WWE

– After announcing last week that he’d leave WWE if he didn’t win the WWE title at Night of Champions, Chris Jericho is no longer a part of that match and his WWE future is uncertain. On Monday’s RAW, the anonymous GM put Chris Jericho in a match with John Morrison with the stipulation being that Chris Jericho would lose his spot in the 6 Pick Challenge at Night of Champions. Jericho lost the match and as a result, will not be able to compete for the WWE title at the show. Jericho took a few minutes after the match to gather his thoughts, with the live RAW crowd cheering for him. We’ll see how WWE handles Jericho’s possible departure from WWE in the coming weeks.

– Next week is the season premiere of Raw, and the show will have a special “RAW Roulette” theme. The show will take place from the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. WWE has not had a RAW Roulette show in 3 years, where a roulette wheel is spun and matches/stipulations are randomly selected for the wrestlers. The main event of next week’s RAW will be John Cena vs. Randy Orton.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated the blog section of his website, JRsBarBQ.com.

Jim Neidhart’s Arrest: “The recent arrest of Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart came as a surprise. The 55 year old Neidhart was arrested in Tampa for alleged possession and conspiracy to distribute pain meds, as I understand it, not to mention alleged burglary of said items. It certainly sounds to me that Jim may well have a n obvious drug issue that needs addressing in the form of a long term stay in a rehabilitation center. If my assumption is accurate, then 30 days likely won’t do the trick but be that as it may one thing is for sure and that is that recovery always starts with the individual truly wanting to want to stay clean and sober.”

“I can’t see Jim Neidhart being a ‘burglar’ but I can see him having drug and alcohol issues that may have manifested themselves to the point that Jim needs to seek help and, more importantly, truly want to stay clean and sober.”

Reports that WWE Will Be Unifying More Titles: “Emailers are hitting me with the rumor that WWE is preparing to unify ALL their titles. I have no idea if that is accurate or not but I doubt it. I see the WWE Title and the World Title remaining as well as the Intercontinental and United States Titles. I could be dead wrong on the latter two. Perhaps having only one tag champion and one womens champion will allow those two, specific title to mean more and earn more focus. Time will tell on all this ‘net gossip as I certainly don’t know the long term direction of any of the titles.”

MLB

– Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa insisted Monday that he and OF Colby Rasmus don’t have a hostile relationship. “It’s one of the most incorrect evaluations and analyses that I can ever remember. To say that in 2011, either I’m going to be gone or he’s going to be gone … our relationship is nowhere near that,” said La Russa. Rasmus also backed off, saying that he was “caught off guard” Sunday by questions regarding his happiness in St. Louis. It’s possible that whatever issue between the two has been resolved, or may simply be put on hold after the Cards took two-of-three from the NL Central-leading Reds.

– According to Craig Calcaterra of NBCSports.com, Phillies’ OF Jayson Werth may soon sign with super agent Scott Boras. Werth will enter free agency this offseason, and with his great resume combined with Boras’ negotiating skills, he should sign a long-term deal somewhere. Calcaterra’s sources are saying that the deal is “way down the road,” so it should be finalized soon.

– Yankees’ 3B Alex Rodriguez hit a 2-run homer Monday to drive in 100 runs for a record 14th time. Rodriguez was tied with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx for the most 100-RBI seasons. It’s the 13th consecutive time that he’s reached the century mark. Last season, A-Rod drove in RBI #100 on the final day of the regular season. He also drove in 100 runs in his first full major league season in 1996 before slipping to 84 the following year.

NFL

– The Rams have acquired WR Mark Clayton from the Ravens in exchange for future late-round “considerations.” The Ravens did well to get anything for Clayton, who was going to be cut before Week 1. Clayton will take time to learn the Rams’ West Coast offense, but he’s a player to monitor. That said, he may already be the team’s top talent at outside receiver.

TNA

– According to TMZ, Hulk Hogan was taken to the hospital today because of “excruciating back pain.” Hogan, who has had several back surgeries throughout the years, has had trouble the past few days and woke up this morning unable to get out of bed. His girlfriend called the ambulance and was taken to a local hospital in Clearwater, Florida. Hogan is still in the hospital where tests are being run.

– TNA star Jeff Hardy will return to court this Thursday, September 9th. He will report to The Superior Court of Moore County in Carthage, NC, and faces the following charges from almost a year ago…

Felony possession of cocaine.
Felony drug trafficking of opium
Felony possession with intent to redistribute a Schedule III drug (two counts).
Maintaining a dwelling for drug use and/or distribution.
Possession of drug paraphernalia. (misdemeanor)

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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A lot of people are asking me about Lance Cade’s passing last week (August 13). I’m not going to do a big piece on steroids in pro wrestling since I just wrote a thesis on steroids in professional sports. Nonetheless, I’ll comment on my thoughts surrounding steroids in pro wrestling since it remains a topic that continues to come to the forefront of the industry.

So as we all know, last week, Lance McNaught (aka Lance Cade) died what appeared to be heart failure. He was just 29 years of age. McNaught’s wife, Tanya, had noticed that Lance was not looking well in the week prior to his death, and was taken to hospital on August 10 with difficulty breathing. The next day, however, he discharged himself. The next day, McNaught went to visit his father’s workplace on August 12, still looking unwell. His father insisted that Lance stay the night with his parents, during which he passed away in the early hours of August 13.

Unfortunately, McNaught has a history of addictions with pain and sleeping pills. During his first tenure in the WWE, he was fired in 2008 after having a seizure on an airplane. Former commentator Jim Ross said that it was “a major league mistake while utilizing bad judgment,” leading many to logically believe that the seizure stemmed from another drug-related issue. To this day, however, details of the firing have not been released.

A drug-related death is something that the WWE and the pro wrestling industry has gotten used to over the years. Here are a few names of some stars who have gone well before their time;

“Mr. Perfect” Curt Henning (44) via cocaine overdose.

Brian “Crush” Adams (44) via painkiller overdose.

Bam Bam Bigelow (45) via lethal levels of cocaine & anti-anxiety pills.

Mike “Crash Holly” Lockwood (32) via lethal combination of painkillers.

Miss Elizabeth (42) via accidental overdose of alcohol, pain killers, nausea medication & tranquilizers.

Eddie Guerrero (38) via heart disease, complicated by an enlarged heart resulting due to history of anabolic steroids.

Eddie “Umaga” Fatu (36) via acute toxicity from combined effects of hydrocodone, carisoprodol and diazepam.

I just think it’s really unfortunate. Especially in the death of Guerrero, a lot of people are blaming WWE Chairman Vince McMahon or the pro wrestling industry as a result for wrestlers’ deaths, which isn’t fair or correct. WWE has a very strict Wellness Policy in place to ensure that their employees are clean under their bill. Many of these talents are dying while not employeed by the WWE. What they do to their bodies is out of WWE’s control. That’s also why Vince offers drug rehab to any former employees who ask for it, and all costs are covered by the WWE.

To be honest, I don’t believe the problem lies with the WWE or with Vince, but rather, with the wrestler him/herself. WWE is obligated to ensure that their employees have a clean bill of health when performing for them. What they do before or after their WWE careers is entirely uncontrollable. These wrestlers aren’t dying while they’re wrestling, which is often another misconception about pro wrestling. If these talents are dying while employed by WWE, it’s never because of a wrestling accident or mishap – there’s always a trace back to drug abuse. The Wellness Policy has done a very good job of screening talents over the years, and has saved a number of people. Case in point, MVP – in 2007, MVP (aka Alvin Burke Jr.) was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which is essentially a rare heart condition that causes the heart to work faster than it normally would, which drastically increases the chance of heart attacks, etc.. Where would he be without the Wellness Policy? Who knows. He could be fine, he could be dead. Most likely the latter, since it’s certainly within the realm of possibility that the condition could’ve worsened, he could’ve experienced more severe symptoms and they wouldn’t have been able to do anything in time. This way, WWE has caught the condition early on and can cope with it and treat it as they go along, rather than learning of this during the autopsy.

Wrestling is a profession that wears and tears on the human body like nothing else. I have a few friends who are indy wrestlers, and it’s clear that your bones and muscles take an absolute beating, even without tables, ladders and chairs. Combine that with a schedule like WWE’s where their performers are on the road 300+ days a year, and it’s understandable to see why people turn to bottles of alcohol or prescription drugs to deal with aches, pains and bruises. Not everyone does this, though, and everyone deals with these nagging injuries differently. By looking at the veterans on the roster now, it’s easy to see that drug use is not the only route an individual can take. Guys like The Undertaker, Triple H, Edge, Kane, Christian, etc. have never had issues like these. Hell, WWE’s crash test dummy, Mick Foley, the world’s most glorified stuntman, is a prime example of this theory. Foley has suffered more injuries than anyone, and his career has been made famous by being slammed through tables, slammed onto thumb tacks, being tossed of a Hell in a Cell, and generally taking stupid spills that have made him an icon in the wrestling industry. He has, however, lived a clean life. Chris Jericho is another great example – WWE superstar by day, rockstar by night. The Fozzy frontman has never had a drug abuse issue, but you’d think with the number of drug-related deaths in the WWE mixed with the “typical” rockstar lifestyle, Jericho should’ve died 3 times by now.

Put it this way: if something makes you dependent on it, it’s not good for you. Nothing. I realize that I sound pretty hard on drug users. And I am. I really have very little sympathy for people who lack self control. I don’t have sympathy for people who have ruined their lives by making choices that they know are harmful to their health and well-being. I really don’t see how some people like Jake Roberts can live a life controlled by addiction and drugs. Personally, I have no experience with drugs. I’ve never tried smoking anything, I’ve never snorted anything, I’ve never injected myself with anything, and I’ve never put any kind of non-prescribed pill on my tongue. I don’t see why anyone would want to. I try not to take Robitussin or ColdFX when I’m sick. I try not to take a Tylenol when I have a headache. I wasn’t even a fan of taking Claritin to relieve my allergies in June. Hell, I don’t even take Pepto Bismol when I get the shits. Over the years, I’ve found the best medicine for any illness, pain, discomfort, etc. to be your own body – let it work it’s course – you’ll increase your tolerance for pain, you’ll overcome your illness quicker as well as develop a better immunity for it, and you strengthen your own immune system in the process. In fact, I’m usually sick only once a year, often during the transition from fall to winter, and usually because I still dress summer-y late into the calendar year. A few years ago, I underwent minor dental surgery to have 4 wisdom teeth removed. Immense pain – a dull, grinding, heavy, bland, monotonous pain that maintained its intensity for days. I was prescribed Tylenol 3 – a more powerful version of the regular Tylenol pill – to numb the pain from the surgery. I took it once and I’ll never take it again. I started throwing up black blood, I was dry heaving, my stomach was in knots, and I had zero appetite for the rest of the day. Personally, I don’t like the way it makes me feel, whether it makes you feel like everything is more significant, like you’re happier in general, or if it makes you light-headed like you’re on Cloud #9. I do drink socially (not hard liquor), but within my limits. I don’t see a reason for needing to go above and beyond what your body can handle.

Anyways, back to the matter at hand. McNaught’s death will not be the last we see of ex-WWE drug users. The likes of Jeff Hardy, Sean Waltman, Scott Hall and even Jake Roberts remain active in the wrestling industry, and as destiny will have it, each of them are burying themselves in an early grave because of their addictions. WWE has paid for rehab for all and has tried to do the same for Jeff. But like I said earlier, it’s not WWE’s responsibility to ensure that they all live long and fulfilling lives – it’s up to the individuals to get themselves clean. The help is there, but the next step is in their hands. And it’s especially interesting for Roberts, who continues to wrestle into his mid-50′s and counting. If he wasn’t broke off his ass and needed to live life paycheck-by-paycheck and had a job where he wasn’t being slammed for a living, would he be clean? Of course not. In fact, I don’t think any of those 4 would be. Their wrestling careers are completely and utterly irrelevant to their personal lifestyle and are entirely separate from the choices they make in their life – they’re not clean because he chooses to be. They’ve had countless chances to quit, but they simply don’t want to.

While McNaught was taken well before his time, the real tragedy is that he leaves behind two daughters, who will now grow up without their father, as well as his wife, who will have the task of raising two girls single-handedly, in addition to coping with the loss of her husband because of his addictions problem. Vince McMahon cannot be blamed, nor can the WWE. The fault lies solely on Lance McNaught.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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MLB

– Jays’ C J.P. Arencibia was 4-for-5 with two homers, three RBI and three runs in his major league debut against the Rays on Saturday afternoon. Arencibia made an epic first impression Saturday, smashing a two-run homer on the very first pitch he saw in the big leagues. He is the first Jays player to homer in his first major league at-bat since Junior Felix did it on May 4, 1989, and incredibly, is the first major leaguer in the modern era (1900-present day) to record 2 homers and 4 hits in their MLB debut. The 24-year-old also singled and doubled, finishing a triple short of the cycle. He hit 31 homers with Triple-A Las Vegas this season, so while his batting average isn’t likely to stick, the power will. Arencibia has been talked about for a number of years, and with C John Buck (thumb) out, it looks like Arencibia could be here to stay.

– Angels’ OF Torii Hunter has been suspended 4 games for his actions following Friday’s ejection. Hunter bumped into home plate umpire Ron Kulpa after a called third strike and threw a bag of baseballs onto the field. The outfielder will not appeal and will start serving the suspension immediately.

NBA

– Celtics’ F Shaquille O’Neal believes that teammate F Rasheed Wallace “is thinking about coming back,” despite his expected retirement. “Rasheed, go on and come back for one or two more years,” he said. G Paul Pierce has also made a public plea for his return, as the paleolithic Celtics gear up for another run at a championship.

NFL

– Chiefs’ unsigned RFA S Jarrad Page “no longer has a residence in Missouri or Kansas and has moved to California.” His agents have sent an email to PFT and other media outlets saying that the Chiefs have been “Vindictive”  in their treatment of Page. Page is represented by his older brother, who has no other clients. This situation has the potential to escalate, with Page continuing to push the Chiefs until he receives a trade or his release.

TNA

– Jeff Hardy announced Saturday via YouTube that he and his longtime girlfriend Beth are expecting their first child. He did not provide the date or gender of the baby.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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MLB

– Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals “look unlikely” to acquire Astros’ RHP Roy Oswalt. Cards’ GM John Mozeliak hinted Sunday that the Astros’ demands are high, which backs up earlier reports. “At this point, it’s entirely possible that there may not be a deal out there. We’re continuing to explore avenues, but as we speak I can’t say I’m encouraged.” Even if Oswalt’s primary destination is St. Louis, the Cards appear unwilling to part with major pieces of their future.

– Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Rangers are taking a “close look” at Cubs’ 1B Derrek Lee. Lee is a free agent after this season and no progress has been made in negotiations toward a contract extension. While the Cubs might be willing to unload the first baseman by the end of the week, nothing suggests that they’ll be sellers at the deadline. He’s batting .251/.338/.391 with 11 homers and 44 RBI.

NFL

– The NFL has completed its investigation into the shooting at Eagles’ QB Michael Vick’s birthday party and has cleared Vick to play. Vick was never a suspect in the case, but his mere presence at the scene could have put him in hot water with the league and the law. This is great news for Vick and co. as he heads into training camp. It should also scuttle rumors that Vick was going to be cut.

– Bengals’ owner Mike Brown confirmed that the team is talking to free agent WR Terrell Owens, and adds that “it is up to him.” It sounds like the Bengals have an offer on the table. T.O. would surely want more money to play for the non-contending Rams, who are meeting Monday to decide if pursing him is a good idea. Meanwhile, the Bengals’ serious interest in Owens shines a bad light on WR Antonio Bryant’s troublesome knee.

– ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Patriots and QB Tom Brady are making enough progress in contract talks that Brady could have an extension in place by the end of the summer. The biggest obstacle thus far has been the uncertainty of the CBA. Schefter reports that no deal is imminent, but says negotiations are “positive.” The Patriots are said to be nearer to extending Brady’s contract than the Colts are to QB Peyton Manning or the Saints for QB Drew Brees (all 3 are in contract years). FOX Sports’ Adam Caplan reports that Brady reported to Patriots camp on Sunday, which should put to rest rumours that Brady would hold out.

– Packers’ OC Joe Philbin acknowledged that WR Donald Driver’s (knees) surgically repaired knees remain a concern. “Obviously, we have to see what happens with Driver’s knee when he comes back…I haven’t seen him do anything since January 10.” Philbin also said he expects more playing time for WR James Jones and WR Jordy Nelson. Driver averaged nearly 60 snaps per game last season, but with his health diminishing at 35, that’ll likely be cut to around 45-50.

NBA

– Pacers’ G Tyler Hansbrough (concussion) has been working out full speed on the court sans contact. Hansbrough had a “little vertigo” as recently as two weeks ago, and the Pacers are being understandably cautious about his return. It sounds like there’s a good chance he’ll be ready to play in training camp and the preseason.

WWE

– An organization called the “Mothers Opposing McMahon” (MOM), which opposes Linda McMahon’s campaign to become a United States Senator this November, is now attacking the former WWE CEO over the “Eugene” character that the company featured from 2007-2009.

The MOM organization has posted a video on Youtube, which you can view here, that quotes Linda McMahon talking about the unique brand of entertainment that WWE delivers – followed by WWE television footage of Vince and Shane McMahon sliming and then beating down the mentally challenged wrestler.

The video caption slams the McMahons for featuring “a character with developmental disabilities [who is] is violently beaten, humiliated, and verbally abused by Vince and Shane McMahon. The MOM organization claims to be “a grassroots group of Connecticut women working to build opposition to Linda McMahon’s Senate candidacy based on McMahon’s record as CEO of the WWE, where she marketed to kids graphic sex, brutal violence, and the degrading, abusive treatment of women to make herself millions of dollars in profits.”

While the MOM organization has their hands full trashing Linda McMahon, another organization – the Fans United against Mothers Opposing McMahon (FU-MOM), is firing back at defending McMahon.

– WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart was married over the weekend to his fiance Stephanie Washington. This is the third time down the aisle for Bret. Stephanie Washington is a 27 year old woman from San Francisco, California who is now going to school up in Calgary. They began dating earlier this year. The couple is expected to spend their honeymoon in Hawaii. Since WWE will be taping the next 2 weeks of RAW shows tonight (due to the upcoming international tour), it’s likely that Bret and Stephanie will not leave for Hawaii until later this week at the earliest.

– Since opening an account on Twitter last week, Randy Orton has made numerous comments of note. For starters, he was asked to give his thoughts on Bryan Danielson as a performer as well as his sudden firing from World Wrestling Entertainment.

“I understand why it happened. But he def deserves to be there, I’m sure he’ll b back. Very talented in my opinion.”

Orton also continues to bring up former WWE performer Ken Anderson’s name, whom he recently ranted about on a message board post in regards to claims concerning his dismissal from the company last year. He laughed at a fan noting he already had more Twitter followers than Anderson and threatened to send the former WWE star after an Orton poser if he didn’t shut down his account. However, it would appear that Orton has since had a change of heart in regards to the current TNA star as he now feels that last year’s incident was a misunderstanding.

In response to a question this morning asking if he would ever make peace with Anderson, he wrote, “I think what happened is a misunderstanding and at this point there is peace. Hell……we used to ride together.”

Finally, Orton revealed that he will have a new shirt out within thirty days.

– WWE will be taking two episodes of RAW tonight from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, because of the RAW crew will be overseas next week for the company’s latest international tour. No matches have been announced for the show, but John Cena and Randy Orton vs. Sheamus and Nexus is being advertised locally as the dark match main event.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com with some commentary on the following topics:

TNA’s Hard Justice PPV: “We’re getting lots of questions on the revisited, ECW TV storyline being used by TNA. For the record, I hope that all wrestling organizations do well as the individuals who comprise the various company’s rosters are largely passionate fans living out their dreams. I’m not a ‘dream squasher.’ Do I think that this matter will be successful? I don’t know. It might be o.k. for a one off sort of deal for a company that needs a ‘hit.’ Time will answer the ‘will it be successful question’ which is somewhere subjective in itself as what is the true definition of ’success’ in wrestling? It varies by company, that’s for sure.”

Paul Heyman: “Paul Heyman will not be a part of this presentation which does it no favors. Heyman was the strategic mastermind behind the original ECW that grew to have a passionate, cult following and lasted much longer than many ‘experts’ predicted when ECW started up primarily due to Heyman’s leadership and creative vision along with a locker room full of passionate athletes who were in their prime and loved kicking ass.”

Joey Styles: “No, Joey Styles has no interest in broadcasting again in WWE on a full time basis, or so he has said to many, and has expressed his happiness in working to build WWE.com to an even bigger brand. Joey and I hope to broadcast one match together some day in the future for WWEClassics.com or WWE 24/7 On Demand.”

TNA

– TNA star Jeff Hardy was injured at Friday night’s TNA Live Event from Bloomington, Illinois. Hardy suffered a hand injury during a Monster’s Ball match with Abyss, but was able to finish the match. He wrestled the next night, but was said to be noticeably protecting the injured hand during his match. Hardy is not expected to miss any ring time.

– Former ECW star Michael Depoli (a/k/a Amish Roadkill) has declined TNA Wrestling’s offer to appear at next month’s Hard Justice pay-per-view event, reports the Pro Wrestling Torch. His reason for declining their invite is that he considers himself retired from professional wrestling and simply has no interest in returning.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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WWE

– After the Undertaker suffered a broken orbital bone during his match with Rey Mysterio on the May 28 edition of WWE SmackDown, WWE ran a storyline on last week’s show to explain the Dead Man’s absence from television.

Teddy Long opened the show to announce The Undertaker was found by Kane in a vegetative state over the weekend. Druids come out signing and walking with a casket to the ring. Kane came out and said The Undertaker is gone from WWE. He vows to find out who did this to his brother and says he will hunt them down and make them pay. Later in the show, Rey Mysterio won a battle royal to earn the Undertaker’s vacated spot in the World Heavyweight title match at Fatal 4 Way later this month.

The Undertaker is expected to be out for several months due to this injury. The latest talk is that SummerSlam is an optimistic return date for the Undertaker’s return, but other plans will be made in case he needs more time off.

– UFC light heavyweight star Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and his “A-Team” co-stars will be guest hosting next Monday’s night’s 3-hour episode of WWE RAW from Miami. According to f4wonlien.com, WWE is really hoping that they can get Rampage in the ring and do something physical.

UFC President Dana White recently commented how he had a good relationship with Vince McMahon and had no problem with Quinton appearing on RAW but if he were to do something physical, they would have to talk to him (UFC) first.

Since the show is to also feature SmackDown stars, it will be interesting to see if The Undertaker is there. Taker blew Jackson off years ago when Jackson tried to meet him. Quinton never forgot about the incident and it kind of soured him on the wrestling business.

Rampage was a huge wrestling fan growing up and an interesting fact not many people are aware of – the chain he wears around his neck to the cage are a tribute to his favorite wrestler as a child, the late Junkyard Dog

– According to the PWTorch, The WWE Studios movie that will feature actor Ed Harris and WWE star Randy Orton has changed names again, according to NOLA.com. The film had working titles of Big Red and Big Ginger, but is now called That’s What I Am.

NFL

– The Rams have acquired WR Isaac Bruce from the 49ers in advance of Bruce announcing his retirement on Wednesday. The 16-year veteran holds every major Rams receiving record, ranks 5th in league history in receptions (1,024), and is 2nd in all-time receiving yards (15,208). He is 9th all-time in receiving touchdowns (91). Bruce will likely get into Canton, though maybe not on the first try. While his statistics can’t be disputed, Bruce may be viewed by some voters as something of a product of the Rams’ system. He never made an All-Pro team, and it’s hard to say he was every truly dominant.

– The Chargers have signed RFA WR Malcom Floyd to a one-year/$3.168M contract. Floyd, 29, failed to top four catches from Weeks 8-16. He did, however, finish 4th in the league in YPC average, and exploded for 140 yards on nine grabs in Week 17 with WR Vincent Jackson out. V-Jax may be facing a suspension to open 2010, so Floyd’s performance in last year’s finale may be a sign of things to come early in 2010.

NBA

– Updating a previous item, the Cavs have discussed offering a huge contract to coach Tom Izzo, expected to be a five-yer/$30M deal. While the offer isn’t official, it’s being reported by trustworthy beat writer Brian Windhorst and is said to include perks such as the use of a private jet. Izzo is currently making about $2.6M per year with Michigan State, but a huge payday might not be enough to budge him — he wants another NCAA championship and is leery of committing to the Cavs without knowing where LeBron James will end up.

– Avery Johnson is the clear-cut favourite to become the next head coach of the Nets. The NY Daily News reports that Johnson “has been the favorite from day one.” With Rod Thorn entrenched in the front office, the odds of a power struggle (which derailed his candidacy with the Hornets and Hawks) seem low.

TNA

– Jeff Hardy’s next court date will be on Tuesday, July 6. Hardy’s trial was set to begin this past week and apparently the District Attorney has dropped some of the charges against him – since the North Carolina courts website now says he is only being charged with Conspiracy to Traffic Opium. The situation seems to be looking better for Hardy.

MLB

– Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel said that he doesn’t expect SS Jimmy Rollins (calf) back from the DL before next Thursday. He hasn’t even resumed running, but will head to back to the club’s spring training facility in Clearwater on Thursday. Rollins wouldn’t offer a timetable for his return, but said, “It better not be a month.” Either way, he said he wants to undergo an MRI 3-4 days before he returns, just to be on the safe side.

– The Brewers have released RHP Jeff Suppan. Suppan was inked to a four-year/$42M contract back in December of 2006. That deal looks absolutely ridiculous now, considering the state of the economy, but mostly because of the way the right-hander has pitched. In 110 games with Milwaukee, Suppan was 29-36 with a 5.08 ERA. He had a 7.84 ERA and had allowed 50 hits in 31 innings (two starts) this season.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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NBA

– GM Danny Ferry has resigned his position with the Cavaliers, who fired coach Mike Brown less than two weeks ago. Ferry’s contract ends in about a month, and it became clear that an extension was not going to be worked out. The Cavs are pulling out all the stops in hopes of retaining F LeBron James, but the biggest thing working in their favor is the fact they can pay him nearly $30M more than anyone else. Assistant GM Chris Grant has taken over Ferry’s role, meaning he’s under a ton of pressure.

MLB

– Indians’ OF Grady Sizemore (knee) underwent surgery Friday that included a season-ending microfracture procedures. Sizemore is expected to need six-to-nine months to recover, so he’s gone until spring training.

– SNY is reporting that Mets’ 2B Luis Castillo (foot) will go on the DL. Ruben Tejada is expected to be called up to share time with Alex Cora at second base.

– A’s LHP Brett Anderson (elbow) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Friday. This is a confirmation of an earlier report, though word on an MRI exam is new. It’s easy to see where this could be headed, but we’ll know a lot more after the team releases the results. Stay tuned.

WWE

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com. The highlights:

Edge Talking Retirement: ”Interesting article in an Asheville, N.C. newspaper on Edge where he said he could see retiring in two years. I think many in Edge’s generation who have made big money, and he has, and have wisely saved and invested it, and I suspect that he has, will not hang around the business too long simply so that they can preserve what physical health that they can. Edge has had significant injuries in his illustrious career specifically his neck surgery and if asked, and I haven’t, I would advise him to call it a career sooner than later if he can financially afford it. Too many wrestlers have to stay longer than they need or should because of financial issues but I would be shocked if Edge even remotely comes close to that syndrome. Guys in Edge’s generation can easily take a look at previous generations of wrestlers to learn what NOT to do as it relates to their career and personal life style. Smart wrestles who work hard, get a break, and plan for their future by using a professionals help can often times comfortably retire from in ring wrestling by the time that they are in their 40’s.”

His WWE Status: “Emailers are congratulating me on my new ‘contract’ with WWE….I do not have a ‘contract’ but am a regular employee like many people who are not TV talents. That arrangement works just fine with me BTW. Plus, no one should feel badly that I’m not on weekly TV any longer. I don’t feel bad about it and neither should you. I feel confident that I will do selected, talent work with WWE in the future but just not on a weekly basis.”

– WWE revealed Thursday that “rock icon” Rob Zombie will guest host the June 28 episode of Raw taking place in Philadelphia. He will be on hand to promote the Rock Star Mayhem Tour beginning in July, as well as his new album, Hellbilly Deluxe 2.

– Preliminary estimates for WWE’s Extreme Rules PPV has the event doing 185,000 PPV buys. Last year’s Backlash pay-per-view drew a reported 182,000 buys.

– Tuesday’s season one finale of NXT scored a 1.17 cable rating with 1.42 million viewers, above the show’s average viewership of 1.27 million. It was the program’s highest rating since since the second episode of NXT averaged 1.73 million viewers.

TNA

– Jeff Hardy’s trial was scheduled to begin yesterday morning in Carthage, NC with Judge James M. Webb. No word yet on what happened in court.

– The feeling within TNA right now is that Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan won’t be leaving any time soon.

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MLB

– Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune reports that veteran Mariners’ OF Ken Griffey Jr. could be released this month. Junior, now 40, is batting a miserable .205/.265/.234 in 77 at-bats this season with only two extra-base hits and zero home runs. He’s not providing offense at the DH position and has shown a lack of interest in competing, at one point falling asleep in the M’s clubhouse in the middle of a game. The fans of Safeco Field still dig him, for the most part, but it’s time for a change in Seattle. Griffey is a .284/.370/.539 hitter with 630 career home runs over 21 seasons.

– Rockies’ RHP Huston Street (shoulder) will begin a minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Tulsa on Thursday. He’s slated to go one inning on Thursday and Saturday before progressing to two innings on May 18. He’s tentatively scheduled to make back-to-back appearances with Triple-A Colorado Springs on May 22 and 23. Barring any setbacks, he could be back within two weeks, so enjoy Manny Corpas while you can.

– Braves’ RHP Jair Jurrjens felt a “pop” in his left hamstring while running on Monday. It’s in the lower part of the muscle than the previous injury, but it’s still reason for concern. He’s scheduled to undergo an MRI when the team returns home.

– Red Sox’ OF Mike Cameron (abdomen) is scheduled to join Triple-A Pawtucket for a rehab assignment on Monday. He will DH on Monday and play center field on Tuesday. Cameron has been taking batting practice and shagging balls in the outfield before recent games. His progression is greats news for Boston’s depleted outfield, especially because a rehab assignment has still not been scheduled for OF Jacoby Ellsbury, who is behind Cameron in recovery.

WWE

– According to the Wrestling Observer, regarding the stipulation of John Cena vs. Batista at Over the Limit, there has been talk of a Loser Leaves Town match. We were told that creative became aware in the last day or two about TNA doing a similar stipulation with Tara (a.k.a. Lise Marie Varon) on a PPV that is a week earlier, where Tara puts her career on the line for the Knockouts Championship. Stay tuned.

– Melina noted on Twitter that her physical therapy is going well but she doesn’t know how much longer she will be out of the ring. Her trainers feel it should take 3-4 more months to fully heal but her doctor has said she could return in late June or July.

– According to F4WOnline, continuing a pattern from previous weeks, Drew McIntyre attacked Matt Hardy on Friday’s episode of SmackDown. When he refused to stop, he received escalating punishments from SmackDown GM Theodore Long: a suspension, being stripped of the championship, and finally being (kayfabe) fired. His bio has since been removed from the Smackdown roster page on WWE.com. He was not legitimately suspended as he worked the company’s tour of Mexico, which concluded this afternoon in Monterrey. Interestingly, he was defending the Intercontinental Championship on the tour even though he had been stripped of the title at Tuesday’s SmackDown taping. Even his peers are unsure of his status other than it being some sort of an angle.

– Actress Betty White’s Wikipedia page claims she will host the Memorial Day edition of WWE Raw on May 31. The show will take place from Austin, Texas. Wikipedia is not the most reliable source, so take this one as a rumour for now. The 88 year old actress hosted NBC’s Saturday Night Live over the weekend and the show drew a better rating than usual. Her SNL hosting gig came about after a grassroots campaign on Facebook.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog with some comments on how WWE’s production values compare to the UFC’s. Ross wrote,

“WWE still has the TV production edge on UFC as WWE would have made the live event feel bigger than it did Saturday night with their shot selection and the way the event was mic’ed. The Bell Centre was packed but there were too many close up shots up dudes drinking and not enough shots of pretty women in attendance. I thought Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg were on their game Saturday night and enjoyed their work. I have to admit when the show came on the air that I was ‘Jonseing’ at bit at the adrenaline rush the feel of the event gave me.”

– Indian fans rioted at Tau Devi Lal Stadium today when The Great Khali failed to appear as advertised at a joint charity wrestling and fashion event, “War of Champions.” Organizers of the show were advertising the WWE star for the event despite knowing in advance he would not be appearing.

Khali spokesman Amit Swami said, “We had clarified verbally to the organizers about ten days back that Khali would not be able to attend the event and we also had returned them the money. Despite that the organizers went on to publicize Khali’s supposed appearance for reasons best known to them.”

The event’s promoters later claimed that Khali did not appear at the venue due to a contractual obligation with a sports channel, reportedly barred him making the appearance. Police arrested one of the event’s organizers and booked him on charges of “cheating and breaching the trust of spectators,” citing thousands of tickets were sold to see Khali and the police were deceived into believing he would be appearing. — Pioneering Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin will guest host a special two-hour commercial-free Monday Night Raw live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario on May 17. Aldrin will be appearing under his official WWE name “Rocket Hero.”

NFL

– Citing two league sources, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area reports that the 49ers have opened talks about a long-term extension with TE Vernon Davis. Davis is reportedly asking for a five-year/$40M deal including $25M guaranteed. The $8M annual average is similar to what elite wide receivers make, but it’s still a reasonable enough jump-off point for both sides to have productive negotiations. Look for a deal before the season.

– The Rams have acquired LB Bobby Carpenter from the Cowboys in exchange for OT Alex Barron. Carpenter will be used as St. Louis’ starting weak-side linebacker. A bust in Dallas, Carpenter lacked the physicality to excel as a 3-4 inside linebacker, but his speed and cover skills figure to make him better fit for the 4-3. Carpenter probably will never be a high-impact starter, but he’s worth a shot for the linebacker-needy Rams.

– Saints’ WR Robert Meachem (toe) is out until training camp after undergoing surgery to repair torn cartilage on the second toe of his left foot. Meachem called the injury “just a nick,” but he suffered it late last season and experienced recurring pain in the toe early in the offseason program. Coach Sean Payton said, “It…became aggravated the more he started running on it. It’s going to set him back. Our goal is to get him back in time for the start of training camp (July 29), the first week or so.” Meachem finished with nine touchdowns and caught 45 passes for 722 yards.

– The AP announced Monday that it will conduct a re-vote for the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year award, citing previous winner Brian Cushing’s violation of the NFL’s policy on PEDs. Cushing is eligible in the re-vote, but he’s not likely to win. His All-Pro status is also in danger of being stripped, as the AP will re-vote for one of its outside linebacker positions. Though Jairus Byrd finished second in Defensive ROY voting in the winter, third-place finisher Clay Matthews would edge him out considering Green Bay’s finish to the season. Brian Orakpo, who had 11 sacks to Matthews’ 10, may also be a serious contender.

– Unsigned RFA DL Ray Edwards intends to skip the Vikings’ June 11-13 mandatory minicamp. Edwards has only skipped voluntary work to this point. He can essentially get an excused absence from the mandatory minicamp by refusing to sign his tender until just after it ends. The deadline for RFAs to sign their one-year offers is June 15, conveniently enough. It’s unclear if Edwards would go so far as sitting out part of training camp, but we’d bet he won’t. TNA

– Jeff Hardy was interviewed on the TNA website by teen actor Booboo Stewart. Here are some highlights:

Favorite Career Match: “Overall, it would have to be at WrestleMania X-Seven in Houston. It was the second TLC Match and it’s the one where Edge speared me when I was hanging from the belt hook above the ring.”

Favourite TNA Match: “In TNA, it was definitely Monster’s Ball from the first ever Bound for Glory in 2005. It was me, Abyss, Rhino, and Sabu. Both of those matches were matches with stipulations. If you want to know about my favorite regular match of all time, it was at Great American Bash 2008 against Umaga.”

His Dream Match: “It would be ‘The Charismatic Enigma’ Jeff Hardy against ‘The Icon’ Sting in a paint vs. paint match. I’m talking about the crow version (current) Sting. It has never happened before, but never say never.”

His Band Peroxwhy?gen: “I haven’t come up with a name for the specific type of music yet. Sometimes I refer to my poetry as “emoetry”…written emotion, but to best describe it, it’s a combination of alternative rock and grunge metal.

– Angelina Love (knee) underwent successful surgery yesterday. She is expected to miss at least 10 months while rehabbing.

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– Another shoutout goes out to the entire VoV peepulation! VoV.com has cracked YET ANOTHER record by recording 425,000 hits for April 2010, breaking its own record set in March 2010 by just under 60,000 hits! Once again, a large thank you goes out to the entire VoV peepulation for their continued viewership.

TNA

– After several rounds of hearings and delays, Jeff Hardy’s trial stemming from his drug arrest last year is set to begin next Monday (5/10) in Moore County, North Carolina. Hardy’s drug charges went to a grand jury back in January and they found that there was enough evidence to indict Hardy and send the case to Superior Court.

Hardy was arrested on September 11th, 2009 after police raided his home in Cameron, North Carolina. A joint investigation conducted by officers with the Moore County Sheriff’s Office narcotics and select enforcement units and the Fayetteville Police Department led to the search.

According to the police report, a search of his residence yielded 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine and items of drug paraphernalia.

He was charged with felony trafficking in opium, two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance, felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

If convicted of all charges, Hardy faces upto 14 years in prison.

– Team 3D are pushing TNA officials to sign Matt Hyson (a.k.a. Spike Dudley) to a contract. After a three-year hiatus, Hyson returned to TNA under the name Brother Runt on the March 15, 2010, edition of Impact in a six man tag team match, where he and Team 3D were defeated by The Nasty Boys and Jimmy Hart. This was said to be a one time deal.

MLB

– SI.com’s Jon Heyman reports that 17-year-old Bryce Harper is going to seek a record-breaking signing bonus when he is drafted this summer. The Nationals, who also have the first pick this year and are thought to be targeting Harper, signed RHP Stephen Strasburg to a record $15.67M bonus last summer. It appears they may have to top that monstrous figure this year in order to land the highly-touted Harper, who is currently batting .417/.507/.899 with 21 homers for the College of Southern Nevada.

– The Mariners have released OF Eric Byrnes.

NBA

– Lakers’ F Andrew Bynum (knee) said he feels right knee pain in “every step…but I think its something that I can go through to the end of this year.” Bynum would miss “one or two weeks” if he had minor arthroscopic surgery to repair the hole in his meniscus, but that sounds like a final resort. Lakers’ GM Mitch Kupchak said “we’re not that concerned about it developing into something bigger than it is today” and Bynum will endure the pain unless it becomes unbearable.

– Vinny Del Negro met with Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf on Sunday, but the Chicago Tribune reports that “barring a snag” he will be fired by Tuesday. Del Negro has one year/$2M remaining on his contract. The Bulls are expected to hire a head coach with more NBA experience — suitable candidates might include Doug Collins, Lawrence Frank, Kevin McHale, Maurice Cheeks, Byron Scott and Dwane Casey.

– Hornets’ owner George Shinn has reportedly reached a deal to sell his share of the team to new majority owner Gary Chouest. The deal isn’t expected to be announced until Wednesday, but the sale to a local owner is great news for the future of the NBA in New Orleans. The Hornets will have a busy off-season, between finding a new head coach and (hopefully) replenishing their roster.

WWE

– Developmental wrestler Brett DiBiase, brother of Ted DiBise, suffered a knee injury at Thursday’s FCW tapings during a match with fellow second generation star Joe Hennig. No word yet on the severity of the injury. DiBiase and Hennig are expected to be called up to the main roster soon as part of a new stable led by Ted DiBiase called The Fortunate Sons, but the formation of that new group might be delayed.

– WWE World Heavyweight champion Jack Swagger recently spoke to Mike Mooneyham of South Carolina’s Post and Courrier newspaper. Some highlights:

Being World Champion: “It’s been unbelievable, it’s such an incredible honor. I don’t think it’s completely sunk in yet. This last month or so has been so surreal. I’ve tried to enjoy it a much as I can.”

His Current role: “Right now I think what you see is the respect I have for the championship. It’s the top of the game and there’s nothing bigger. I need to carry myself in such a way of a world champion because it is such an honor. Other than that I wouldn’t read too much into the character. I’m just portraying a champion.”

His Dream Feud: “A dual program with The Undertaker, who I think is the greatest wrestler ever, and Rey Mysterio. It would be Jack Swagger vs. Rey Mysterio vs. The Undertaker for the world heavyweight title. That would be great.”

– The main events for WWE’s new Fatal 4 Way PPV will in fact be two Fatal 4 Way championship matches.

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WWE

– The finish to last night’s Cena vs. Batista match at Extreme Rules was not the blow-off to “The Animal” as he will continue appearing on television for a few more weeks. He is expected to continue working through next month’s PPV in order to build to a storyline finish to his character.

For those who misses Raw, Batista defeated Randy Orton and Sheamus (with help from Edge) in a triple threat match in the main event to become the #1 contender to John Cena’s WWE Championship. Batista will face Cena at WWE’s new Over The Limit PPV on May 23. Batista will be appearing on WWE’s tour of Mexico during the second week of May. Following his match with John Cena at Over the Limit, he will be officially leaving the company. With one of the company’s top stars of the past decade leaving for good, expect a lot of buildup to his match with Cena next month.

While the idea of Batista becoming a free agent might sound great to TNA fans, don’t expect him to follow in the foot steps of Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam. The Animal plans to pursue a movie career and has aspirations to be the next WWE superstar to cross over into full time acting.

– Jim Ross has updated the Q&A section of his website JRsBarBQ.com with some commentary on a variety of topics. Ross’ WWE contract expires at the end of this month and its been widely reported that there is strong interest from TNA Wrestling if Ross and WWE are unable to come to terms. Here are some Q&A highlights of what he said about:

Possibly Going To TNA: “I am a fan of TNA and hope that they become successful and earn better TV ratings. Where I may or may not fit into their plans is TBD. I do have several outside of wrestling options that interest me but I haven’t lost my passion for pro wrestling either. I think it is good to have options. If TNA and us begin negotiations in earnest then both parties will actually know what the other wants or needs to make a potential deal work. That time hasn’t come.”

Paul Heyman Going To TNA? “Paul Heyman doesn’t seem interested in getting back into wrestling or so I hear. I guess time will tell. Bottom line is that for the pat 36 years I have been a total team player and don’t plan on changing my philosophy any time soon. If I commit to any entity they will get all that I have to offer, in or out of pro wrestling.”

TNA Hiring A Firm To Analyze Their Audience: “I’m not sure about the consulting matter as I have seen some research projects work well and some waste time and money. I’m not in that loop nor am I informed of the research in which they are doing. If the research was done in Philly then having the ECW brand still have equity doesn’t surprise me.”

NHL

– The Bruins are holding out F Marc Savard (concussion) until round 2 of the playoffs, as they still don’t have the results of his latest neuro-psych test.

– NorthJersey.com reports that F Ilya Kovalchuk said that coach Jacques Lemaire was the best coach he’s ever had. Lemaire’s retirement yesterday could potentially affect Kovalchuk’s ability to re-sign with the Devils. “Right now I can’t tell you anything because I just want to stay away from the game a little bit and spend some time with my family and regroup. I’ve still got time to think.” Devils’ GM Lou Lamoriello and Kovalchuk’s agent haven’t apparently spoken yet about a new deal.

NFL

– Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger confirmed via statement Monday that he will not appeal his 4-6 game suspension for violation of the league’s conduct code. “Though I have committed no crime, I regret that I have fallen short of the values instilled in me by my family. I will comply with what is asked of me — and more.” One rumour had the Steelers on the verge of trading Big Ben during the draft, but the deal was never finalized. He’ll be barred from all offseason workouts until Roger Goodell determines he’s ready.

– Dolphins’ RB Ricky Williams says he is “unsure” about whether he’ll continue playing football past 2010. “There’s a very good chance it could be, but I’m not sure. My body is probably the single biggest factor in the decision. If you can’t be 100 percent, you can’t do it.” Ricky, 33, is 900 yards shy of Larry Csonka’s franchise rushing record. He’s only under contract through this year.

– The Philadelphia Daily News reports that free agent RB Brian Westbrook passed his physical with the Rams on Saturday and that he “might very well” end up with the Rams. St. Louis is believed to be offering an incentive-laden deal for Westbrook to back up RB Steven Jackson. Westbrook’s knee and ankle won’t hold up well on turf, and with the Rams, he’s guaranteed to play on turf at least 8 times. Westbrook was held out of practice when the Eagles practiced indoors. Stay tuned.

– The Bucs have released DT Chris Hovan, OG Arron Sears, FB B.J. Askew, P Sam Paulescu, CB Stoney Woodson, and OG Shawn Murphy. The only surprise here is that WR Michael Clayton wasn’t among the players cut. Hovan, 32, started all but one game for Tampa over the last five seasons. He may get a look from the Giants. Sears is currently battling a mental disorder believed to be depression-related, while Askew is coming off a serious neck injury.

MLB

– Two major sources have confirmed that Padres’ 1B Adrian Gonzalez and Cardinals’ 1B Albert Pujols are both looking to surpass the deal that Phillies’ 1B Ryan Howard signed (five-yea/$125M). Gonzalez, 27, becomes a free agent after next season if the Padres exercise their club option worth $5.5M, told FanHouse: “[Howard's deal] validates the fact that he’s worth that kind of money or more.” The Padres apparently haven’t had any kind of contract-extension talks with Gonzalez yet and now it doesn’t look like the team will have anything close to the amount of cash that he would need to stick around.

As for Pujols, the St. Louis Dispatch is reporting that he “figures to zoom by” Howard in the financial department when he becomes a free agent at the end of next year if the team exercises its $16M option for next season. Expect Pujols to sign in excess of $30M annually.

– MLB.com reports that the Phillies believe they can re-sign OF Jayson Werth, who is a free agent at season’s end. Contract negotiations with Werth’s agent apparently took a break while the Phillies worked out an extension with 1B Ryan Howard, but his agent told MLB.com that Howard’s big deal “shouldn’t have an effect one way or another” on what Werth does. Stay tuned.

– The Royals have transferred 3B Josh Fields (hip) to the 60-day DL. His season is likely finished.

– The Marlins have placed LHP Dan Meyer (strained left calf) on the 15-day DL retroactive to April 25.

– The Cardinals have placed INF Felipe Lopez (right elbow strain) on the 15-day DL. He has felt symptoms off-and-on since April 11, but that didn’t stop him from throwing an inning against the Mets last Saturday. Lopez was batting .273/.347/.432 with one home run and four RBI over his first 44 at-bats of the season.

NBA

– Kings’ G Tyreke Evans has won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, according to a report on Sactown Royalty. The source is pretty random, but it’s probably right. The official announcement is expected on Thursday or Friday. Evans became just the fourth rookie ever to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists as a rookie.

– Yahoo! Sports reports that the Bobcats will fire coach Larry Brown this offseason. Charlotte considers the chances of Brown staying as “minimal at this point,” one league source said. “They’re proceeding like they’ll be looking for a new coach.” Brown is angling to take the Sixers’ presidency, and has targeted Wizards’ front office executive Milt Newton as his general manager and the Hawks’ Mike Woodson as coach, sources said.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Sixers are interested in Brown for the coaching position, but Brown has already stated that he’ll only coach a Michael Jordan team. In all likelihood, he’ll be asked to take the aforementioned front office position.

– Mavericks’ F Erick Dampier has been fined $35K for publicly criticizing game officials.

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