runs in 2006 and was rewarded with a four-year/$24M contract, but he was hitting only .201 with six homers and 24 RBIs in 76 games when the Brewers designated him for assignment last week.

– The Orioles have claimed RHP Chris Lambert off of waivers from the Tigers. The 26-year-old Lambert was 0-1 with a 14.85 ERA in two relief appearances with the Tigers this season. He was 6-7 with a 3.55 ERA in 21 starts with Triple-A Toledo.

– D’Backs RHP Jon Garland has cleared waivers. Arizona will likely have to part with some cash to make up for the $4M left between his contract and his 2010 buyout, but there’s a chance that a contender in need of pitching depth may decide to take their chances and deal for him. Stay tuned.

– The Reds have placed RHP Johnny Cueto (arm) on the 15-day DL. Cueto is 8-10 with a 4.61 ERA in 24 starts.

– The Dodgers have signed RHP Vicente Padilla.

– The Nationals have named Mike Rizzo as their next GM. Rizzo was acting in an interim role this season following the firing of Jim Bowden.

– The Rangers have placed RHP “Everyday” Eddie Guardado (knee) on the 15-day DL.

– The Mariners have transferred LHP Erik Bedard to the 60-day DL. His season is over.

– The Reds have placed OF Willy Taveras (quad) on the 15-day DL.

– The Dodgers have placed RHP Hiroki Kuroda (head) on the 15-day DL, retroactive to August 16.

– The Royals have released 3B Travis Metcalf.

– The White Sox have placed OF Dewayne Wise (shoulder) on the 15-day DL.

– The Mets have placed SS Alex Cora (thumbs) on the 60-day DL.

– The Astros have placed LHP Mike Hampton (torn rotator cuff) on the 15-day DL.

– The Rangers have placed 2B Esteban German (groin) on the 15-day DL.

NBA

– According to sources, F Amare Stoudemire is playing his last year with the Suns this season. Amare was reportedly very unhappy when Shaq was dealt to Cleveland, and was unhappy with being put on the trade block last February when he was supposedly in talks with the Warriors. He’s putting his odds of staying with the team after next summer at 50/50, though, as he can decline a $17.6M salary for 2010-11 next summer and become a free agent. Stay tuned.

– Bucks F Andrew Bogut still hasn’t participated in contact drills as he continues to recover from a lower back stress fracture that ended his season early last year. Bogut’s main goal is to be ready for training camp, but he’s been working on a limited schedule since July and the fact he hasn’t had contact drills yet is a concern.

– Nets F Yi Jianlian may be allowed to skip the rest of the Stankovic Cup in China and return to New Jersey earlier than expected in order to prepare for the start of the season. Yi has been playing very well for Team China, but the Chinese media is reporting that team officials are considering his request to return to the states early.

– According to the Arizona Republic, Cavaliers F Shaquille O’Neal’s new reality show, “Shaq Vs.” apparently was an idea that Shaq stole directly from Suns G Steve Nash when Shaq was originally traded there in February of 2008. Nash talked to a lawyer and now he’s listed as executive producer on the show.

– Knicks G Nate Robinson was arrested Tuesday after officers pulled him over in the Bronx at about 5:30 p.m. and discovered he had a suspended license. According to the NY Post, the 25-year-old RFA was apparently a complete jerk to the cop who pulled him over for driving with an unfastened seat belt. He turned up the volume pretty loud when the cop walked back from Robinson’s SUV to the police cruiser to check his license and then kept singing the words to the rap song when the officer returned to the window. As soon as he heard he was being arrested, Robinson apparently pulled out the I’m-A-Celebrity-card and tried to sway the officer to let him go. KryptoNate was taken to the 52nd Precinct and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and issued a summons to return to court at a later date.

– The Magic have signed G Jason Williams. Williams, who sat out last year, will back up G Jameer Nelson and probably immediately move in front of G Anthony Johnson on the depth chart.

– G Desmond Mason will not return to the Thunder next season.

– The Grizzlies continue to look into G Jamaal Tinsley, G Flip Murray and G Tarence Kinsey.

WWE

– Unless things change at the last minute, Jeff Hardy’s last day with WWE will take place at either SummerSlam or the following SmackDown! taping. WWE is still trying to get him to stay, though. As a result, it pretty much goes without saying that he will be dropping the World Heavyweight Championship to CM Punk next week. Matt Hardy tweeted the following message to Jeff Hardy yesterday morning: “The time is near for the Hardy Empire to begin.. Starting with the Charismatic Enigma.. 8/25/09″ Hmm…

Also, WWE released the first-ever “WWE Kids Poster Book” special edition on Tuesday, which features individual posters of practically every male star on the roster. One glaring omission is that of Jeff Hardy, who is not featured on the poster. You can see the giant poster here.

– There is a lot of talk within WWE about having DX vs. Legacy in the main event position at SummerSlam, even though it would go against the tradition of ending with a title match. The feeling is that if CM Punk is going to beat Jeff Hardy for the World Title, which there’s a good chance of that, it’s better to end SummerSlam on a happy note. This would also indicate that John Cena isn’t planned to take the WWE Title from Randy Orton but that’s not confirmed.

– As of last week, there was a rumour that WWE was planning a major swerve at SummerSlam that would involve either Triple H or Shawn Michaels turning heel at SummerSlam. WWE is now advertising DX vs. Legacy in a steel cage match for the SmackDown and ECW tapings on September 1 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. This could be a sign that plan was changed or it could be a way to keep a possible heel turn a surprise.

– WWE.com has announced that ECW Champion Christian will defend the gold against #1 contender William Regal at Summerslam this Sunday.

– Former WWE superstar and Hollywood heavyweight Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently spoke to the UK’s The Sun. Some highlights:

His Troubled Teen Years: “I had a very checkered past. I got into trouble a lot and had multiple arrests. For a lot of years I struggled to stay on the right path. I had multiple arrests by the time that I was 17. The last time I was arrested, my parents came down to the police station to get me. My parents were struggling at that time, even to put food on the table. That was a lot of stress at that time and I was adding to it. When they came to the police station I remember their disappointment. For years the disappointment had never bothered me but for some reason this time the disappointment in their eyes moved me. And that was when I realized that I was causing a lot of pain for my parents and I did not want to continue to do that.”

His father’s reaction to ‘The Wrestler’: “He didn’t take it very well. We lived the life that you saw in the movie, The Wrestler. That essentially was my dad. The character that Mickey Rourke played so wonderfully was my dad. So when I graduated from college and had an opportunity to play pro football, naturally it was easy for my father to say he did not want me to wrestle. He had nothing to show from a wrestling career. We lived in a one-bedroom apartment and he did not want that life for me. But instinctively I thought I had something to offer that world of entertainment. It took a little of convincing him but eventually we worked together. But being a parent I now understand where my dad was coming from.”

Getting Into Acting: “Ten years ago I knew that I wanted to be a good actor as I wound down my wrestling career. There is a great amount of acting in wrestling and wrestling is a great form of entertainment. For me that training ground was really invaluable because I did not go to school for acting. I went to school for football and studied criminology. I knew it was going to take time and 10 years went by pretty quickly.”

– Former WWE star Ken “Mr. Kennedy” Anderson’s no-compete clause with WWE is set to expire within the next 2 weeks. He will therefore be able to work for any wrestling promotion that wants to hire him. He now goes under the name Mr. Anderson and TNA is said to have high interest in signing the former WWE star.

– As announced Friday afternoon on WWE.com, Nick “Eugene” Dinsmore was released from his WWE contract. According to several sources, the feeling is that he showed up at last week’s RAW taping looking terribly out of shape and Vince McMahon made the decision right then and there to cut him loose. He had just been hired back about a month ago. McMahon is pretty big on first impressions. For instance, his first impression of Takeshi Morishima following a tryout match a year ago this week killed any possible interest in signing him.

An issue of Power Slam noted the following: “August 19: Still on the warpath, Vince claims two more victims: he basically says Morishima looks like a giant, fat girl and that Laurinaitis was wasting his time by hyping such a s colourless and podgy wrestler. Vince also sagely notes that because fellow Japanese name Kenzo Suzuki tanked in WWE, obviously Morishima was likely to be a failure as well – solely on the basis of their shared ethnicity.”

Reportedly, the creative team wanted to get Eugene on television very quickly, so the fact that he was released after his first appearance adds further credence to the theory given.

– This week’s edition of WWE Monday Night RAW drew a 3.8 rating, which is down from last week‘s 3.9 rating. The first hour did a 3.58, while the second hour finished off with a 3.99.

NHL

– Blackhawks F Patrick Kane, 20, and his cousin James Kane, 21, pleaded not guilty during a brief arraignment before Buffalo judge Thomas Amodeo. The appearance came a day after the two were indicted by a grand jury. The Kanes are facing misdemeanor assault, theft and harassment charges that he and his cousin beat up a cab driver over a fare. The panel dismissed a more serious felony charge of second-degree robbery.

– The Sharks have removed captaincy from F Patrick Marleau. Yeesh, about time.

– The 2-month-old son of Capitals G Jose Theodore has died. The goalie’s sister-in-law made the announcement Thursday during her show on a Montreal-area radio station. Theodore also has a 3-year-old daughter, Romy. My condolences go out to the Theodore family.

– The Hurricanes have signed F Stephane Yelle to a one-year/$550K deal. The 35-year-old had seven goals and 11 assists with Boston, and has won the Stanley Cup twice with the Avalanche.

– The Sabres have signed F Jeff Cowan to a one-year deal. Cowan is an eight-year NHL veteran but spent last season playing for Peoria of the AHL. He previously played two years with Vancouver, where he combined for seven goals and four assists, and 203 penalty minutes in 88 games.

– The Ducks have re-sogned D Brett Festerling to a two-year contract. Festerling played 40 games with Anaheim as a rookie last season, recording five assists and 18 penalty minutes. He also played extensively for the Ducks’ top minor league affiliate in Iowa.

– Mark Messier was not offered the head coaching job with the Oilers last season when Craig MacTavish was fired.

– Stars owner Tom Hicks is not putting the team up for sale. Forbes says the team is worth about $405M, but one suspects somebody could get the team for less than that. Hicks’ HSG has until August of 2010 to satisfy his debts before any kind of movement by creditors could be made to take over the teams. He dug himself a hole, though, when his HSG defaulted on a $10M interest payment at the end of March on $525M in loans.

NFL

– WR Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty to felony weapons charges in a Manhattan court Thursday and received a two-year prison sentence. This could easily end the 32-year-old’s career. NY State still must approve Burress’ plea deal – if it doesn’t, Plax could stand trial for two counts of second-degree criminal weapons possession and one count of second-degree reckless endangerment, and face even more prison time. Plax has probably played his last NFL down.

– The NFP is reporting that Raiders assistant Randy Hanson will turn over medical records, and he’s expected to cooperate with Napa, California police. Police, as well as NFL Security, have been attempting to get Hanson to talk since the story of his fractured jaw emerged earlier this week. It’s believed that he will now cooperate because the Raiders will not allow him to return to his former position. The next step is likely an investigation and a possible felony charge against head coach Tom Cable. Cable has declined to comment.

– The Chiefs have signed WR Ashley Lelie.

TNA

– TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle spoke with WTAO in Pittsburgh. Here’s what he said: “I don’t like confrontation, so I kind of back away from it. This is really hard for me. I spent nine hours in jail and it was the lowest point of my life,” Angle said as he started to break down crying pleading for his reputation. “I was sitting there in a county jail thinking about why I even started dating this girl. I don’t even know when I’m allowed back in my own home. I just hope that the hearing goes okay and I can move back into my home. I just want my life back.”

F1

– YouTube co-founder and CEO Chad Hurley has confirmed his involvement with the new Team US F1. US F1 will be joined on the 2010 starting grid by Manor Grand Prix and Campos Meta 1.

– F1 teams will go back to qualifying on low-fuel for the final session next season. According to FIA , the final 10 cars involved in the Q3 qualifying session will not have to declare their fuel levels due to the fact there will be a ban on refueling next year.

That should bring back the days of a real qualifying shootout in which the fastest car is actually the one on the pole. That was not always the case under the current system as teams were forced to declare their race day fuel levels before Q3, meaning different strategies forced teams to use different fuel levels.

Other changes to the rules will see eight cars knocked out in both Q1 and Q2 to take into account the expected increase to 26 cars next season on the starting grid. The current point system will also be maintained for at least one more season. There have been recommendations to go to an Olympic-styled medal system in which the driver with the most wins would be declared the world champion. Even though the FOTA-based teams have agreed not to use the KERS system next year, the FIA rules have increased the weight of the cars to 620kg to take into account the additional weight of the energy recovery system. Tire warmers, which were also expected to be banned along with refueling, will remain – at least for one more season.

MMA

– Kim Couture, the wife of UFC legend Randy “The Natural” Couture, has responded to Lisa Marie Varon’s (a.k.a. Victoria) comments about a potential MMA bout. “I think that with my name I have a target on me. That’s fine. I don’t imagine that’s going to go away any time soon I’ll fight whoever they put in front of me. If she can make my weight – she seems from the picture a lot taller, a lot bigger than me. But if she can make 135 pounds, if (Strikeforce CEO Scott) Coker wants to put it together then so be it.”

VoV

– Sorry, no RAW Recap again this week. I’ll explain in my latest blog.

NFL

– The Vikings have signed QB Brett Favre to a two-year/$24M deal. The deal will pay Favre roughly $12M in 2009, and likely a similar amount in 2010. Favre, 40 in October, will try to extend his 291-game consecutive starts streak with a partially torn rotator cuff.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the “feeling around the league” is that the Vikings will try to trade QB Tarvaris Jackson after signing Favre. Schefter says third QB J.D. Booty is safe, and the prevailing belief is that Jackson is the odd man out. It’s worth noting that the NFL Network reported in mid-June that Jackson would request a trade if Favre became a Viking. The Vikings wouldn’t get much, though, and Jackson’s stock has further plummeted after a poor preseason opener and in-camp knee injury.

– NFL.com’s Steve Wyche reports that the Seahawks and Eagles have “reached out” to free agent RB Warrick Dunn.

MLB

– The Nationals have signed RHP Stephen Strasburg to a record-breaking four-year/$15.1M deal. Strasburg gets a $7.5M signing bonus payable over three years. His 2009 salary is the $400K minimum, which comes to $102,732 for the remaining 47 days of the season. He gets $2M in 2010, $2.5M in 2011 and $3M in 2012. The deal is worth roughly 50% more than the previous highest guaranteed deal for a player in baseball’s amateur draft, the $10.5M RHP Mark Prior received the Cubs. Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that Stephen Strasburg “won’t make his MLB debut before 2010.” In another Twitter update, Nightengale quotes agent Scott Boras as saying that “Strasburg may or may not pitch in the major leagues next year.” However, not reaching Washington before 2011 seems highly unlikely.

– The Rangers have acquired C Ivan Rodriguez from the Astros for P Matt Nevarez and INF Jose Vallejo. Pudge, 37, signed a one-year, $1.5M contract with the Astros in March and went on to hit .251 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs in 93 games. It’s a nice story for Pudge, who returns to the team he spent 12 seasons with, but he doesn’t figure to be anything more than a backup for C Taylor Teagarden. If anything, it is more of a sign that C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who is currently sidelined with thoracic outlet syndrome, won’t be returning from the DL anytime soon. Pudge has thrown out 16 of 50 (32%) would-be baserunners this year.

– According to the NY Daily News, Mindy McCready, who says she had a long-time affair with RHP Roger Clemens, said she is getting ready to tell everybody about it in a VH1 reality series that will kick off in January and feature various celebs talking to Dr. Drew Pinsky. McCready says her unfortunate choice of a first love forever affected her choices of men.

– Phillies RHP Brett Myers denied reports that he was involved in a physical or verbal altercation early Sunday morning at an Irish pub in Jacksonville, Florida. Myers suffered a left eye injury over the weekend, but police have confirmed his story that it didn’t occur during an incident at the pub. “I was in no way involved with pushing or shoving or yelling at anybody. People are saying it was me, and it really wasn’t. I’m tired of people saying things about me that aren’t true.” Myers initially lied about the injury, saying that it came while playing catch with his son before explaining that it was instead from slipping while getting out of a car. The other part of the problem is that he has a history of domestic violence.

– The Yankees have released RHP Russ Ortiz. According to Newsday, the Yankees never intended to call him up. He was released by the Astros after going 3-6 with a 5.57 ERA in 13 starts. The Yankees then added the 35-year-old and sent him down to Triple-A Scranton with the agreement that if he didn’t join the big club after three starts, he could opt out. He went 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA and then opted out.

– The Twins have placed LHP Francisco Liriano (arm) on the 15-day DL. Liriano has been a disaster all season, and was rocked for seven runs in two innings Monday after putting together a very promising start last week. It’s unclear if there’s anything truly wrong with his arm other than obviously not feeling “right.” He’s 5-12 with a 5.80 ERA in 23 starts.

– The Tigers have transferred RHP Joel Zumaya (arm) to the 60-day DL.

NBA

– Since the four-player deal between the Bucks and Raptors, the Knicks are expected to drive contract talks into high gear with Bucks RFA G Ramon Sessions. The team still believes that he could be their point guard of the future, but they don’t want to spend too much money on him with the huge 2010 free agency period ahead. The Bucks don’t have much room left for Sessions, and the Knicks aren’t going to give him what he wants financially. The Knicks are still expected to make serious offers to Cavaliers F LeBron James, Heat G Dwyane Wade, Raptors F Chris Bosh and Suns F Amare Stoudemire.  Sessions may be left with whatever the Knicks want to give him, although there is also a rumour that the Clippers are interested. Stay tuned.

– According to the Miami Herald, the addition of Quentin Richardson to the Heat last week has significantly dimmed the chances of signing G Allen Iverson. While there isn’t enough money to add him, in doing so, there probably wouldn’t be enough touches for everyone to be happy on the team. The Heat are still looking into G Jamaal Tinsley and G Flip Murray for the veteran’s minimum salary. Stay tuned.

– The Suns have signed second-round pick F Taylor Griffin. Griffin is the older brother of college phenom, and Clippers F Blake Griffin.

NHL

– The Red Wings have signed former Red Wings F Todd Bertuzzi to a one-year/$1.5M deal. Bertuzzi scored 15 goals and had 44 points last season for the Flames. GM Ken Holland says Bertuzzi’s back problems appear to be over, and the team’s medical staff was impressed with his condition during a physical. With the loss of F Marian Hossa, F Mikael Samuelsson and F Jiri Hudler up front, the Wings need some offensive help. He should see time on the wing with either F Henrik Zetterberg or F Pavel Datsyuk when they’re not playing together and he could put up 20 goals and 50+ points if he can play a full season.

– According to the Buffalo News, Blackhawks F Patrick Kane’s incident with a Buffalo cab driver is expected to end in a plea deal. It appears as though Kane and his cousin will avoid criminal charges while pleading guilty to lesser misdemeanor charges. If that is the case, jail time is highly unlikely.

– According to the Toronto Sun, veteran D Chris Chelios doesn’t want to hang up his skates just yet. Rumour has it that Chelios asked Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson yesterday if the team needed any additional defencemen. Chelios is working with Wilson at the U.S. Olympic hockey orientation camp, so the two are on good terms. Cheli played in just 28 games for the Red Wings last season.

WWE

– Boxing champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather will be the guest host for next week’s RAW from Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather feuded with the Big Show on RAW back in early 2008 and the two settled their score at WrestleMania 24, with Mayweather coming out on top. He’s currently training for an upcoming fight against Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19, and will likely promote that fight next week. Reports that next week’s show would be hosted by Mike Adamle have been proven false.

– The latest word is that WWE is hoping to get Cavaliers F Shaquille O’Neal to appear on the August 31 edition of RAW. Sources close to Shaq, however, say it is far from a done deal as the NBA great is concerned that working the wrestling event might distract from his focus on promoting “Shaq Vs.” and the upcoming NBA season. Nonetheless, WWE is firmly committed to making it happen.

With teammate F LeBron James scheduled to host a future edition of WWE RAW, it would make sense to book the two teammates together on the show, although nothing–be it a Shaq vs. Big Show encounter or LeBron’s hosting date–is confirmed as of press time.

– Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights:

Floyd Mayweather: Next week, the uber talented and charismatic Floyd “Money” Mayweather will look to steal the show in Money’s home town of Las Vegas. Perhaps the SD team will produce our solitary, WWE Superstars bout in Vegas Monday night and yours truly can enjoy Raw in person. Hey, we got to visit Calgary for a few minutes before we enjoyed a lovely 3 hour drive to Edmonton.

Freddie Prinze, Jr.: I thought Freddie Prinze, Jr did an excellent job as the Guest Host of Raw and I’m sure that FPJ will be talking about the inverted backbreaker that he sustained for years to come with his Hollywood pals. Freddie is a true fan of which I respect. I wish I had gotten to know him better when he was on the creative team with WWE but we traveled different trails during the hectic TV days when I would see him. Nonetheless, FPJ is 2nd only to Shaq as my favorite Guest Host of Monday Night Raw.

The Final Match At SummerSlam: “What match will close the show at Summerslam? Me thinks it will be John Cena challenging Randy Orton for the WWE Title. I’m smelling a Cena victory here but my predictions usually aren’t wager worthy.”

– ECW Diva Tiffany is rumored to be dating WWE developmental wrestler Drew McIntyre are now dating. Tiffany was previously with actor Alphonso Ribeiro — best known as Carlton from The Fresh Prince.

– As an update to reports of WWE having interest in The Rock and Steve Austin as guest hosts on RAW, sources believe WWE might have already extended the invitation to The Rock. The recent Variety report on the guest hosting concept made no mention of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson being in talks to host, but the PW Torch’s report says that WWE has made its interest known-”the ball is in Johnson’s court”.

TNA

– Taz has replaced Don West as the colour commentator of TNA Wrestling (WOOOOOO!). The change took place at Monday night’s television tapings, as Taz called this week’s iMPACT! taping along side Mike Tenay.

Taz posted a couple of comments on his Twitter page regarding his new position: “I am already LOVING my new role in TNA. I had a blast with Mike (Tenay) also. TNA will sound different starting Thursday.”

Taz also addressed Don West, who he is replacing on air. “I’m also happy Don is TNA still. It shows the type of front office we have. Dude has been there for seven years. You don’t just can him – promote him.” While Don West will no longer be calling the action from ringside, several sources have confirmed that he received a promotion in TNA’s merchandising division and is not being let go.

– TNA has extended their partnership with Spike TV through 2012.

NHL

– Vincent Lecavalier-to-Canadiens talks have stalled, and according to a source, there’s now a 25% chance that he’ll be dealt. Don’t count the Leafs out yet, as GM Brian Burke has been on the phone with Bolts’ GM Brian Lawton.

– It appears as though the Islanders will take D Victor Hedman, and the Bolts will take F John Tavares while the Avalanche take F Matt Duchene. Anything can happen, though.

– The Sharks are seriously shopping F Ryan Clowe. TSN.ca reports that the Leafs and Flyers have interest. Clowe could be part of an even bigger deal, with the Sharks shopping both F Patrick Marleau and G Evgeni Nabokov. Strong speculation that at least one of those two will be dealt this weekend. There is strong speculation that at least one of those two will be dealt this weekend.

– The Leafs are a team you need to keep an eye on. GM Brian Burke is trying hard to move a roster player or two and a couple other mid-round picks for another first round pick. This could be used to move up the draft or to pick two high-end prospects.

– Panthers’ D Jay Bouwmeester’s rights will likely be dealt today or tomorrow, with the price likely being a third round pick. The Flyers, Canucks and Oilers are all in the mix, but whoever gets J-Bo will simply be the highest bidder.

– The Sens continue to shop F Dany Heatley. The Blues and Bruins have shown renewed interest. Reports indicate that any deal involving Heatley heading to Boston would include F Phil Kessel.

– The Habs have interest in Ducks’ D Chris Pronger, and it’s very possible that he could be dealt this weekend.

– Canucks’ F Pavol Demitra came out and said that F Marian Gaborik has not purchased a house in Vancouver. Take this with a grain of salt, since Gaborik is still under contract by the Wild. If the ‘Nucks can’t re-sign the Sedin twins, then Gaborik is headed to BC.

– Speaking of teams to watch, another one could be the Blue Jackets. They’re looking to move up in this year’s draft, and could do so sooner rather than later with the draft beginning tomorrow at 7pm EST. The team is reportedly unsure if they can re-sign F Rick Nash following this coming season, and would move him for a package deal that would help them build a foundation again.

– Steve Yzerman has named Red Wings’ coach Mike Babcock as the head coach for the 2010 Olympic team. Babcock’s assistants will be Blue Jackets’ coach Ken Hitchcock, Sabres’ coach Lindy Ruff and former Wild coach and defensive specialist Jacques Lemaire.

– The NHL’s third Winter Classic will be played between the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins at Fenway Park on January 1, 2010. It is being reported by the Trentonian that the league was trying to push for a Washington/Boston matchup at Fenway in order to feature two-time Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin. However, NBC, who will broadcast the game, wanted the Flyers so as to draw a better television audience.

NBA

– Contrary to earlier reports, the Hawks’ trade for G Jamal Crawford will become official once Crawford signs a document stating that he won’t opt out of his contract. It was believed that July 1 was the earliest the deal could be ratified, but it should be wrapped up within the next few days. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Hawks are still aiming to re-sign G Mike Bibby and G Flip Murray. If they land both, they’ll have a very deep/crowded backcourt.

WWE

– Earlier this week, I cited a report from PWInsider.com that stated Matt Hardy had suffered a torn abdominal muscle and would require surgery. The injury occurred before Monday’s RAW during a triple threat match taped for tonight’s Superstars between Hardy, MVP and United States Champion MVP.

Matt Hardy has posted a message to his MySpace page on Wednesday regarding those reports:

“Hey everybody. I hope this message finds you all well and happy. There’s several varying stories going around on the ‘net about me. I’m ok and will be ok. [Thanks] for checking on me and I appreciate the fact that you care.