VoV

-– You can keep up with VoV through Twitter by clicking here.

UFC

– UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has mononucleosis and can’t fight at UFC 108 in January against Shane Carwin. Carwin wrote on his website,

“Guys, my manager Jason Genet just told me that UFC 108 is not happening. Brock has mono and what the UFC has told me is that I have earned the title shot but I have to wait for the title-holder.”

Carwin (12-0) had been scheduled to meet Lesnar (4-1) at UFC 106 on November 21 in Las Vegas but the fight was postponed because of an undisclosed flu-like illness that prevented Lesnar from training. Some rumours are circulating that Lesnar’s fighting career may be in jeopardy. Unfortunately, these appear to be true. I would love to see Lesnar rip apart the UFC (and eventually Fedor Emelianenko). Lesnar also recently became a father and is married to former WWE diva Sable, and obviously, his family and his personal health come before his career. Stay tuned.

– Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will take on unbeaten Cain Velasquez in the main event of UFC 108 on Jan. 2.

MLB

– David Lennon of Newsday expects the Mets to be serious bidders for free agent RHP John Lackey. Lennon reports that general manager Omar Minaya was impressed with Lackey in their preliminary meetings. Lackey is expected to seek a $100M deal, which may be too rich for the Mets. Stay tuned.

– Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times doesn’t think a report from Mike Silva’s NY Baseball Digest that suggests OF Carl Crawford wants out of Tampa Bay has any merit. While Smith didn’t get an official word from the team, he writes that the unattributed report doesn’t match up with what both sides have been saying all along. “I hope we can get something done, but if not I’ll just go into next season, do what I have to do and try to help the team win and go from there,” Crawford said in September. As recently as this week, Crawford’s agent Brian Peters said that they were still looking forward to a potential long-term deal, while Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman said both sides were “very interested” in an extension when they picked up Crawford’s $10M option on Monday. It won’t take long for this rumor to get thoroughly and thankfully debunked.

It’s highly unlikely Crawford is moved during the offseason, but he’d be prime trade bait if the Rays fall out of the race early. I don’t think a deal gets done since Crawford agreed to the option. Why include the option if there was an agreement to rip it up? He didn’t seem to have a problem with the 2009 option being picked up, either. Crawford is widely expected to command at last $15M annually once he hits the open market.

NHL

– Capitals F Mike Knuble (broke finger) is out three-to-four weeks. Knuble has five goals and 10 assists for the Capitals this season. He was one of Washington’s major off-season acquisitions, signing a two-year/$5.6M deal on the first day of NHL free agency in July.

NBA

– The Grizzlies have signed G Jamaal Tinsley. Tinsley was waived by the Indiana Pacers in the offseason. The 31-year-old had two years and $14.7M left on his contract but didn’t play in 2008-09, mostly due to off-court legal problems and a plan to have him in a reduced role.

– Magic F Dwight Howard has been fined $15K for using his personal blog to criticize officials.

NFL

– Bengals WR Chad Ocho Cinco was fined $20K and reprimanded by the NFL for taking a $1 bill onto the field during an officials’ review of one of his catches last Sunday. He held the dollar in his right hand at his side but didn’t give it to the official, who motioned for him to stay away.

***BREAKING NEWS***

– ESPN is reporting that the Browns have traded WR Braylon Edwards to the Jets for WR Chansi Stuckey, LB Jason Trusnick, and two draft picks. This comes days after Edwards and Cavaliers F LeBron James war of words. Along with Edwards’ recent incident with a Cleveland nightclub performer, it was also believed that most of the leaks involving complaints about coach Eric Mangini were courtesy of the disgruntled receiver.

– First-round draft pick WR Michael Crabtree has agreed to terms with the 49ers on a six-year deal. According to ESPN’s Jay Glazer, it voids to five years if Crabtree has great years in two of his first four seasons. If Crabtree fails to reach the production trigger, the sixth year pays him only $4M. After three months and threats of a full-year holdout and re-entry into the draft, this is good news for both the 49ers and Crabtree.

NHL

– According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the Thrashes could soon be moving to Winnipeg. The team apparently needs to stay in Atlanta for another few years due to signed agreement with the NHL, but a potential move could still happen. Atlanta is claiming that it isn’t for sale but others are saying that about 10 NHL teams are considering a sale right about now. Even if the Thrashers don’t move to Winnipeg, it’s becoming clear that another NHL team in America that is losing scads of money might do it. The Coyotes, Islanders, Panthers, Lightning and Predators are all potential relocation cities. Stay tuned.

MLB

– Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa (groin) will miss the entire NLDS vs. the Phillies.

– According to the Denver Post, the Rockies have told closer RHP Huston Street that they will discuss a multi-year extension with him this winter. Street is entering his final year of arbitration and is likely to command a good chunk of change after converting 35 saves and posting a 0.91 WHIP this season. The Post’s Troy Renck believes negotiations will have to start at three-years/$25M.

– The Astros have exercised their 2010 option on RHP Brad Moehler. Moehler went 8-12 with a 5.47 ERA this season and also underwent knee surgery this week. The option is worth $3M, but it’s a mutual option, meaning Moehler has the right to decline it (he won’t). If the option isn’t picked up, the Astros will owe him $250K.

NBA

– According to the LA Times, F Kobe Bryant is close to signing an extension with the Lakers. Bot sides are confident a deal can get done by October 27. Bryant is making $23M this season and will get a $1.8M raise for next season.

– It’s becoming more and more likely that Hawks G Joe Johnson will become a free agent at season’s end. The Hawks offered him a four-year/$60M extension, but nothing amounted from it.

– The Miami Herald reports that the Heat are keeping a close eye on G Jamaal Tinsley. The report says that G Bobby Jackson or G Brevin Knight could be backup options.

WWE

– Rob Van Dam has posted a message on his WWE Universe page that WWE officials probably won’t be thrilled with. Here’s what RVD posted to promote his weekly BlogTalkRadio.com radio show:THE

SUBJECT…HYPOTHETICALLY…

WOULD YOU RATHER SEE RVD GO TO WWE OR TNA?

GO TO ROBVANDAM.COM TO RVD RADIO 10/07/09 FROM 9-11 PM E.S.T.

– The October 5 edition of WWE RAW hosted by Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger drew a 3.3 (3.32 and 3.29) rating, up from last week’s 3.1. RAW was up against some very stiff competition, like the Vikings/Packers game that saw QB Brett Favre defeat the team he played for for 16 seasons. That game scored a huge 15.3 rating with a staggering 21.8M viewers. It was the most watch show in the history of cable television.

It’s been said that WWE booked Big Ben to host RAW last night was an attempt to counter the big MNF game. Considering there were so many football fans watching television last night, there’s a good chance many of them jumped over to RAW to see Roethlisberger and the Steelers on RAW.

***UPDATE***

– Yankees OF Shelly Duncan was also suspended three games for his his role in a physical altercation with Blue Jays C Rod Barajas. Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long and P Edwar Ramirez were both fined undisclosed amounts for their actions. Barajas was fined $1K for “verbal abuse”.

MLB

– According to B.J. Rains of MLB.com, Cardinals RHP Joel Pineiro has informed his agent that he would like to “try and work out a deal to remain with the Cardinals.” Piniero said, “Definitely, I like it here. I like the staff, the players, everything.” The 30-year-old impending free agent is 14-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 28 starts this season. He’ll be looking for a deal similar to the four-year/$41M extension Kyle Lohse signed last year, but if the Cardinals want to lock up 3B Mark DeRosa and/or OF Matt Holliday, there might not be enough cash left. GM John Mozeliak said the club is holding off on negotiations until the 2009 season has concluded.

– The MLB has suspended Jays LHP Jesse Carlson three games and Yankees C Jorge Posada four games (and fined him $3K) for their involvement in Tuesday night’s bench-clearing brawl. It’s not yet clear whether or not either player plans to appeal.

– The White Sox have released RHP Bartolo Colon.

– The Marlins are expected to shop OF Jeremy Hermida.

– The Tigers are rumoured to be shopping OF Curtis Granderson this offseason in exchange for a starting pitcher. Don’t look too deep into this one.

NFL

– The NFL have fined the Jets $75K for failing to disclose Brett Favre’s throwing arm injuries during the second half of last season. GM Mike Tannenbaum also took a $25K hit, while then-Jets coach Eric Mangini was fined the same. Mangini’s 0-1 Browns, coming off a blowout loss to Minnesota, visit Mile High Stadium this week.

– Bills MLB Paul Posluszny (broken left arm) underwent surgery Tuesday and is out indefinitely. “We’re hoping to get him back at some point before the halfway point of the season,” said coach Dick Jauron.

WWE

– In the wake of Jeff Hardy’s 9/11 arrest for drug trafficking, the former WWE superstar’s MySpace and Twitter pages have been taken down.

– It’s also worth noting that the Twitter account of Beth Britt, Jeff Hardy’s fiance, is still active, all the content has been removed. It appears they have shut the accounts down due to the attention stemming from Hardy’s arrest.

– There were rumours over the weekend that Matt Hardy had been sent home by WWE management. After speaking with a source within WWE, I can confirm that those rumours are false. Matt was backstage at Tuesday’s SmackDown! tapings from Hamilton, Ontario but was not used on television.

– As reported earlier, Mickie James was out of action this past week because one of her breast implants ruptured during a a recent match, thus explaining why she didn’t wrestle on television. It’s believed that the rupture took place on September 5 since she worked the live event that night in St. Paul, but didn’t the next night in Madison. In an update on the situation, James underwent a corrective procedure over the weekend and is expected to be back in action relatively soon.

– As noted earlier, there was talk that Lilian Garcia would host an episode of Monday Night RAW before departing from WWE. Considering Cedric the Entertainer will be hosting next week’s show from Little Rock – her last scheduled show at last word – those plans appear to be off the cards. It should be noted that Lilian was originally planned to host RAW the week Sgt. Slaughter ended up hosting.

According to FWOnline, Garcia’s final show could be next Monday night in Little Rock, Arkansas. There has been talk of making Howard Finkel the new announcer for RAW if they are unable to find a permanent replacement by September 28.

– Both Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness are expected to bypass developmental and head straight to the main roster. However, it remains unknown when that will be, or with what brand.

NHL

– The Senators and Canadiens are believed to be interested in F Mats Sundin, assuming Sundin doesn’t retire.

– Devils F Patrick Elias (groin) is expected out three-to-six weeks.

– D Brett Hedican has retired.

NBA

– RFA G Nate Robinson’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, said that his client is sure to return to the Knicks this season. “Yes, I’m 100 percent sure of that.” Goodwin included that Robinson has made it clear to his agent that he would only return to the Knicks.

– Mavericks F Tim Thomas (knee) will be sidelined for four-to-eight weeks after an injury in a pickup game. He has a slight meniscus tear and will likely not be ready until just before the start of the regular season.

– The Clippers have re-signed F Brian Skinner.

– The Heat have shot down interest in G Jamaal Tinsley.

– Pacers co-owner, Melvin Simon, died today at the age of 81.

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

– Senators F Dany Heatley could be finally traded to the Sharks in the next two days. Rumour has it that Heatley, who has the Senators’ records for single-season goals (50) and points (105), will be headed to the Shark Tank after the Sharks make a deal with the Bruins and Canadiens. It’s unknown whether Heatley will accept a  trade or turn it down as he did with a proposed deal that would have sent him to the Oilers.

– The Red Wings have signed F Jason Williams to a one-year deal. The 28-year-old free agent played 233 games with the club between the 2000-2001 season and the 2006-2007 season, posting 49 goals and 67 assists. Roenick, choking up throughout his farewell speech, leaves the game as one of four American who scored 500 or more goals. He scored 513 overall to rank 36th. With all the off-season loses the Red Wings have endured, Williams will probably get a chance to play on one of Detroit’s top two lines.

– A bankruptcy judge has ruled that Jim Balsillie can present his bid for the Phoenix Coyotes at the September 10 auction. Originally, only bidders who wanted to keep the team in Glendale would be allowed to participate in the auction – that would have prevented Balsillie from presenting his bid unless all local offers were deemed unacceptable. This is a blow for the NHL who had unanimously rejected Balsillie’s $212.5M bid to buy the Coyotes and move them to Hamilton. Stay tuned.

– So long, JR Superstar – F Jeremy Roenick has officially retired from the NHL. “Sometimes friends come and save you. Just when I thought that it was all over, Doug Wilson asked me to fly to San Jose and talk about playing for the Sharks. He asked me if I could still play the game and I told him I know I could still play…In Phoenix, I wasn’t able to say goodbye to the game. Doug Wilson and the San Jose Sharks gave me my life back. I can sit here and make my own decision to hang them up and move on.””

“I am not only happy but proud of the 20-year career that I have had in the National Hockey League. To end my career on my terms was very important to me and I must thank [Sharks general manager] Doug Wilson and the San Jose Sharks organization for providing me that opportunity.”

– The Blues have signed G Ed Belfour as a consultant. Belfour was 484-320-125 with 76 shutouts in his 18-year career with the Blackhawks, Sharks, Stars, Leafs and Panthers.

NBA

– Magic F Rashard Lewis has tested positive for a steroid, DHEA, and was suspended Thursday for 10 games. Lewis said in a statement that he took an over-the-counter supplement late last season that included a substance he did not realize was banned by the NBA. “First and foremost I take full responsibility for the situation and accept the corresponding penalty. I apologize to Magic fans, my teammates and this organization for not doing the research that should come with good judgment.” He will be suspended without pay for the first 10 regular-season games for which he is eligible and physically able to play.

– The Knicks are very interested in G/F Jerry Stackhouse, and they have contacted G Jamaal Tinsley. The team is still negotiating with G Jason Williams, and talks with G Ramon Sessions have reportedly slowed – he supposedly wants a five-year/$32M deal, and the Knicks are trying to save as much cash as possible for the massive free agent pool during the summer of 2010. The Knicks really want Sessions and are desperately trying to trade somebody else in order to get some of that cap space back that they’d be losing if it signed Sessions.

– The Wolves are expected to hire Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis as their new bench boss. The offer is expected to become official very soon. Other candidates include former NBA G Mark Jackson and current Rockets assistant Elston Turner.

WWE

– Former WWE star Bob “Hardcore” Holly was recently intervewed by InsidePulse.com. Here are some highlights:

On the future of WWE: “Yeah, there’s nobody there who has the dedication, the focus, the ability to tell a story – at least not at the level that they need to move into the upper level. Even if they did, they’d still have to deal with the current group of guys at the top anyway and I don’t see them moving for a while. John Morrison, for example, he’s good but it’s too early. He’s stuck at a level and he’s good where he is but he needs to focus and learn from the older guys to really click at the top level.”

On Ken Anderson, formerly known as Mr. Kennedy: “That mother—-er… he’s a dead man walking. I told VPW (indy promotion) that if they get him on their show, I’ll not only work for free but I’ll fly myself in too. If I ever see him again, I’m going to jail, that’s all there is to it.”

Why WWE didn’t do anything with him: “I have no idea. It’s something that Jericho would say to me often, he’d say he didn’t have a clue why they couldn’t use me more. I’ve been in the business for twenty years, I know how to tell a story, I’m safe to work with and the boys respect me but I guess they just don’t want to put over some people. Hell, even ‘Taker went to Vince to ask about doing an extended program with me but Vince shot the idea down.”

MLB

– Cardinals RHP Brad Thompson has been suspended three games and fined an undisclosed amount for throwing at Mets 3B David Wright’s head Wednesday. Thompson has filed an appeal, and denied there was intent behind the pitch in a post-game interview on Wednesday. Thompson said, “You throw a ball like at somebody’s head, especially after something happened earlier, and you expect a warning. I’m not going to try to hit David Wright in the head. I’m not going to hit anybody in the head.” The Mets, and the home plate umpire, saw the up-and-in fastball as retaliation for the beaning of 1B Albert Pujols one inning earlier.

– Major League Baseball has decided not to suspend Brewers 1B Prince Fielder for his actions following Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers. Everyone was pardoned from suspension: Fielder for trying to get into the Dodger clubhouse to confront Dodgers RHP Guillermo Mota; Mota for intentionally drilling Fielder in the ninth inning of a blowout; and Dodgers manager Joe Torre for ordering the plunking. Fielder and Mota will pay undisclosed fines.

– The Diamondbacks have placed OF Justin Upton (right oblique strain) on the 15-day DL. A similar injury cost him a month last year. Upton was hurt on a steal attempt in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s game. It’s unfortunate timing for the 21-year-old, currently experiencing a breakthrough campaign. He is batting .301/.374/.541 with 20 home runs and 66 RBI in 441 plate appearances.

– The Mets have placed LHP Jon Niese (torn right hamstring) on the 60-day DL. Niese will miss the remainder of the season. He injured the muscle while stretching for a throw at first base in Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals. An MRI revealed a complete tear of the right upper hamstring tendon from the bone. Niese will undergo surgery and is expected to be ready for Spring Training. He was 1-1 with a 4.21 ERA in five starts for the Mets.

– Rangers OF Nelson Cruz (left ankle sprain) is experiencing too much pain to effectively throw or swing. The Rangers are trying to hold off on placing Cruz on the DL, but this news could force their hand.

– Cubs P Julio Castillo was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years probation for injuring a fan by throwing a baseball in a brawl last year. Castillo was pitching for Single-A Peoria when a melee broke out against Dayton in late July of last year. The 22-year-old Castillo, who faced up to eight years in prison, was given a more lenient sentence because the judge believed he was remorseful.

– The Reds will keep Dusty Baker as their manager for the remainder of this season and all of next. The Reds currently sit at 46-61. Baker will also make $4M.

– Indians owner Pat Dolan said Wednesday that his club is on pace to lose $16M this season. Dolan issued the projection while defending the recent trades of LHP Cliff Lee and C Victor Martinez. By season’s end, the Indians will have sold right around 1.7M tickets, more than 500,000 less than they had hoped. More cost-cutting moves could be on the horizon.

– The Red Sox have placed OF Rocco Baldelli (ankle) on the 15-day DL.

– The Nationals have placed OF Austin Kearns (thumb) on the 15-day DL.

– The Nationals have traded 2B Anderson Hernandez to the Mets for Greg Veloz.

– The Yankees have signed RHP Russ Ortiz.

– The Giants have placed RHP Henry Sosa (shoulder) on the 60-day DL.

NFL

– According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the Packers have had “legitimate” discussions about signing free agent QB Michael Vick. GM Ted Thompson was noncommittal when asked about Vick on Tuesday, refusing to rule Vick out. CEO Mark Murphy indicated Green Bay’s interest isn’t sincere, but sources tell the newspaper otherwise. The Packers could offer Vick a short-term contract with minimum salaries to back up QB Aaron Rodgers.

– The Broncos are “getting close” to signing RB Knowshon Moreno to a five-year deal with at least $12.5M in gurarantees. According to the Denver Post,”significant progress” has been made of late, and Moreno is expected to agree to a deal with a maximum value in excess of $22M.

– Both the 49ers and the player rep for WR Michael Crabtree are denying that the No. 10 overall pick has threatened to sit out the season and re-enter the draft in 2010. One side is lying. Despite confirmation from Crabtree’s cousins and adviser, David Wells, agent Eugene Parker denies saying a word to anyone about a potential re-entry. Both sides realize the nuclear option was not a wise move to enter in the public record, so they are backtracking and trying to quiet the situation down. Which makes sense. Crabtree has taken a P.R. hit and the reality is the two sides are still far away from a deal.

– The Chiefs have reportedly agreed to terms with DE Tyson Jackson, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, on a five-year contract. Jackson will likely come in at around $30M guaranteed.

– Cardinals QB Kurt Warner, 38, says he is only 85% after offseason hip surgery. Warner admits his hip is still sore despite being over four months removed from the operation. According to KTAR Sports Radio, he’s appeared “slightly hindered” in practice.

– The Patriots have acquired OLB/DE Derrick Burgess from the Raidersfor a third- and fifth-round pick in 2011. The Eagles were reportedly in the mix as well, offering a third-round pick.

– The Falcons have signed WR Robert Ferguson. WR Ike Hilliard also worked out for the Falcons.

F1

– Michael Schumacher continued his potential Formula One comeback with a second day of karting in northern Italy. The German, who was joined by Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer, is attempting to determine his fitness level ahead of a possible return at the European Grand Prix in two weeks time. While Schumacher has been named as a replacement for the injured Felipe Massa, there are questions as to whether or not the 40 year old will be physically fit to return to racing. His spokesperson, Sabine Kehm, has indicated that a lingering neck injury could scuttle all his plans. Schumacher injured his neck in a motorcycle testing accident earlier this year. He is expected to undergo a complete physical in the next few days.

MLB

– White Sox LHP Mark Buehrle has pitched a perfect game against the Rays. Buehrle, who tossed on the second perfect game in ChiSox history, improved to 11-3 on the season. He also finished with a clean sheet – 9 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Congrats on the rare accomplishment.

– The Phillies are not sold on LHP J.A. Happ RHP Kyle Drabek being an untouchable in a Roy Halladay trade, but the Phills would like to hold onto him. Doc has also given GM JP Ricciardi a list of teams that he would approve a trade to. As I reported yesterday, Halladay is believed to be “emotionally gone” from the team, and I’ve heard more of the same today, saying that he just wants out. A deal is unlikely be the “soft” July 28 deadline set by Ricciardi, so something could materialize over the winter.

– According to Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi, ace RHP Roy Halladay told the team that he would test free agency when his contract runs up after the 2010 season. This would help explain why the club is so open to dealing one of the league’s premier pitchers. Ricciardi told the FAN590, “What’s changed is Roy has told us that he’s going to test the free-agent market.” The Blue Jays want a decision on a Halladay trade by July 28. Many teams have been linked to trade negotiations involving Toronto’s ace, including the Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers, Cardinals, White Sox, Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees. “Some are serious and some I would say are delirious,” Ricciardi said.

– According to a number of sources, the Indians and Rays have discussed a deal that would send LHP Cliff Lee to Tampa Bay. Indians GM Mark Shapiro is asking for multiple high-end prospects in exchange for Lee, namely Wade Davis, but Tampa Bay is reportedly balking at that idea. It’s believed that the Rays were trying to involve a third team to satisfy Cleveland’s pitching demands.

– The Cardinals are again showing interest in A’s OF Matt Holliday. The A’s are targeting 3B Brett Wallace. The odds of a deal are “50/50.” The Cards had also contacted the Nationals in regards to OF Josh Willingham. Wallace seems like a high price to pay for Holliday, who is merely a rental player for the rest of the season before becoming a UFA. But Holliday and 1B Albert Pujols together would be tough to pitch against. Holliday makes $13.5M this year and will likely be a Type A free agent after the season. Stay tuned.

– The Rays are now pursuing Victor Martinez. They have Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson to offer the Indians, though the clubs aren’t believed to have exchanged names. The Red Sox have many top young pitchers as well and have been discussing Martinez for weeks with the Indians. Boston remains interested in V-Mart, even after adding 1B Adam LaRoche, but one GM believes the two clubs would have completed a deal weeks ago if one was going to happen.

– According to sources, the Rays are pursuing many, but remain unlikely to acquire any of them. Payroll limitations could prevent the Rays from adding Indians C Victor Martinez, LHP Cliff Lee or Jays RHP Roy Halladay. The Rays would consider parting with LHP Scott Kazmir and OF Carl Crawford, though the chances they deal their star left fielder are “close to zero.”

– White Sox OF Brian Anderson has asked the team for a trade, but the team has reportedly tried without any success. The 27-year-old said he needs to play every day.

– LHP Jim Parque, a former pitcher for the White Sox and Tampa Bay, says he used human growth hormone “about six times” after he was cut by Chicago in 2002 and before he tried a comeback with the Rays the following season. Parque made his confession in a lengthy, first-person account printed Thursday in the Chicago Sun-Times. He says he tried HGH in a bid to recover from a shoulder injury that he blames for derailing his career. “It never gave me more strength or bulked me up, but it provided quicker recoveries. I began to throw harder because my shoulder felt no pain. I was able to withstand more throwing, creating a work environment that I had not experienced in two years.” Parque made five starts for Tampa Bay in 2003, compiling an 11.94 ERA. He never pitched again in the majors. In 2007, he was named as a drug user in the Mitchell Report. A left-handed pitcher with a 31-34 career record who never made big money, Parque said he sustained a torn labrum during the 2000 playoffs and, after exhausting every other possible remedy, turned to HGH in an attempt to save his career.

– The Orioles have two prices for LHP George Sherrill. Teams willing to take on his salary have to give up a premium prospect and another prospect, but if the O’s have to pay Sherrill, they want a premium prospect and two other players.

– The Red Sox have acquired OF Chris Duncan from the Cardinals in exchange for SS Julio Lugo.

– The Tribe have traded RHP Rafael Betancourt to the Rockies for P Connor Graham. The Rockies needed a quality bullpen arm and they got it in Betancourt, who will immediately become its top setup man to closer RHP Huston Street. Betancourt missed a little more than a month of action earlier this year while dealing with a strained right groin. He’s posted a 3.52 ERA in 30 2/3 innings this season.

– The Nationals have placed RHP Jordan Zimmerman (right elbow) on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 19. Zimmerman has struggled recently, allowing 13 runs — nine earned — in his last three starts spanning 15 2/3 innings. He is 3-5 with a 4.63 ERA in 16 starts for Washington. No word yet on how much time he’s expected to miss.

– The Astros have placed 1B Lance Berkman (calf) on the 15-day DL.

– Padres manager Bud Black will receive a one-year extension. lack’s current deal expires after this season, but he’ll soon be under contract to manage the Padres through 2010. Since 2007, Black has led the Padres to a 189-231 record. The highlight of his Padres career to-date came in 2007, when he led the Padres to within a game of a playoff berth.

– The Dodgers are still shopping for a reliever.

– The Phillies are shopping some of their pitchers.

– The Twins are shopping for infielders.

– The Phillies have some interest in Rockies OF Ryan Spilborghs, A’s OF Scott Hairston and Tigers OF Ryan Raburn.

– The Cubs are looking at left-handed relievers, including Sherrill, John Grabow and Joe Beimel.

NBA

– In his new book, Cavaliers F LeBron James admits he smoked marijuana during his junior year in high school. James also says he struggled to cope with the sudden fame that came with being on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he was 17.

– The Lakers have resumed talks with F Lamar Odom. Talks broke down last week after Lakers owner Jerry Buss withdrew his offer to Odom. The Lakers had given Odom the choice of a four-year/$36M contract (the fourth season was only partially guaranteed) or a three-year/$30M deal. Buss reportedly became upset that Odom was negotiating with the Heat, who were limited to offering him a five-year/$34M deal. The LA Times reported the talks between Odom and the Lakers as “productive,” but added there was no deal to report “at the moment.” The Times also said Odom might receive a new offer less than the one Buss withdrew.

– The Pacers have waived G Jamaal Tinsley. If he clears waivers in seven days, he will become a free agent. When the waiver becomes official, none of the players who have had legal problems or were involved in the brawl between Pacers players and Pistons fans in 2004 will remain on the roster. Tinsley has career averages of 10.4 points and 7.0 assists, but he has been hampered by injuries and legal problems in recent years. The Pacers told him not to report to training camp last season and did not allow him to play. The NBA players’ union filed a grievance for him in February, but the arbitration hearing scheduled for next week has been cancelled. He’s still owed $14.7M by the Pacers. The Heat are rumoured to be interested.

– Wolves G Ricky Rubio plans to part ways with Spanish basketball club DKV Joventut even if the Wolves cannot reach a deal to bring their first round draft pick to the NBA. Wolves president David Kahn was in Spain this week to try and help the fifth overall pick negotiate a buyout of his contract with Joventut. Rubio is at odds with his boyhood club over a buyout clause that could cost the 18-year-old point guard as much as $6.6M. The NBA’s collective bargaining rules limit the Timberwolves’ contribution to $500K.

– The Spurs have signed F Theo Ratliff, 36.

NHL

– The Hurricanes have signed F Tuomo Ruutu to a four-year/$11.4M deal. Ruutu will make $3M this season, $4M in 2010-11 and $4.4M in 2011-12. He made $2.25M last season. Ruutu, 26, is coming off a regular season in which he had career highs with 26 goals, 28 assists and 54 points, then added a goal and three assists during the Hurricanes’ run to the Eastern Conference finals.

– The Devils have signed F Travis Zajac to a multi-year extension. Zajac, 24, had career highs with 20 goals and 42 assists last season, and a team-leading plus-33 mark. He played in all 82 games for the second straight season, adding a goal and three assists in the postseason. Zajac, whose arbitration was to start later this week, has 51 goals and 87 assists in three seasons. He earned just $984,200 last campaign and will now make $2.75M next year, $3.5M in 2010-11, $4.5M in 2011-12 and $4.8M in 2012-13.

– The NHL has scheduled an arbitration hearing July 30 for F Jiri Hudler, who says he’s leaving the Red Wings to join Dynamo Moscow of Russia’s KHL. Hudler signed a two-year/$10M tax-free deal to play for Dynamo Moscow. The Red Wings are seeking to retain rights to the 25-year-old winger should he return to the NHL in the future. Hudler made $1.15M with the Red Wings last season, and he reportedly turned down Detroit’s offer of five-year/$15M contract.

– The Islanders have signed G Martin Biron to a one-year deal. Biron was 29-19-5 for the Flyers last season, with a 2.76 GAA, and led Philadelphia to the Eastern Conference finals against Pittsburgh. The move is weird, considering they signed UFA G Dwayne Roloson to a two-year/$5M contract on July 1st. The Islanders also already have G Rick DiPietro locked up through the 2020-21 due to his 15-year deal agreed upon in 2005.

– Former Leafs G Martin Gerber has signed with Atlant Moscow of the KHL. He posted a 10-14-1 record with a .902 save percentage and a 3.03 save percentage between Ottawa and Toronto.

– Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman called F Marian Hossa’s shoulder injury “relatively minor” on Wednesday. “At this point we’re watching him and monitoring how he progresses. We’re hoping that like a lot of other guys, they rehab it and are good to go.” Hossa is rehabbing his right shoulder and the Hawks will watch his recovery closely. Surgery has not been ruled out at this point, but Bowman said it “would be a last resort.” If surgery is required Hossa may be out for a few months, which would likely sideline him for the start of the 2009-10 season. The Hawks also announced that they knew Hossa was hurt when they started negotiations with him this summer, meaning they were not overly concerned about his ability to play in their lineup next year. Stay tuned.

– Former Red Wings F Sergei Fedorov says a man entrusted to manage his money during the past 11 years swindled him out of $43M. In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Wayne County Circuit Court, Fedorov says Joseph Zada of Grosse Pointe Shores also broke a promise to repay him $60M by April 20.

– Former Flyers captain Dave Poulin has joined the Maple Leafs front office. Poulin was unveiled Thursday as the club’s new vice president of hockey operations.

WWE

– Some people backstage are not pleased with Jeff Hardy’s decision to take time off while Smackdown! is short of main event talent, however he was received praise for his recent performances. WWE has been impressed with his work ethic on the road and his great job of putting CM Punk over. The general feeling is that it is imminent that Hardy will take a break, which is why WWE is working hard to get talent like John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler over.

– Bret Hart appeared on the Busted Open radio show Sirius satellite radio and discussed his current relationship with Vince McMahon.

“It’s kind of live and let live. I appreciated when they did the DVD thing with me. That meant a lot with me. I’ve always tried to be more positive than negative. We had a bad ending, but we certainly had some great years together. I’ll never forget those.”

“I think it goes as far back as when I had my stroke in 2002. He called me up and the conversation that we had, I like to call it a pep talk that he gave me at that time. I think it meant something and I felt it was very sincere. I think it was that conversation that kind of turned the tide for us. I wouldn’t be talking to you right now if it wasn’t for all the things that Vince McMahon did for me years ago.”

– There is no set return date for Edge, although the hope is that he can return for an angle with Chris Jericho by WrestleMania 26.

– At this point, it is highly unlikely that Undertaker will be returning in time for SummerSlam. The current target date for his return is the September pay-per-view on the 13, Breaking Point. Likewise, Shawn Michaels is expected to return at SummerSlam.

– As previously reported, Vince McMahon shot down the idea of Hulk Hogan as a potential Raw guest host. There is heat between Vince and Hogan, but another reason that played into the rejection of the idea is that he felt it would be a waste to use a high profile name like Hogan for this angle. The feeling that it is best to use WWE greats to build major PPV matches.

– Jim Ross has updated his blog over at JRsBarBQ.com. Some highlights:

Steve Austin’s Tax Debt: Steve Austin: “Much has been made of the Steve Austin tax matter resulting from the sale of some property. Knowing Steve as well as I do, and we have not discussed this particular matter, I would assume that this is merely a clerical error and someone on the accounting or Realtor end dropped the ball. Austin is one of the most obsessed individuals I know regarding saving money and taking care of his business the right way.”

“Austin ‘got it’ when I used to preach to the wrestlers about saving their money, preparing for their future, getting professional financial planning and income tax help and not living beyond their means IE pay one’s bills and don’t buy too much bling. Trust me, Steve Austin won’t have any issues taking care of this $22K matter that I suspect simply fell through the cracks.”

Jerry Brisco’s Health: “Spoke with Jerry Brisco Tuesday afternoon while “in hurry up and wait mode” in Richmond. Jerry’s doctors are extremely happy with the HOF’er’s progress and expect him to make a full recovery from heart surgery after a few months rest. Having three months off sounds pretty intriguing to me but having to have heart surgery to facilitate such hopefully isn’t in my cards. Jerry’s speech and strength are making a big comeback!

Shawn Michaels’ Return: There is rampant speculation that Shawn will return to WWE in time to compete at Summerslam but I have yet to hear that confirmed. HBK returning at Summerslam would be my guess but I just can’t be sure at this time. Michaels is still, arguably, the best in ring performer in the business today.”

– In case you haven’t noticed, two-time WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix has not been seen in recent weeks. Her last appearance took place on the June 29th edition of Raw, which saw Mickie James defeat her, Kelly Kelly and Rosa Mendes to become the No. 1 contender for the Divas Championship. Phoenix has not appeared since, including house shows. As far as her status is concerned, she is not hurt, nor is there heat on her. She’s not in the title picture at the moment and they are looking to focus on the bikini-looking women on Raw for the time being.

NFL

– ESPN‘s Ed Werder reports that free agent QB Brett Favre is now “conflicted” about whether he truly wants to return to the NFL. Werder says Favre got calls from Vikings Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson, and Adrian Peterson saying they’re sure they’d make the Super Bowl with him at QB. If not for the players’ efforts, Favre “might have already decided against playing.” Money is reportedly no issue, as the sides have a one-year/$10M agreement in place, but Favre remains uncertain he can make it through a full season. He’s never missed a game in his life to this point.

– In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger denied Harrah’s Casino employee Andrea McNulty’s sexual assault allegations against him stemming from a June 2008 incident. “I would never force myself on a woman,” Roethlisberger said vehemently. He called McNulty’s claim an “attack on my family,” “outrageous,” “reckless,” and “false.” “I will fight these allegations. I’m confident that the truth will prevail.” Roethlisberger took no questions from reporters, but was forceful and convincing. It’s unclear when the civil suit will begin.

– Cardinals GM Rod Graves says the club is “at least several weeks away” from even having substantive talks with WR Anquan Boldin about a contract extension. Graves and agent Tom Condon have had preliminary talks, but they obviously didn’t get anywhere. The Cards’ current priority is getting their top rookies under contract. It sounds like Graves will wait until the season to appease Boldin, who’s severely underpaid with a $2.75M base salary.

– The Vikings have signed CB Antoine Winfield to a five-year/$36M contract. The deal includes $16.1M in guarantees.

– After speaking with the veteran receiver Tuesday night, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he came away “optimistic and hopeful” that WR Derrick Mason will postpone his retirement and play this season. “He wants to make sure he’s in the right frame of mind to compete at the level he’s competed at his whole career, which is a warrior-type level,” Harbaugh said, adding that Mason is “ready physically” and “healthy” after shoulder surgery. The two also discussed Mason’s contract, which the 35-year-old has wanted upgraded, and the death of his close friend QB Steve McNair. GM Ozzie Newsome considers Mason “still a member of the Baltimore Ravens.”

VoV

The new VoV forums have been all but confirmed. Hopefully by this weekend, something will be up and running. There’s a lineup of moderators, so keep your fingers crossed.

MLB

– A reliable source close to me in Kansas has confirmed that the White Sox have offered free agent OF Bobby Abreu a one-year/$8M contract. Although Abreu hasn’t received much, I don’t expect him to take this.

– SI.com‘s Jon Heyman reports that free agent OF Adam Dunn is still thinking about the offer the Nationals sent to him. Many believe Dunn would much prefer to sign with the Dodgers, which could become a possibility if the team moves on from Manny Ramirez.

– Since the Mets have signed LHP Oliver Perez, the New York Post says that there is no chance of them re-signing RHP Pedro Martinez.

– WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox are close to signing OF Brad Wilkerson to a minor league contract.

NBA

– Magic’ All-Star G Jameer Nelson had an MRI which revealed a torn right labrum in his separated shoulder. The team will decide over the next week whether he will have surgery or attempt rehabilitation. Nelson would probably choose whichever path has the quickest recovery time, but he’ll be out for at least a few weeks – the original diagnosis was three-to-twelve weeks. Nelson is obviously out of the ASG.

– The NBAPA is expected to file a grievance against the Indiana Pacers this week on behalf of G Jamaal Tinsley.
The Pacers are refusing to play the disgruntled guard, and are exhausting every viable option to move him. The difficulty is that Tinsley, soon-to-be 31, has two years/$14.7M left on his contract. Potential outcomes of a grievance could include an arbitrator forcing the Pacers to buy out Tinsley’s contract, or to waive him. Stay tuned.

WWE

– Mickey Rourke has cited that “it wouldn’t be a wise career move” for him to wrestle at WrestleMania 25. And he’s probably right, it wouldn’t be a good decision at all.