NFL

– The Cardinals have released QB Matt Leinart. It will be very interesting to see where Leinart ends up, as no one was even willing to give up a 7th-rounder for the former Heisman Trophy winner. SI’s Peter King speculates that Leinart’s former college coach, Pete Carroll will show interest in Seattle. No matter what, Leinart will have to be willing to accept a backup role.

– The Buccaneers have released WR Michael Clayton. One year after handing a blocking receiver a 5-year/$24M deal, the Bucs have pulled the cord. Clayton’s $3.5M salary was guaranteed, so he’ll walk away with a nice parting gift.

– The Dolphins have waived QB Pat White. White, the No. 44 overall selection in 2009, slipped to 4th on the depth chart after last season’s poor performance. If White wants to stick in the big leagues, he needs to learn to play another position. Keep an eye on him if he joins the CFL.

– After selecting his final roster Saturday, Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum said that the team is will “move forward” without holdout CB Darrelle Revis. “Darrelle is not here, and we’ve planned accordingly. We feel good about our depth at corner. We have six guys that can help us.”

– According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Rams have decided against trading for Chargers’ RFA WR Vincent Jackson. The Rams “talked about the possibility” of acquiring Jackson, but were apparently scared off by his asking price, or the Chargers’. Barring a last-minute surprise, it looks like V-Jax will not be dealt.

– ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Patriots have acquired S Jarrad Page from the Chiefs for a conditional draft pick. The Pats are thick at safety, so Page will likely be a reserve.

– The Vikings have released WR Javon Walker, according to beat writer Judd Zulgad. Walker truly has nothing left in the tank, as the Vikes are thin at wideout and would’ve been an option had he any speed or strength left.

– The Bengals have acquired S Reggie Nelson from the Jaguars for CB David Jones. Nelson is a former 1st-round pick that busted with the Jags and has some attitude and committment issues – perfect for the Bengals.

– The Lions have acquired CB Alphonso Smith from the Broncos for TE Dan Gronkowski. The Broncos traded a 1st-round pick to grab Smith in the 2nd-round last year, and they’ve now ditched him for a tight end who couldn’t make the Lions roster last season. Smart move by Detroit, adding an early-round talent to a thin secondary.

MLB

– Twins’ DH Jim Thome passed Mark McGwire for 9th-place on MLB’s all-time home run list with a pair of homers in Saturday’s 12-4 win over the Rangers. Thome smashed No. 583 in the third inning and No. 584 in the fourth, a 3-run blast. He also walked twice and scored three times. The 40-year-old Thome now has 20 homers in just 237 at-bats this season, posting a dazzling 998 OPS. There’s a good chance he still has enough time to move into 8th place on the all-time list this season. Frank Robinson has 586 career home runs, and is trailing by just 2. The 2 walks he drew tonight also place him 9th on the all-time list, passing Frnak Thomas.

WWE

– Funeral services for Luna Vachon will take place at Andre the Giant’s North Carolina ranch, according to TMZ.com. Andre’s ashes were scattered there 17 years ago and Luna’s ashes will be scattered at the same place. Andre was Luna’s godfather and the two were extremely close. No word on when the scattering is taking place, but Luna’s funeral services have been taking place over the past few days.

– Monday, November 15 will be a 3-hour edition of Raw (8-11pm ET). The event will be held at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

– While there is no official update on Aloisia’s status with WWE, it is believed that she has not been released by the company. Many presume WWE officials realized she was far too green to appear on national television and thus demoted to FCW for additional training. When asked to comment on her dismissal from NXT, the 6?9? grappler tweeted, “Just know there is absolutely NO replacing ME. We ALL know there is just 1 of me in the ENTIRE world & I’ll be back.”

TNA

– The following is from Figure Four Weekly:

“TNA had a random drug test at the last set of tapings. There were a few names that didn’t show up for the tapings like Rob Terry. TNA has had random drug tests in the past. We know of people who failed, and they were told they failed, and then that was the last they ever heard about it. Not sure what the point of a drug test is if nobody actually gets punished for anything.”

Ha! #908423523 on the list of TNA’s problems.

NHL

– The Stars have invited F Jonathan Cheechoo to training camp. Cheechoo, with little other choice, accepted the invitation. He’s a former 50-goal scorer and could be a good fit for Dallas. His production has fallen off dramatically over the last few seasons.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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NBA

– F Chris Bosh and G Dwyane Wade are planning to visit with two teams that have plenty of salary-cap space, the Knicks and Nets (Wade will also visit the Bulls and Mavs), and may make the visits together, Yahoo! Sports’ Marc J. Spears reports. Agent Henry Thomas, who reps both of the players, told Spears that it could happen that way. “Their friendship is good,” Thomas said. “As a result of going through this experience, their relationship will be a lot stronger.” Thomas also noted that plenty of information will be shared between the two about what teams are offering what to who since they are both represented by the same company. Thomas also said that while no “free-agent summit” with the pair and F LeBron James happened this past weekend, the trio do talk to one another as well as a few other soon-to-be free agents often about possible scenarios.

Meanwhile, Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo is saying that he doesn’t want to lose Bosh for nothing and is happy to set up a sign-and-trade scenario so his team can get some compensation. If Bosh decides to go to join Wade with the Heat, the Raptors will likely ask for young F Michael Beasley, G Mario Chalmers and F Joel Anthony, Spears notes.

– ESPN reports that G Paul Pierce has opted out of the final year of his contract and will test the free agent market. Pierce’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, told ESPN.com in a text message late Tuesday the NBA All-Star forward will forfeit next season’s $21.5M salary for a chance to sign a new four-year deal worth more than $90M. Pierce surely wants to sign a long-term contract before he gets injured or loses money because of the new CBA. The move makes him eligible to sign a new deal with the C’s for 4-years/$96M, or he can accept $3M less from other teams. As if this year’s FA pool weren’t deep enough.

– A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday that F Dirk Nowitzki has notified the Mavericks that he is opting out of the final year and $21.5M on his existing contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team wasn’t planning to announce Nowitzki’s decision.

– Rockets’ F Yao Ming has picked up his player option for next season ($17.69M) and will return to the team. He’s in the final year of a 5-year contract. Yao sat out last season following reconstructive foot surgery and said he wanted to see how the injury healed before making his decision.

– F Amare Stoudemire and his agent met for several hours with Suns’ owner Robert Sarver on Tuesday night and gathered momentum on a possible contract extension, team sources told Yahoo! Sports. Sarver and Suns coach Alvin Gentry met with Stoudemire and his agent Happy Walters in Los Angeles, and made a case for the All-Star forward to stay with the Suns. Sources say the two sides are expected to resume talks on Wednesday, and Stoudemire is holding off opting out of the final $17.6M season of his deal to make him a free agent. Free agency begins at midnight ET, and sources say it’s still possible Stoudemire will opt out of his contract and continue negotiations with the Suns while also meeting with other teams.

– Nuggets’ F  Carmelo Anthony has one more year left on his contract with the Denver Nuggets before he can opt out of it and become an unrestricted free agent. The Nuggets are feeling like he may do just that and the team “is prepared to trade Melo rather than let him walk” next summer, according to a source for the Denver Post. Anthony will make $17M this season and the Nuggets have been trying to get him to sign on for a $65M extension that would have him in Denver through 2015, the Post reports. If Anthony says no to that offer, which is on the table right now, the Post reports that the team could consider talking trade. Anthony averaged 28.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game last season.

– The Nets have traded F Yi Jianlian to the Wizards in exchange for G Quinton Ross. It’s a straight salary cap dump for the Nets, who probably have no interest in playing  Ross. The Nets now have exactly $30M under the cap, enough to sign a max player for $16.5M and another player for $13.5M. A change of scenery should work well for Jianlian, who averaged a career-high 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds a year ago. He has a chance to start if F Mike Miller walks in free agency and F Josh Howard (ACL surgery) doesn’t return to Washington.

– Celtics’ F Kendrick Perkins (torn ACL) said Tuesday night that surgery  could sideline him at least 5-to-6 months. Terrible news for Boston, as it means Perkins won’t be active until well into the season — at least December or January. He has been strengthening his knee for the past few weeks, hoping to shorten the recovery time after next week’s surgery. With F Rasheed Wallace retiring and Perk injured, the Celtics are suddenly desperately thin up front.

– Former Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro dined with Clippers owner Donald Sterling and front-office executives on Tuesday night to discuss the team’s coaching vacancy, sources with knowledge of the meeting told Yahoo! Sports. Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey, who interviewed with the Clippers on Monday, and Del Negro appear to be the top two candidates for the job. Sources said a decision could be made soon.

– The Cavaliers have completed interviewing head coach candidates Brian Shaw and Byron Scott, but they have not finalized their decision or offered any contracts. It seems likely that Shaw will become Cleveland’s next coach once the details of the contract are worked out, especially since Byron Scott’s agent basically offered a concession speech. The Cavs want a coach in place when free agency begins on Thursday, so we won’t have to wait long.

– Former Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry will meet with Portland Trail Blazers officials to discuss the franchise’s GM vacancy on Wednesday, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Since Yahoo! Sports reported on June 5 that the Blazers had hired a search firm to identify and feel out potential candidates, Ferry has steadily stayed near the top of Portland’s wish list. The Blazers reached out to several GM candidates, but Ferry and the organization have strong shared interest, sources said. There is mutual interest and no other names are surfacing to rival Ferry, so the writing is on the wall. It seems Portland would like to have a new GM installed soon with free agency beginning on Thursday.

NHL

– Penguins’ GM Ray Shero said there’s “nothing’s really new” when it comes to Pittsburgh’s negotiations with D Sergei Gonchar. It is believed that Shero won’t give Gonchar more than two years, but the veteran blueliner is asking for a three-year contract. Gonchar is scheduled to become a UFA on Thursday, so he might test the free agent waters before deciding if he wants to return to Pittsburgh.

– The Stars have officially announced that F Mike Modano will not be offered a new contract. If the 20-year face of the franchise wants to return to the NHL, it will have to be with a new team. “I’m leaning toward playing. It certainly depends where and what teams are interested…I’m disappointed and upset about it. I always wanted to believe there was a chance of something happening here.” Now the NHL’s highest-scoring U.S.-born player must decide whether to put on something other than a Stars sweater for the first time. Modano captained the only Stars’ Cup-winning team 11 years ago. Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk said,

“This decision doesn’t come easy, but it’s something I’ve been talking to Mike about for quite some timeIt’s a difficult deicison for fans and our entire organization. I fell it’s necessary for us to move foward under these trying times. We have young players that I believe have to be put in a postion where they can be successful and unfortunately (for the situation with Modano) the depth of our team is at the center positon.”

Nieuwendyk said that because the Stars are currently for sale, that Modano will not be offered a different job within the organization.

– The Canadiens have acquired G Dan Ellis, F Dustin Boyd and future considerations from the Predators for F Sergei Kostitsyn. Kostitsyn, who had seven goals and 11 assists in 47 regular-season games last season, refused to accept a demotion to Hamilton of the AHL at the start of the season, requested a trade, and eventually joined the Bulldogs. He later walked out on them. Kostitsyn was recalled in November but never really found his stride, eventually being told by coach Jacques Martin to sit out a practice during the playoffs. He played in only five games during Montreal’s run to the Eastern Conference finals, and just one after the first round. Ellis gives the Habs a solid backup behind G Carey Price, while Boyd adds some depth up front.

Ellis is scheduled to become a UFA on Thursday, so the Canadiens must act quickly to re-sign him. Ellis had a 2.69 GAA and .909 SV% in 31 games last season and he’s just two years removed from his fantastic rookie season. If Price struggles early on next season, Ellis is more than capable of stealing the number one gig from him. Both Boyd and Kostitsyn are RFAs.

– The Sens have bought out the final year of F Jonathan Cheechoo’s contract, one day after waiving him. Cheechoo was set to earn $3.5M next season. After he cleared waivers, the Senators were allowed to buy him out. Cheechoo scored 56 goals in 2005-06, but just 17 goals in his last two seasons.

– Leafs’ D Mike Van Ryn (knee) will not play in the 2010-11 season.

– Former NHL All-Star Adam Oates is filling the final assistant spot on John MacLean’s coaching staff with the Devils. Oates was hired on Tuesday and is joining fellow assistant Larry Robinson and goaltending coach Chris Terreri under MacLean, who was named head coach by the Devils on June 17. The 47-year-old Oates was an assistant coach with the Lightning last season.

WWE

– Monday’s Raw featuring Rob Zombie scored a 3.28 rating, down from last week’s 3.52. It did hours of 3.28 and 3.27. This week’s 3.28 ends a 5-week trend of increasing ratings. Since May 24, the RAW rating had increased week after week.

– According to the PWInsider, CM Punk (arm) had undergone surgery last week and is expected out 4-to-8 weeks. It’s been known that he’s been working hurt for at least a few weeks. Punk will appear on Friday’s SmackDown with a sling on his arm. No word on whether he’ll be off television during his recovery time.

– The Undertaker and longtime girlfriend Michelle McCool were married on Saturday at a private ceremony in Houston, Texas. The two have been romantically linked since 2007. The weekend wedding marks the third time around the block for the Undertaker and the second for McCool. Among the wrestling personalities who attended were Torrie Wilson, Lisa Marie Varon and Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman (wife of Booker T), who is pregnant with twins.

– WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt tells Courant.com that the lawsuit filed by the late Owen Hart’s widow, Martha, against WWE, Vince and Linda McMahon is without merit. Martha Hart is suing the WWE for continuing to profit off the likeness of her late husband, especially as it pertains to the new Hart Family DVD set. Martha Harat issued a statement this week saying the WWE filed a lawsuit against her because she “had the nerve” to pursue a wrongful death claim following her husband’s death.

McDevitt now says Martha’s statement is false. this afternoon. According to him, WWE didn’t sue her because she brought the wrongful death claim. However, it did petition a court in Connecticut to hear the claim, instead of the Missouri court where Hart had filed her lawsuit, which was settled before going to trial. McDevitt calls Hart’s statement “pejorative nonsense” and said her current lawsuit is nothing more than “a personal attack” on the McMahon family. He denies the insinuation that WWE is trying to deny Hart and her children compensation from the Hart Family DVD and says WWE handled the aftermath of Owen Hart’s death in a “humanitarian” way.

– According to the Wrestling Observer, to follow up on our earlier report regarding the work visa issues with Wade Barrett and Drew McIntyre -  we’re told at this point that WWE does not know when McIntyre will be back. Barrett might be able to return as soon as next week, but nobody knows for sure. According to a source, WWE creative was told at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings to presume assume neither man would be back until SummerSlam in August. Up until now Wade Barrett had been the centerpiece of the new Nexus group on RAW. It is possible Barrett or McIntyre could both be back soon, but that was the initial word as of today. It should be noted that current WWE Champion Sheamus was signed by WWE around the same time as Barrett and McIntyre. The belief as of right now is that he is okay in regards to his work visa, but given the fact how things were handled with Barrett and McIntyre he could possibly be next. This is definitely causing major issues for WWE creative.

– Goldust wrote a post Tuesday evening on Twitter saying he has retired. “i am retired. byeeeeeeeee.” Though it should be noted that in a previous tweet, he said he was very tired coming off the road and heading to the beach, so it’s likely he was joking. The multi-time Intercontinental Champion has been largely relegated to Superstars since being drafted to Raw in April, having only competed once on WWE’s flagship program. He once again appeared on Superstars at Monday’s taping in Philadelphia, teaming up with Yoshi Tatsu to take on Zack Ryder and Primo.

MLB

– FOXSports reports that the Braves have inquired about Nationals’ OF Josh Willingham, Brewers’ OF Corey Hart and Jays’ OF Jose Bautista. Willingham has hit 14 homers and scored 42 runs, Hart has 18 homers and 60 RBIs and Bautista has 20 homers and 50 RBIs. All three become free agents at season’s end.

– The Phillies have placed 2B Chase Utley (sprained right thumb) and 3B Placido Polanco (sore elbow) on the 15-day DL.

– The Red Sox had inquired about Cubs’ 2B Mike Fontenot. He’s hitting .286 in 133 at-bats with a homer and 16 RBIs and may still be on the trading block – the Angels and Phillies are expected to show interest. The 30-year-old backup infielder is making $1M this season and won’t be a free agent till 2013.

– Marlins’ interim manager Edwin Rodriguez will remain the manager for the remainder of the season. This story has certainly taken a wild turn over the past few days. If anything, it suggests that the organization was not in complete agreement that Bobby Valentine should be the next manager of the team. It doesn’t mean he won’t be considered during the offseason, though.

– Reds’ 2B Brandon Phillips will not face any legal consequences stemming from a reckless driving charge, the Reds’ official site reports. He was clocked going 72 mph in a 35 mph zone on Friday. He pleaded guilty to the charge, and he will only have to pay court expenses and take a three-hour course.

NFL

– The Redskins, Seahawks and Bears have debated “making a run” at WR Vincent Jackson, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter cautions that a trade is still a long shot. Anyone that tries to acquire the talented Jackson will have to meet his contract demands and give up plenty of value (a 1st-round pick or two 2nd-rounders?) to the Chargers.

– According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Bengals’ RB Cedric Benson claims he did reach out to the NFL office and Bengals to inform them of events in an Austin (TX) bar that led up to Tuesday’s assault charge. A league source familiar with the situation told Schefter that Benson’s case is “very minor.” Benson reportedly had no idea he’d be charged with the Class A misdemeanor, so he might not have taken the situation seriously. Via attorney David Cornwell, Benson has publicly contended that he was the victim, not the person(s) he allegedly assaulted. Schefter noted that Benson has a history of off-field problems, but didn’t predict what will come of this.

– The Steelers hosted free agent OT Flozell Adams on Tuesday, putting him through a workout and giving him a physical. Pittsburgh is in dire need of offensive tackle help after losing Willie Colon for the season and promising rookie Chris Scott indefinitely due to foot surgery. Adams is 35 and in clear decline, but fits the Steelers’ mold as a power-blocking lineman. He’s also still a plenty effective run blocker.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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NBA

– Tom Izzo has officially declined the five-year/$30M contract offer from the Cavaliers to remain with the Michigan Spartans. Izzo acknowledged that being unable to speak with James played a part in his life- and career-altering decision. The Cavs’ search for a head coach will likely focus on Byron Scott (who may wait for the Lakers and Clippers to settle their benches before deciding), as well as Mike Woodson and Brian Shaw.

– Steve Kerr will not return as president and GM of the Suns next season and will likely return to a job as a TV analyst. The Suns went 52-28 this season and reached the Western Conference finals, but team owner Robert Sarver reportedly wanted Kerr to take a pay cut. “I wouldn’t say it’s a big surprise. It boiled down to a number of things, including lifestyle and the opportunity. I was hoping to have him back.” Kerr is only 44 years old, so he may very well return to an NBA front office someday.

Kerr’s resignation “could have dramatically negative impact on [the Suns'] ability to re-sign Amare,” according to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Kerr just met with Amare’s agent last week, and Amare had a “strong belief” in his abilities to build a championship team. The Suns apparently wanted Kerr to take a pay cut, but their stinginess may end up costing them in the long run.

– The Toronto Star reports that the Raptors are looking for potential suitors for F Hedo Turkoglu, and could make a package deal involving G Jose Calderon, G Jarrett Jack and their #13 overall pick in the draft. On top of those options, the Raptors can still work a sign-and-trade deal to get some value if F Chris Bosh skips town. We may not have to wait long for GM Bryan Colangelo’s first move, as beat writer Doug Smith feels that “all signs point to some kind of transaction coming down the pike before the draft.”

– ESPN reports that a Game 7 win by the Lakers will give coach Phil Jackson an extra $2M in addition to his $12M salary. Jackson’s contract runs out July 1 and he has said he will take a few weeks to see his doctor and decide whether he is returning to the Lakers next season for a likely lower salary or retiring.

– A Celtics team source said Tuesday night that Celtics’ F Kendrick Perkins (knee), who suffered a right knee injury in the first quarter, was “done.” Officially, Perkins and the Celtics are awaiting results of an MRI, and while there’s still a chance he could play in Thursday’s Game 7, it appears to be a foregone conclusion that he suffered a serious injury and is out. At this point, good news would probably mean he didn’t tear his ACL or MCL, but either way, he doesn’t sound at all likely to play in Game 7.

– Raptors’ G Jarrett Jack has expressed interest in remaining with the Raptors. “Obviously there’s a level of frustration with it, being that you want to put some core pieces around you and know that you have those pieces in place and try to build around that. And when one of those pieces kind of goes awry after that, it’s tough, especially after just one year. But I have confidence in coach and the front office that they’ll put out the best product possible.”"

MLB

– According to the AP, Braves’ 3B Chipper Jones hinted that he’d retire at season’s end. “It’s obvious that it’s something I’ve been thinking about. I need to go through the proper channels. Once those have all been taken care of, everybody’s questions will be answered.” Chipper is owed $28M in guaranteed money he’s owed for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. After chatting retirement options with Braves management Tuesday, though, Jones Jones has canceled a tentatively scheduled meeting with the media. In other words, he’s not going to discuss his future plans at the moment. Chipper is struggling this season, both at the plate and with his own health, but the Braves are sitting atop the NL East standings and don’t need any distractions. November, not June, is the time for retirement talk.

– The Chicago Tribune reports that the Cubs haven’t talked to any teams about making trades yet but will begin the process if the losing goes on for the next two or three weeks. On the list for potential trades are 1B Derrek Lee, LHP Ted Lilly, OF Kosuke Fukudome, LHP Tom Gorzelanny and OF Xavier Nady. Lee and Fukudome have no-trade clauses; the team has not asked them to waive the clauses yet.

– A source tells Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports that the Rangers are “getting closer” to acquiring Astros’ RHP Roy Oswalt. The major hurdle, of course, is that the financially-strapped Rangers are trying to convince the MLB to allow them to take on Oswalt’s salary. The players “are more or less agreed to,” according to Calcaterra. Oswalt is still a major financial commitment — nearly $27M, including the prorated portion of his $15M salary for this season, $16M for 2011 and at least a $2M buyout on his $16M option for 2012 — so it shouldn’t be assumed that Major League Baseball will see it their way.

The Fort Worth Stat-Telegram, however, says a Rangers official has told the paper that there is no truth to this rumour, but the team is trying to add some offense and has spoken to the Orioles about 3B Ty Wigginton and the Marlins about 1B Wes Helms.

– The Athletics have acquired 1B Conor Jackson from the D’Backs for RHP Sam Demel. Jackson has been a fairly consistent hitter throughout his career with the Diamondbacks, at least when he’s not battling Valley Fever. He will step into a rotation in the Oakland outfield and will probably hold just about the same amount of fantasy value as he did in Arizona.

– Orioles’ 2B Brian Roberts (back) will be out for an additional four-to-six weeks. Roberts has been sidelined since the first week of the season and there’s been nothing but setbacks since then.

– The Dodgers have placed RHP Chad Billingsley (groin) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 13.

– The Yankees have placed RHP Sergio Mitre (oblique) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 5.

– The Yankees have placed OF Marcus Thames (strained right hamstring) on the 15-day DL.

– Cardinals’ RHP Brad Penny (back) will be out until at least the end of June, and it could be much longer, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. An examination on Monday showed that Penny’s upper back strain has yet to completely heal. A few weeks ago it looked like this injury wasn’t going to be a big deal, but it’s already been lingering for a month, and is showing no signs of going away.

NHL

– The Leafs have officially named D Dion Phaneuf their captain. The Leafs have been without a captain since F Mats Sundin in 2008. Phaneuf is the 18th captain of the Maple Leafs and the 22nd in Toronto franchise history.

– Hockey Hall of Famer Cam Neely will be named the president of the Bruins. The Bruins have scheduled a “major announcement” for Wednesday. The Bruins have not had a president since Harry Sinden stepped down in 2006 after 17 years in the position. Neely played the last 10 years of his career in Boston and twice helped the Bruins reach the Stanley Cup finals. They have not been back since 1990.

– The Boston Globe reports that the odds of the Bruins acquiring Senators’ F Jason Spezza for the #2 overall pick in the 2010 entry draft are slim to none. The Globe points out that the Bruins already have a strong core of centers in Marc Savard, David Krejci, and Patrice Bergeron. More importantly, the Bruins have cap concerns as it is and they’d be hard pressed to find a way to acquire Spezza and stay under the cap. The Blue Jackets were also initially mentioned as a possible trading partner for Spezza, but it seems equally unlikely that Columbus would hand Ottawa the #4 overall pick.

– D Rob Blake is expected to officially announce his retirement on Friday. Blake, 40, was one of the league’s best defensemen over his career with the Kings, Avalanche and Sharks, making seven All-Star teams and winning the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman for Los Angeles in 1998. He is 10th on the career list with 240 goals as a defenseman, went to the Stanley Cup finals in 1993 with Los Angeles, won the Cup in 2001 with Colorado, won a gold medal for Canada the following year and helped the Sharks post the best regular-season record in the Western Conference in each of his two seasons in San Jose.

– The Edmonton Journal reports that the Oilers may buyout captain F Ethan Moreau, F Patrick O’Sullivan and F Robert Nilsson. O’Sullivan is due to make $2.95M next season while the other two each have $2M left on their deals. The Senators are also considering a buyout for F Jonathan Cheechoo ($3.5M). If a player is 26 or older, the team has to fork over two thirds of the money left on the deal. If the player is younger than that and gets bought out, though, he only gets one third of the money left on the deal.

– Canucks’ F Alex Burrows (torn labrum in shoulder) underwent surgery last week and he may miss some time at the start of next season. “He may not be ready to play until sometime in October or November,” said his agent Paul Corbeil. The shoulder of Burrows had reportedly been bothering him since the second half of the regular season, but he wanted to play through it. The injury is thought to be the same as the one that F Pavol Demitra had this past campaign. The Canucks will have their fingers crossed that the recovery of Burrows goes smoother, as Demitra had to miss the first 47 games after a second surgery was required. Burrows will be evaluated again sometime in the next two weeks to see where he is at in his rehabilitation. Stay tuned.

– The Canadiens have bought out the final season of F George Laraque’s three-year/$4.5M contract. He was banished from the team that day because Laraque had become a distraction. He remained on the roster for the rest of the season, but was not seen at games or practices. Laraque, who was in and out of the lineup in recent seasons because of back problems, had one goal and two assists in 28 games this season. In two seasons with the Canadiens, he had one goal and four assists in 61 games.

– The Canucks have re-signed D Aaron Rome to a two-year/$1.5M deal. Rome will make $700K next season and $800K the following year.

– The Stars have signed G Brent Krahn to a two-way contract. Krahn played 22 games for the Texas Stars of the AHL this season, winning 17 games with five shutouts and a 1.83 GAA.

– The Blue Jackets have fired former interim head coach Claude Noel, assistants Gary Agnew and Gord Murphy and strength and conditioning coach Barry Brennan.

NFL

– NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reports that the Seahawks are “quite interested” in Bills’ RB Marshawn Lynch, should they decide to trade him. This disputes an ESPN report from late last week that Lynch “has zero trade value.” Seattle is an excellent fit on paper following the release of LenDale White. The Seahawks also use a zone-blocking system similar to what Lynch played in at Cal. Still, they might not offer more than a late-round pick. Lynch joined his Bills teammates on the practice field for the start of this week’s OTAs on Tuesday. Smart move – if he wants to escape his current third-string role in Buffalo, he’s going to have to clean up his act and show some dedication.

– Redskins’ DE Albert Hayneswoth is still pushing for a trade and will not attend the Redskins’ upcoming minicamp after all. “The Redskins are trying to establish a new regime with new schemes at Redskins Park, and it is not an organization that Albert would have ever been attracted to just a short year ago – regardless of the money,” said Haynesworth’s agent. Haynesworth believes his talents are wasted in a 3-4 scheme. Coach Mike Shanahan’s attempt to take a hard-line stance on his best defender’s absence from voluntary offseason activities has exacerbated the situation. The Redskins will have to consider fining Haynesworth for missing mandatory work.

– The Saints have re-signed RFA RB Pierre Thomas to a one-year/$1.684M contract. The Saints threatened to reduce Thomas’ salary by $1.1M if he didn’t sign the tender, which would’ve been significant for a player who’s never made more than the NFL minimum. Instead, Thomas is showing good faith that the team will work with him on a long-term deal up to his expectations. While Thomas won’t get Steven Jackson money, a Michael Turner-like deal in the $5-6M range annually over 4-5 seasons could be realistic for the 25-year-old.

– A day after assuring that he’s not “mad” at the Titans organization, RB Chris Johnson took to his Twitter account to express frustration with his contract situation. “Just got off the phone with my agent, and it’s not good news. I’m feeling like Darrelle Revis right now. At least they’re offering him something. [The Titans are] not offering me nothing.” The primary issue here is that CJ2K has three years left on his contract, and the Titans are leery of setting a precedent that other players will use against them. There’s no telling how this will play out until training camp starts.

– Chargers unsigned RFAs Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill have reportedly made “financial preparations” in advance of executing lengthy holdouts that could last through Week 10 of the regular season. Updating a previous item, the players’ one-year tenders have not yet been formally reduced, leaving a “slight chance” that Jackson and McNeill could still sign at some point Tuesday. Should V-Jax fail to report until after Week 10, he’d stand to lose a whopping $3.062M. The same course of action by McNeill would cost the four-year starting left tackle $2.956M.

– The Broncos have re-signed RFA OLB Elvis Dumervil to a one-year/$3.168M contract. The sides will continue to work on a long-term deal. Dumervil, 26, set or tied career highs in tackles (48), sacks (17), and forced fumbles (4) last season.

WWE

– Monday’s episode of WWE RAW with actor Mark Feuerstein as guest host did a 3.42 cable rating, up from last week’s 3.09. The show averaged 4,883,000 viewers and did hours of 3.36 and 3.5.

– NBA legend Michael Jordan was backstage at Monday’s WWE RAW from Charlotte. It’s been rumoured for some time that WWE wants Jordan to host an upcoming episode of RAW, so you can bet the idea was pitched this week.

– With next year’s WrestleMania 27 still 9 months away,WWE officials are already working with city officials from Atlanta, Georgia, the host city.

– Actress Florence Henderson, who played “Carol Brady” on the classic Brady Bunch television show, will be guest hosting the July 12 Raw from Lexington, Kentucky. No guest host has been announced for next week’s RAW, the night after no Fatal 4 Way.

TNA

– Scott Hall has reportedly been fired by TNA Wrestling. He was written off of storylines at last night’s television taping for Thursday night’s episode. TNA stripped The Band — Hall, Kevin Nash, and Eric Young — of the TNA Tag Team Championship and set up a mini-tournament. The winning team will face The Motor City Machineguns for the vacant titles at next month’s Victory Road PPV. Last month, Hall was arrested outside of Orlando, Florida two days before Sacrifice. He worked the event and reportedly did not inform management of his arrest. He was charged with disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest after being arrested at the Hitching Post Bar. Hall has since pled not guilty to the charges. His next scheduled court date is July 1 in Seminole County court.

– At Monday night’s TNA iMPACT! tapings (set to air Thursday night on Spike), Ric Flair announced that he was reforming the Four Horsemen in TNA, except the new group would be known as “Fortune.” The group consists of AJ Styles, Desmond Wolfe, Kazarian and Beer Money. During the show, Flair has a confrontation with Jay Lethal, who came out dressed like Flair and acting like Flair. After Lethal wrestles Desmond Wolfe later in the show, Ric Flair comes out and helps Wolfe attack Lethal. Hulk Hogan comes out and asks Ric Flair to reveal his big announcement. Flair says he’s coming out of retirement once again – and will be wrestling Jay Lethal at TNA Victory Road on July 11.

– Updating a previous item, sources indicate that TNA’s “major changes” will be that the company will be dropping the monthly PPV format and instead would be running live specials on Spike TV. It’s still possible that TNA would keep 2-3 PPV events a year on their calendar, but the monthly PPV format has proven to not be profitable for TNA and the company could actually make more money from Spike TV paying them for these live television specials. Again, this is still a rumour, but it does jive with Dixie Carter’s comments about Spike TV President Kevin Kay being “all in” and on board with TNA’s major changes. Stay tuned for the latest on this developing story.

– As seen last night at Slammiversary, Roxxi agreed to put her TNA career on the line against Madison Rayne and her Women’s Knockout Championship. Rayne retained her title, after hitting Roxxi with the championship belt, ending her TNA career in the process. Sources within TNA indicate she is indeed through with the company. Roxxi was not informed of her release from the company until yesterday, according to f4wonline.com. She was visibly upset prior to and after her Slammiversary bout. The decision garnered much heat backstage as many feel TNA could have handled the situation better. Considering Angelina Love and Daffney have been cleared to wrestle, it appears as if TNA no longer needs or has any creative plans for Roxxi, hence her abrupt departure from the organization.

– ODB posted the following on Twitter on Monday afternoon:

“thanks tna fans for all the support but tna and odb have parted ways.it was a decision I made.bamm bitches”

– Tommy Dreamer, who made his TNA debut at Sunday’s Slammiversary pay-per-view, wrote the following on Twitter following his appearance:

“TNA THANKS SO MUCH I AM ON A MISSION HOPE WE ALL ENJOY THE RIDE”

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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MLB

– The Giants have signed ace RHP Tim Lincecum to a two-year/$23M deal. Lincecum gets a $2M signing bonus, $8M this year, $13M in 2011 and the chance to earn performance and award bonuses.
The agreement is subject to a physical. The Freak is getting his
nice raise from his $650K salary last year. Lincecum, 25, has racked up 40 wins and compiled a 2.90 ERA and 1.15
WHIP over his first 90 major league starts. He’s also won the NL Cy
Young Award twice.

– 1B Carlos Delgado “does not intend to accept any of his current offers,”
his agent, David Sloane, told FOXSports.com. Delgado may pull a Pedro Martinez-like
move and sign with a team mid-season. “He’s going to continue his
strengthening program, continue working out. Every year,
teams have issues — somebody gets hurt, somebody doesn’t perform. And
then they need a bat. When that happens, Carlos will be available.”
Delgado, 37, batted .298/.393/.521 with four home runs and 23 RBI in the
26 games that he was healthy last season.

– The White Sox will retire DH Frank Thomas’ No. 35 in August. A nice and well-deserved nod to the Big
Hurt. Whether you think Thomas allowed his career to run on too long or not, it’s hard to deny that he put up some
absolutely stellar numbers. The 41-year-old will take a bow with 521
career homers and a .419 career OBP.

NHL

– No news on Hurricanes’ F Ray Whitney’s front. The Kings still have interest in the 37-year-old, who has
45 points this season, including 17 goals and 28 assists. Carolina is looking for a first-round pick and a prospect for Whitney. Whitney is also looking for an extension of two-years to waive his no-trade
clause. Originally, when this trade was proposed to him, he asked for a
three-year extension and Kings countered with one-year. If the Kings were to give the extra year, this trade would likely
have happened. Expect him to be moved on deadline day.

– The Senators have agreed to a
one-year contract extension with GM Bryan Murray. They have also made an offer to impending UFA D Anton Volchenkov.

The Senators have also placed F Jonathan Cheechoo on waivers. Anyone who thought a change of scenery might be what
Cheechoo needed after two awful seasons with the Sharks were sorely
mistaken. Cheech has 14 points and a team-worst minus-13 rating.

NFL

– The Bengals have signed WR Matt Jones to a one-year/$700K contract. Jones, 27 in April, is a good upside
signing with minimal risk at this price. While he isn’t even a lock to
make the team, the Bengals may have plucked their 2010 starting flanker
off the February waiver wire. WR Laveranues Coles becomes a serious
candidate for release. The move won’t
preclude Cincinnati from using another pick on a wideout, though.

VoV

– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
– Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
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NHL

– The Senators have finally traded their disgruntled two-time 50 goal scorer F Dany Heatley and a fifth-round pick to the Sharks for F Milan Michalek, F Jonathan Cheechoo and a second-round pick. Heatley said, “It was tough. It wasn’t the greatest summer. No question. “I’m relieved and excited to be going to San Jose…I don’t think I did anything wrong asking for a trade. I had my reasons and if people think different of me that’s fine, but I feel I’ve done nothing wrong and I’m happy to move on.” The 28-year-old Heatley signed a six-year/$45M extension less than two years ago with the Sens.

Both Heatley and the Sharks have finally gotten what they’ve wanted. Heatley will get to avoid the unwelcome return to the Sens’ lineup lineup after demanding a trade all summer long, and the Sharks get another big offensive weapon that they’ve been searching for after successive postseason failures. Heatley should be depositing pucks left, right and centre with F Joe Thornton feeding him all the time. If they can develop some on-ice chemistry, Heatley could easily have a 50-goal season.

– The Blue Jackets have re-signed F Derek Dorsett to a two-year deal. The 22-year-old Dorsett had four goals and one assist with 150 penalty minutes in 52 games as a rookie with the Blue Jackets last season. He ranked second on the club and led all NHL rookies in penalty minutes and added 116 hits.

WWE

– As noted earlier, WWE scrapped Dolph Ziggler’s match with John Morrison for tomorrow’s Breaking Point PPV. The reason given for the match’s elimination from the card was finish-related, as officials couldn’t come up with one. Instead, the match is currently penciled in for the Hell in the Cell PPV in three weeks, but plans can always change.

WWE has instead added a match between US Champion Kofi Kingston and The Miz for tomorrow night’s show. It was obviously a late decision, since neither even appeared on this past week’s episode of RAW.

– It was reported earlier this week that WWE’s original plan for Undertaker vs. CM Punk at tomorrow night’s Breaking Point pay-per-view was a Taker victory. Internally, many feel the time isn’t right for Undertaker to beat Punk, but the idea of a clean submission win for the champion was not believed to be under serious consideration.

– According to FayObserver.com, Chief Deputy Neil Godfry of the Moore County Sheriff’s Office says that the Fayetteville Police Department actually received a tip several days ago that Jeff Hardy was in possession of a large quantity of drugs. That tip led to an investigation and subsequently, a search warrant.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is speaking out about Jeff Hardy’s shocking drug arrest, calling the incident “disturbing.” Here’s what JR said at JRsBarBQ.com:

“The news of Jeff Hardy’s apparent arrest on drug charges is disturbing. I have spoken to no one about this matter and only know what info that I have read that was distributed by the police in North Carolina.

I hope that there is better news on this matter forthcoming from Jeff or his attorney. Hopefully, Jeff has retained sufficient counsel to help him address these issues. I know that Jeff Hardy is a good young man with endless talents who finished his stint in WWE in grand fashion. Jeff, as are none of us, isn’t perfect and I only hope this matter can be resolved quickly and efficiently so Jeff can move on with his life in a healthy and positive way.

Jeff Hardy is innocent until proven guilty as there is likely much more to this matter than we know at this time.”

– Lance Storm posted a message on his website on Friday reflecting on September 11, 2001 as well as Jeff Hardy’s arrest. Storm says he believes police charged Jeff with drug trafficking simply because of the large quantity of drugs found, not because he was actually a drug dealer. Storm said:

“I think having your own personal drug problems (no matter how severe) and being a drug trafficker are two completely different things. If the quantities of drugs, reportedly found in Jeff’s possession, are accurate then we have to assume he has a very serious drug problem, and that, even more so than his pending legal woes, is my biggest concern.

When Jeff was suspended from WWE the last time, for a Wellness violation, and then shortly there after lost his house and dog in a fire my heart went out to him. I think a lot of people (myself included) thought and hoped that was a turning point for Jeff and he had gotten his life in order since. Unfortunately that does not appear to be the case.”

TNA

– In an interview with Diva-Dirt.com which will be published tomorrow, former WWE Diva Kristal Marshall addressed Internet rumors saying she is joining TNA Wrestling in the near future.

“I haven’t been in talks with anyone over there,” Marshall said.

Although, it should be noted that Marshall will go into further detail including the extent of her dealings with TNA. Marshall will also talk candidly of her and Bobby Lashley’s respective departures from World Wrestling Entertainment and reveal the “shocking details” of how one company official treated them.

NBA

– The Clippers have re-signed F Steve Novak.

NBA

– Cavaliers F LeBron James is unlikely to accept a contract extension from the Cavs until after the 2009-10 season, when he can become a free agent. At an event to unveil his latest signature sneaker for Nike, James, who has given no indication he plans to leave the Cavs, made his strongest comments yet about his future. The NBA’s reigning MVP said he signed a three-year contract in 2006 with an option so he would have more flexibility once it expires. “I signed a contract in 2006 with an option. It would make no sense for me to sign that contract if I didn’t keep my options open. I’ll let you fill in the blanks.” The Cavaliers offered James a contract extension last month.

– The Pistons have signed former Piston F Ben Wallace to a one-year/$1.3M deal. The four-time defensive player of the year helped the Pistons win the 2004 NBA title. He left as a free agent to play for the Bulls, signing a four-year/$60M deal. Wallace was due $14M for the last year of his deal but gave up $4M to become a free agent. He’s expected to officially sign next week.

– The Heat have contacted G Allen Iverson in regards to a contract.

– According to the NY Post, Spurs F Richard Jefferson let his fiance – the woman he was supposed to marry on July 11 – know via email that he wanted to break off the wedding and didn’t allow enough time to contact all the guests to let them know not to fly into town for the planned bash to the former New Jersey Net dancer. He’s reportedly told the doormen to the building that has the apartment they shared for a year that she’s not allowed in, even to get her own stuff. Pals of the former fiancée also told the New York Post that Jefferson had said he would fork over a six-figure settlement but he’s decided not to bother.

– Conflicting rumours have the Wolves not yet offering Kurt Rambis, the assistant coach for the Lakers, an official contract yet. The deal is expected to be signed next week.

– The Hawks have re-signed F Marvin Williams to a five-year/$37.5M deal that could be worth up to $43M.

NHL

– The rumour yesterday was that the Senators were extremely close to sending F Dany Heatley to the Sharks once some sort of side deal was worked out with the Canadiens or Bruins. But now, the rumour is that there is trouble with the deal. Sources are reporting that the tensions of a few involved with the deal have gotten pretty high recently, and it isn’t clear how that will affect any negotiations that are underway. According to The Sporting News, Heatley’s teammates in are saying they’d take him back as long as he explained to them why he asked for a trade demand. If this San Jose deal falls apart, there aren’t any more rumoured teams involved, so it’ll be interesting to see whether Heatley plays or sits out. Stay tuned.

– Speaking of Heatley, it’s believed that if a deal does eventually happen between the Sens and Oilers, the Oil will no longer off the three-player deal of Penner, Smid and F Andrew Cogliano.

– The Canucks, Coyotes, Ducks, Leafs, Oilers and Avalanche are all the top players in the sweepstakes for Bruins RFA F Phil Kessel.

– The Panthers, Lightning and Coyotes remain the frontrunners for F Alex Tanguay, but it’s believed that Tanguay wants a deal to play in the Western Conference. The Sharks, Oilers and Blues could all be players, but each team would need to make a move or two to get him aboard.

– The Islanders and Canadiens are speaking with the Sharks in regards to F Jonathan Cheechoo.

– The Panthers are interested in Oilers F Dustin Penner and D Ladislav Smid.

MLB

– The Red Sox have designated RHP John Smoltz, 42, for assignment. They have 10 days to trade or release him. Smoltz was roughed up by the Yankees in a 13-6 loss Thursday night. The defeat left him at 2-5 with an 8.32 ERA in eight starts for Boston. Hhis long, illustrious career may be over. He has 212 wins, 154 saves, and a 3.32 ERA in 3,435 innings pitched.

– The Athletics have released 1B Jason Giambi. Giambi was hitting .143 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs in 83 games this season. The 2000 AL MVP has been on the DL since July 20 with a strained right quadriceps muscle. He signed a one-year/$5.25M deal with a $6.5M club option for 2010 with a $1.25M buyout. Giambi was making $4M this season, so another team would owe him the prorated portion of the $400K league minimum. The A’s are still responsible for his buyout. It’s unclear whether he will catch on with another club or whether this could be the end of a 15-year career. Earlier this week, Giambi said he was healthy, while manager Bob Geren cryptically refused to say why Giambi hadn’t been activated. He could be added as a pinch hitter elsewhere.

– The Mets are shopping LHP Billy Wagner. Wagner hasn’t been a huge help to the team in the last year, as he has been recovering from Tommy John surgery. Wagner is supposedly almost ready to return to the majors. Even if he doesn’t get traded, Wagner is very unlikely to return to the Mets next season, since the team could buy him out for $1M or exercise a club-option $8M contract for next year. Wagner used to say that 2009 would be his last year pitching, but supposedly he doesn’t want to finish out his career this way, and will likely try to find a team next year.

– The Twins have acquired RHP Carl Pavano from the Indians for a PTBNL. Pavano is owed about $500K for the rest of the season. Pavano fills in for the injured RHP Kevin SloweyThe 33-year-old will bring a 5.37 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP to Minnesota. RHP Justin Masterson will take over for him in Cleveland’s starting rotation.

– Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg is trying to become an MLB manager. Right now, he’s managing the Double-A Tennessee Smokies after two years as the man in charge of the Class A Peoria Chiefs. Sandberg apparently wanted the job with the Cubs when Dusty Baker was fired in 2006 and asked GM Jim Hendry about the spot. That’s when Hendry sent him down to the minors since Sandberg had only coached before as a spring-training instructor.

– According to Corey Brock of MLB.com, the Padres have extended manager Bud Black’s contract through 2010. The new deal also contains a club option for 2011. Black has managed the Padres to a 44-65 record this season. He went 63-99 with them in 2008 and 89-74 in 2007. The lack of improvement is an issue, but it’s not like Black has been surrounded by stars.

– The Padres have traded RHP Chad Gaudin to the Yankees. Gaudin will work out of the bullpen initially. He has struggled since leaving the A’s, and has a dismal 5.13 ERA this season in the ultimate pitcher’s park. The Yankees are obviously hoping a change of scenery will right his career.

– The Orioles have traded C Gregg Zaun to the Rays.

– The Royals have placed RHP Juan Cruz (shoulder) on the 15-day DL.

– The Astros have placed RHP Doug Brocail (shoulder) on the 15-day DL.

– The Twins have placed RHP Boof Bonser on the 60-day DL.

– The Pirates have placed LHP Donald Veal (finger) on the 15-day DL.

– The Mets have placed RHP J.J. Putz on the 60-day DL.

NFL

– The Chargers are beginning contract talks with QB Phillip Rivers. It’s rumoured that the two sides have been waiting for Giants QB Eli Manning’s contract to be a done deal so there is an outline. Rivers and his reps will say he is worth Manning kind of money (or more) while the Chargers will say Rivers hasn’t won them any Super Bowls. Manning just signed a seven-year/$106.9M extension.

– Broncos S Brian Dawkins will be out of action for two weeks after undergoing surgery on his broken right hand. Dawkins suffered the injury in Tuesday’s practice, but the Broncos have been predictably tight-lipped regarding details.

– The Falcons have signed WR Marty Booker. Booker, 33, was released by the Bears in February after recording just 15 catches last season.

MLS

– Los Angeles Galaxy star David Beckham says he is thinking about buying an MLS franchise when his current contract is up. Beckham has two years left on the five-year deal he signed to join the Galaxy in 2007. He says his deal gives him the right to buy an existing franchise or start a new one. Asked on Friday what he would do next, Beckham said he was “definitely interested” in becoming an MLS owner. He couldn’t say for sure whether he would play for the team as well. He turns 36 in 2011.

WWE

– As noted earlier, WWE parted ways with The Brian Kendrick last Thursday. It would appear that the decision was actually made two weeks ago because he was pulled from a previously from a scheduled program with Evan Bourne that week. He was then booked to lose to Jerry Lawler and Kofi Kingston in humiliating fashion.

To confirm ongoing Internet rumors dating back to last fall, Kendrick’s push went up in smoke, so to speak, as a result of his disobedience towards the company’s policy on marijuana. He had been warned several times by company officials that they weren’t going to tolerate his failing drug tests for marijuana (which constitute a $1K fine, but not a suspension) after failing numerous tests. He was one of at least two wrestlers whose pushes were stopped because of their disobedience, and it was likely a major contributing factor in his departure from the company.

Kendrick’s release from WWE was also said to be taken as a warning to higher profile wrestlers who have been failing tests for marijuana, as company officials have said many times to a slate of wrestlers individually that they are no longer going to tolerate it.

It should be noted that when Kendrick was informed by John Laurinaitis that he was being let go, he was told it was due to the economy. Those who heard it couldn’t believe he gave him such an obviously bogus reason. It’s also been said that Kendrick would have been released months ago, but Pat Patterson spoke up on his behalf.

— The former GM of Raw, Mike Adamle, has apparently been asked to guest host a future edition of the program. Adamle is a sports anchor and reporter at WMAQ-TV in Chicago and he announced during a broadcast a few days ago that WWE called him with the offer. Adamle did not reveal whether he accepted his former employer’s offer or not.

– It’s been said that WWE officials are leaning more towards having celebrities guest host future editions of Monday Night Raw rather than former wrestlers. Exceptions include Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. While Sgt. Slaughter will be hosting next week’s show, it likely had more to do with it not being easy to get a big name celebrity to fly out to Calgary. Also, WWE approached Dusty Rhodes about appearing as a guest host when the idea initially came up, but it appears he has been placed on the back burner in favor of celebrities.

– In an interview published today on IGN.com, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Glenn Howerton said he was recently contacted by WWE to guest host a future episode of Monday Night Raw.“Yeah, they want us [referring to Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day as well] to do that, actually. There’s a very good chance, if the dates work out, that we may be doing that sometime in September. We’ll see. It’s not definite.”

– Dolph Ziggler and Nikki Bella are officially a couple.

TNA

– The PWTorch Newsletter reports that Kurt Angle is still telling friends that it’s only a matter of time before he takes over the TNA creative team. Although Angle has Carter’s ear, very few people within the company actually believe he will become the new booker. At this point, the creative team is made up of Vince Russo and Matt Conway, with contributions from Jeremy Borash. So far, nobody else has been added to the team, which is currently without it’s leader Jeff Jarrett.

– Regarding Savio Vega’s firing last week, there’s talk that Dixie Carter was never too thrilled with the TNA agent’s hiring in the first place. Shortly after he was hired, Carter was asking a lot of questions about Savio and sources believe she would have fired him sooner if it wasn’t for Jarrett. Glenn Gilbertti (Disco Inferno) and Pat Kenny (Simon Diamond) were released in favor of Vega. Dixie’s main gripes about Vega was that TNA paid a ton of money to fly him in from Puerto Rico for the shows, he didn’t go on the road, and only worked strictly television events. This was said to be an eye-opening situation for Carter, any many feel that Savio didn’t do near enough to justify the expense of being flown in for tapings. TNA’s agents have come under fire lately due to lackluster match finishes, among other things. Savio and Dutch Mantel were basically in charge of the Knockouts division, and TNA management feels the division has suffered greatly since the release of former agent Scott D’Amore.

– Dutch Mantel’s firing last week is being viewed by sources within TNA as a very telling move regarding Jeff Jarrett’s future with the company. All sources agree that Mantel’s firing is a sign that Jarrett either won’t be coming back, or will have little-to-no power if he opts to return. Sources say Mantel was like a father figure to Jarrett and Jarrett never would have released him.

Mantel was viewed by many within TNA as someone who objected to storyline ideas without offering any fresh ideas of his own. He had a good reputation from booking in Puertyo Rico and people were excited when he was hired in 2003, but that excitement quickly faded. There are some people within the company who believe that Dixie Carter fired him in hopes that it would lead to Jarrett just walking away from the company. Jeff has kept a low profile since he was sent home and hasn’t commented publicly or given any indication as to what his plans are. There’s talk that Jarrett may have sought legal counsel on the matter.

NHL

– The Sharks are kick-starting trade talks with Senators F Dany Heatley. The Sens are not wanting F Jonathan Cheechoo, who has been offered as part of a deal with offensive D Christian Erhoff and a first-round pick. The Sharks may have to get a third team, likely the Canadiens, involved in the discussion to get Ottawa the scoring winger they want in the trade. A league executive was quoted as saying, ”If the Sharks don’t have what the Senators want, then (GM) Doug Wilson might have to go get it from another team. The Senators want a proven scoring winger in return and that means you might have to get a third team involved.” All three teams, however, are relatively close to the salary cap, making roster maneuvering very difficult. The executive also said, “It’s difficult for San Jose to take on Heatley’s salary (cap hit of $7.5M a season over the next five years) and I’m sure that’s what is holding them back. This is a big gamble, especially if it doesn’t work out. Nobody wants to take that kind of gamble in the salary cap era.” The Sharks will likely have to up the ante to acquire the sniper, but they do have the luxury of being a deep team. It’s also believed that Heatley would waive his no-trade clause to go to San Jose. Stay tuned.

– The Red Wings were still waiting Saturday afternoon to learn what arbitration had awarded F Jiri Hudler. Detroit is expecting Hudler to play overseas in Russia next season with the KHL’s Moscow Dynamo club. The arbitration results are simply there to determine what his salary will be when, and if, he decides to return to the NHL.

– The Lightning are shopping for a top-six forward.

– The Red Wings have offered F Jason Williams a one-year deal.

– The Flames have re-signed F Dustin Boyd. Boyd is coming off an 11 goal, 11 assists campaign.

– F Ossi Vaananen has signed a deal with HC Dynamo Minsk of the KHL. Vaananen spent most of the 2008-09 season in the press box for the Canucks after being claimed off waivers from the Flyers. He played in three regular season games and three post-season games for Vancouver, amassing 11 points and a plus-8 rating in 49 games.

MLB

– A Boston newspaper is reporting the Red Sox fired two security staffers last summer after an investigation into steroid use.

Jared Remy, the son of Red Sox television commentator Jerry Remy, and Nicholas Alex Cyr both told the Boston Globe they used steroids, but denied any knowledge of drug use by players. The Red Sox issued a statement saying they worked with Major League Baseball in investigating the staffers, but said that investigation is confidential.

Major League Baseball said its investigation was “thorough and detailed.” The Globe says state police confiscated a vial of steroids from Cyr’s car just before last year’s all-star break and Cyr told police he had bought the drug from Remy.

– Orioles 3B Melvin Mora spoke Sunday of his frustration with his reduced role and said it may be “time for me to move on.” Mora didn’t play Thursday or Friday, and he was also being held out of Sunday’s lineup. “I think I deserve more respect than what I’m getting here. Don’t give me excuses that I can’t beat (John) Smoltz or I can’t beat (Josh) Beckett or I can’t beat (Jon) Lester. I’ve been here nine years. All these guys in the East know me. I’ve made the All-Star team. I deserve respect.” Mora has started 12 of the 16 games since the All-Star break despite hitting .256/.321/.330 and has three homers and 27 RBI in 285 at-bats this season. Outside from his big second half in 2008, he’s been a subpar regular for four years now. It was already clear that the Orioles weren’t going to bring him back next year. Now they might decide not to wait to cut ties with him. Stay tuned.

– Reds RHP Edinson Volquez will undergo right elbow surgery Monday and miss the rest of the 2009 season.

– The Red Sox have placed C George Kottaras (back) on the 15-day DL with a lower back strain.
Kottaras apparently suffered the injury during batting practice a month ago.

– The Jays have placed LHP Scott Downs (toe) back on the 15-day DL.

NFL

– In an interview with Sirius NFL Radio, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he’s not interested in QB Michael Vick. SI’s Peter King hears that Bill Belichick is “comfortable” with Kevin O’Connell as Tom Brady’s backup. Vick won’t fit the Pats system, anyways.

– The Vikings have signed their No. 22 overall pick, WR Percy Harvin, to a five-year contract.  The Vikings plan to feature Harvin in his first season, using him as a slot receiver, quarterback in the Wildcat package, potentially as a halfback on passing downs, and likely some punt or kickoff returning. RB Adrian Peterson will lead Vikings skill players in touches, but Harvin might not be a too-distant second.

NBA

– The Lakers have officially signed F Lamar Odom to a four-year/$33M deal, with $27M guaranteed.

– The Bucks have waived F Bruce Bowen and G Salim Stoudamire.

– The Thunder have signed G Kevin Ollie.

– The Lakers have waived G Sun Yue.

F1

– Former Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher has said that he will be coming out of retirement to race again with Ferrari in order to fill in for the injured Felipe Massa.

WWE

– The PWTorch.com Newsletter reports that Eugene (aka Nick Dinsmore) made his official WWE return at Saturday night’s SmackDown/ECW house show in New Hampshire. Eugene was released on September 1, 2007 for reportedly receiving his third strike in the WWE Wellness program.

Eugene wrestled Ricky Ortiz in the third match on the card, and is expected to feud with Ortiz when he returns to TV on the SmackDown brand. His return is rumored for the August 7th episode, but things can always change. According to official documents released earlier this year, WWE released Eugene for his third failed Wellness test.

BOXING

– Bruising on the body of slain fighter Arturo Gatti was overlooked by the Brazilian authorities who conducted the initial autopsy (now a partial autopsy), a celebrity pathologist hired by the ex-boxing champ’s family said Saturday after a seven-hour forensic follow-up. Brazilian authorities said earlier this week that Gatti had committed suicide at a resort in the northeastern part of the country on July 11. His 23-year-old Brazilian wife, Amanda Rodrigues, was released Friday after being held for nearly three weeks on suspicion of murder. Partial autopsies are unusual in suspected homicides, said Baden, who described the overlooked injuries as bruises that weren’t cited in the initial forensic report. Baden, who assisted in the autopsy at the family’s request, said the Montreal medical examiners will perform further toxicology tests in Canada and are also awaiting more information on the scene of death from investigators in Brazil.

VoV

– Hero List updated.

– G Kobe Bryant and the Lakers beat the Magic in Orlando to win Game 5 of the Finals by a score of 99-86 for a 4-1 series victory to win the 2008-09 NBA Championship. This marks the fourth trophy for Kobe, who was named Finals MVP, and gives him his first without the help of Shaquille O’Neal. He finished with 30 points, six rebounds, five assists and four blocks as the Lakers easily beat the Magic for the trophy. Lakers coach Phil Jackson celebrates his NBA-best 10th Championship, passing Red Auerbach’s benchmark of nine rings. Meanwhile, Stan Van Gundy’s style and use of previously injured guard Jameer Nelson in the loss will likely be dissected for years to come.

NHL

– Leafs’ GM Brian Burke will be busy on Draft Day to say the least. A return for F Mats Sundin hasn’t been ruled out, but Burke will only look into it once his offseason to-do list is complete. The Leafs have many players on their offseason radar including the Sedins, D Mike Komisarek, and F Mike Cammaleri. It’s rumoured that D Tomas Kaberle is the most likely Leaf to be on the move. The Leafs and Lightning continue to talk in regards to their No. 2 draft selection, but if talks fall through, the Leafs could move up to fifth by dealing with the Kings, a team very interested in dealing their pick for some veteran defensive help.

– According to reports, there is mutual interest between Sens’ F Dany Heatley and the Sharks.The Sharks and Sens have already held talks regarding the sniper. Heatley and F Joe Thornton would be a dynamic duo, but can the Sharks get Heatley without dealing big Joe? Talk is the deal could be a big one, with San Jose looking to dump F Jonathan Cheechoo and F Ryan Clowe this summer. Don’t be surprised if the Sens first round pick gets thrown into this to make this deal a big one.

– The Canucks are still working hard to sign the Sedins, but nothing is close there as of yet. I’m hearing that if the Canucks lose the Sedins, they will use that money to lure F Marian Gaborik and one of either D Jay Bouwmeester or D Scott Niedermayer to Vancouver. At this point, J-Bo is choosing between the Canucks and Oilers.

– According to a reliable source, F Saku Koivu is likely to sign with the Wild to play with his brother, Mikko. I’ve also been told that F Alexei Kovalev and D Mike Komisarek are likely to re-sign with the Habs.

– The rumoured deal between the Ducks and Kings involving D Chris Pronger for D Jack Johnson and the No. 5 overall pick deal isn’t going to happen, as Johnson’s contract demands are just too high. The Ducks are rumoured to be heavily shopping G JS Giguere, and the Leafs, Oilers and Kings could be interested.

– We’re hoping for a decision by judge Baum today about the future of the Phoenix Coyetes. While I have no inside information on the matter, I believe Jim Balsillie will pay whatever it takes to complete his dream. He’s got corporate sponsors on board, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he offers some of the shares in the team for a little help at the start. Stay tuned.

– Devils’ F John Madden will not re-sign with the Devils and will test the free agent market on July 1.

– Penguins’ F Bill Guerin will not retire this offseason.

– G Ty Conklin is not expected to be back with Detroit next campaign. The 33-year-old netminder is scheduled to become an UFA on July 1 and it is unclear if the Wings want to retain his services. Goaltender of the future, Jimmy Howard, has toiled in the minors the greater part of four years and looks set to test his medal as an NHL backstop. GM Ken Holland also promised that Howard would make the team for the 2009-10 season.

– Speaking of the Wings, D Brian Rafalski played the majority of the playoffs with a herniated disc. Rafalski missed some action in the post-season, but turned in another solid effort for the Red Wings. Raffy recorded 12 points in 18 playoff contests. He should be ready for next year.

– Penguins’ F Sidney Crosby presented his side of the story, regarding the post-series handshake after Game 7 on Friday. Crosby was criticized by Red Wings’ F Kris Draper for not getting into the lineup faster and shaking hands with Wings’ captain Nicklas Lidstrom. Crosby said,“My intentions were to shake hands. That we didn’t wasn’t me trying to avoid it. That’s the last thing I’d want to do. By no means was I trying to avoid shaking the other team’s hands. I think it’s important to do that.”

Crosby, now the youngest captain in NHL history at only 22, said he joined the line after about “3 or 4 minutes” of celebrating and there were “7-to-10″ Red Wings left, with “5 or 6″ that were exiting the ice surface. Crosby also added that “[he] didn’t feel like waiting around, either” after losing the Stanley Cup, so he questioned how long Lidstrom actually stood around waiting.

It doesn’t matter to be honest, shaking hands afterwards is a must. Yeah, he’s young, but he’s also “mature”, so it shouldn’t have been an issue.

– Penguins’ D Sergei Gonchar revealed that he has been played the final two rounds on a torn MCL.

– The Hurricanes have signed head coach Paul Maurice to a three-year contract extension. GM Jim Rutherford said, “When Paul came in, he did a really good job of bringing the coaching staff together. They had good chemistry, and the delegation of certain areas where everybody felt they had an important role in the staff worked well.” Ron Francis will serve as the team’s associate head coach and director of player personnel. Tom Barrasso will work as the Carolina’s assistant coach and will continue to help out the goaltenders. Tom Rowe and Kevin McCarthy were retained as the club’s other assistant coaches.

– F Ian Laperriere will likely not be a member of the Avalanche next season, as he is poised to test the open market as a free agent. The Avalanche did not handle the Lapperriere situation very well. They had several offers at the trade deadline to deal him to contending teams for at least a draft pick, but chose to keep him. Then they offered him a one-year deal worth less than the $1.15M he made this past season. Lapperriere is a heart-and-soul player and a good locker-room presence that should attract attention from other clubs. He posted 19 points and 163 penalty minutes in 74 games with Colorado last campaign.

– Wild’ F Andrew Brunette has been working hard in his efforts to recover from off-season knee surgery.
He has been put through the wringer with Minnesota’s strength and conditioning coach Kirk Olson since the procedure. Brunette suffered a completely torn ACL on January 17 and still played the remainder of the regular season. He underwent reconstructive surgery about seven weeks ago and will need four-to-six months of recovery time. Brunette registered 22 goals (second on the team) and 50 points (second on the team) in 80 games despite the injury.

– F Vernon Fiddler would like to remain a member of the Predators. He is a potential UFA this summer, and could end up on the market if the Predators choose to go a different direction. Fiddler has spent the past seven years with the organization and wants to stay put. Nashville has made him a contract offer, but nothing much has come of it.

WWE

– Japan’s Mainichi Daily News is reporting that wrestling legend Mitsuharu Misawa died on Saturday night after suffering spinal damage during a match in Hiroshima, Japan. He was 46.

Misawa was fighting in a tag team match at Hiroshima Green Arena in front of around 2,300 spectators. During the match, opponent Akitoshi Saito used a back suplex on him, causing him to strike his head and leaving him unable to move. His heart stopped shortly after.

A doctor in the audience reportedly used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to try and start his heart again, but to no avail. He was rushed to hospital where he was declared dead at 10:10 p.m. It later turned out that the cause of his death was damage to his cervical spinal cord.

– Chris Masters was indeed hired back by World Wrestling Entertainment this past week.

“The Masterpiece” had a meeting with Vince McMahon at the Los Angeles tapings a few weeks ago and was recommended by Randy Orton to be brought back. Many in WWE are curious as to how he will look like when he returns as it was noted that it will send a message.

WWE released Masters from his contract on November 8, 2007 six days after he had been suspended for 60 days for having violated the company’s drug testing policy on a second occasion. The suspension was for 60 days because he had been previously suspended on August 30, 2007 when the Signature Pharmacy scandal broke out. Shortly after his return to the ring, he was suspended for failing a drug test.

Contrary to his Wikipedia bio, Masters was not suspended when he quietly taken off the road in May 2006. Masters entered a drug rehabilitation due to an issue with prescription painkillers, but it did not count as a strike against because there was no drug test failure associated with him being sent to rehab.

He returned to WWE four months later with much less muscle mass, leading Jerry “The King” Lawler to refer to him as “leaner and meaner” Chris Masters.

Here’s a picture of Masters during his first stint with WWE:

And this is a recent picture of him. Did someone poke him with a pin?

– One source within WWE feels that the company does respectfully consider TNA as competition, although doesn‘t really entertain the idea that they will ever be a serious threat. One member of upper management says that even if TNA did increase in popularity, Vince would never take them as serious as he did WCW during the 90′s unless they did something to deliberately hurt his business.

– Rey Mysterio competed at last night’s SmackDown/ECW live event in Binghamton, New York, working a Triple Threat Match against World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and Jeff Hardy. Punk came out on top to retain his title. This proves, once and for all, that Mysterio has not handed in his 2-weeks notice.

– WWE has hired the producer from the hit TV series, Prison Break.

MLB

– According to the Boston Globe, major league sources indicated the Sox have fielded multiple calls and some offers for RHP Brad Penny, who today became eligible to be traded. Because Penny was signed as a free agent, he could not be traded until June 15. At this point, there have been no significant offers.

– Speaking of the Red Sox, they and the have had trade talks regarding SS Jack Wilson, but no move in that direction seems imminent or even likely based on how talks have gone to this point. Wilson has an $8.4M club option for 2010 on his contract, but management has indicated it is highly unlikely to exercise it. That being the case, Wilson could become a free agent this offseason. The team and player also have broached the idea of a multiyear extension at a lower rate, though that was early in the spring and has not been followed up.”

– Athletics’ 3B Eric Chavez will undergo a second microdiscectomy on his back, this time on a different spot. The A’s confirmed that he’d miss the rest of the season. Chavez told The San Francisco Chronicle last month that another surgery would end his career, but that no longer appears to be the case. Chavez underwent his original microdiscectomy back on October 9.

– Rockies’ RHP Taylor Buchholz will undergo Tommy John surgery for the damaged ligament in his right elbow. Buchholz tried to rehab after initially being diagnosed with a sprained ligament on March 5, and the extra damage incurred will likely cost him half of 2010. Buchholz said, “I was hoping this could be avoided. That’s why we waited this long. Looking back, I guess you could say I could have had this done three months ago. But we were hopeful.’’

– Angels’ RHP Scot Shields (knee) is out for the remainder of the season.

– The Rays have placed RHP Jason Isringhausen (shoulder) on the 60-day DL.

– The Royals have placed OF Coco Crisp (rotator cuff) on the 15-day DL.

– The Brewers have transferred 2B Rickie Weeks to the 60-day DL.

– The Rangers have placed RHP Frank Francisco (shoulder tendinitis) on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 4. Francisco could return as soon as Friday, but the Rangers won’t rush him back again.

– The Twins will likely send OF Denard Span (ear) to the 15-day DL.

NBA

– The agent for Magic’ F Hedo Turkoglu told the Sentinel on Monday that Turk will opt out of his contract and become a free agent in two weeks. Turkoglu is scheduled to make $7.3M next season in the final year of a 6-year/$36M deal. F Marcin Gortat is also testing the free-agent waters.

NFL

– WR Plaxico Burress’ gun case was adjourned to September 23rd. Plax was late to the court date. With a possible trial not seeming likely until 2010, Burress’ support team is hoping he’s allowed to play football this year. It’s uncertain if the NFL will suspend Burress before the case is heard, so the chance of Burress playing this season is inching up, if a team is willing to take the gamble.

– The Broncos are not yet considering the possibility of dealing RB Brandon Marshall. Marshall held out of Denver’s recent minicamp and faces fines if the Broncos want to levy them. Marshall’s holdout could extend into training camp, which may cause Denver to reconsider, although we doubt it. Marshall is also coming off of hip surgery.

TNA

– It was reported in The Sun and Wrestling Observer last week that former TNA wrestler Nicole Raczynski (aka Roxxi/Roxxi Laveaux/Nikki Roxx) had recently sent her resume to WWE and the AAA promotion out of Mexico.

Raczynski denied the report in a statement on her Twitter account: “Morning! Just found out a bunch of places reported I sent my resume to Triple A and WWE. I so don’t remember doing or saying this. Lol.”

NHL

– The Montreal Canadiens may not be the only team that has a major facelift come October – the San Jose Sharks could be next in line. After winning the President’s Trophy as the team with the best record this season, the team is down 3-1 to the Anaheim Ducks, and are on the brink of elimination. The Ducks, with all due respect, are a good team, but few people expected San Jose to be down 3-1 in this series.

A first round exit could mean a lot of change in San Jose. Firstly, one would think that F Joe Thornton could be on his way out. Like many of his teammates, Big Joe’s numbers during the second season have been nowhere to be found.

Captain F Patrick Marleau had a much improved season from last year, as he recorded 38 goals this season. It’s hard to think that this could be anyone’s team but his.

F Jonathan Cheechoo is another player who badly needs a change of scenery. Cheechoo has fallen off the charts dramatically from his 56-goal season in 2005-06, but has shown that he belongs in the NHL. Despite recording a pathetic 29 points (for someone who once scored 56, as well as the kind of role the team is giving him), Cheechoo is a likely candidate to find a new home come October. The Sharks will have trouble dumping his salary ($7M for two years), but there will be takers.

One must also question the future of G Evgeni Nabokov? While he will get Vezina Trophy consideration, his playoff numbers this season have been atrocious. Could he too be on his way out?

But who will be making these potential changes? Current GM Doug Wilson has been the GM for the Sharks for four seasons now, and in each one, the Sharks have finished no worse than second in the Western Conference. The problem is, this team is allergic to post-season success, and despite their terrific regular seasons, this team has proven time and time again that they do not belong in the playoffs after stringing together years of post-season choking. It’s not a stretch to believe a first round loss to the Ducks would mean the firing of Wilson.

While the Sharks are not out of it yet, it appears that it’s only a matter of time. How much longer can this franchise believe that they’re successful without having a legitimate Stanley Cup run?

– Wild’ G Niklas Backstrom underwent hip surgery on Friday and doctors found a lot less damage in the cartilage than they originally thought. This is great news for Backstrom, as it looks like his recovery period will be three months, rather than the three-to-six month window doctors gave before the surgery. He will be ready for the start of training camp in September barring any major setbacks.

– Rangers’ coach John Tortorella might be suspended for his actions in Friday’s 4-0 loss to the Washington Capitals. Tortorella had to be restrained from his bench to prevent him from attacking a fan about seven minutes into the third period. Tortorella threw a water bottle into the stands and then grabbed a hockey stick, making gestures with it as if he was going to head into the stands. Tortorella has been preaching discipline to his players and even scratched F Sean Avery because of some untimely penalties Avery took. Tortorella, however, didn’t exactly lead them by example Friday.

NBA

– Dikembe Mutombo, 42, said he has retired from basketball after rupturing a quadriceps tendon in his left knee early in Houston’s loss to Portland in Game 2 of their playoff series on Tuesday.  Mount Mutombo played for six teams, and was named defensive player of the year four times out of his 18 seasons. He ranks 17th in rebounds (12,359) and second in blocked shots with 3,289, second to Hakeem Olajuwon (3,830). The finger wag will be sorely missed.

NFL

– According to the Denver Post, the Eagles phoned the Broncos about WR Tony Scheffler’s availability recently. Philadelphia lost out to Atlanta for WR Tony Gonzalez, but could add more speed and youth with Scheffler, who has experience in a West Coast style offense like Andy Reid’s. The Denver Post says the Broncos won’t trade Scheffler unless they’re offered a first-round pick.

– The Lions agreed to terms with Georgia QB Matthew Stafford on a six-year/$72M contract and will select him with the first pick in the 2009 draft. The deal that guarantees $41.75M, topping Albert Haynesworth’s league record $41M guaranteed from the Redskins last month. No wonder the NFL wants to fix the rookie salary structure, although it isn’t happening before 2011. Stafford’s deal has a max value of $78M, and he’ll get the $72M over six seasons on just minimum playing time. Detroit can now concentrate on the #20 and #33 picks in the draft, where both lines and inside linebacker will be priorities. The St. Louis Rams are on the clock.

– According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the Jets asked the Rams if QB Marc Bulger was available for trade. It’s believed that the Rams are committed to keeping Bulger, but this isn’t written in stone. In actuality St. Louis would probably love to move him and draft QB Mark Sanchez, but trading Bulger would cause a roughly $10M salary cap hit.

– Cardinals’ GM Rod Graves denies that the Cardinals have dropped their asking price on WR Anquan Boldin, or that there ever was an asking price to begin with.

“None of that is true. We’ve never said what we were looking for. All we’ve said is that we’re willing to listen and certainly would consider something of commensurate value.”

WR Larry Fitzgerald doesn’t believe Boldin wants to get traded, and Graves insists that an extension is more likely than a trade.

MLB

– Braves’ C Brian McCann’s ongoing eye problems are expected to land him on the disabled list Saturday.
The Braves have called catcher Clint Sammons from Triple-A Gwinnett in anticipation of the likely McCann move to the DL. McCann is expected to see another eye specialist next week and could wind up having Lasik surgery.

– The Diamondbacks said after Friday’s game that RHP Brandon Webb would be shut down for three weeks after his latest shoulder setback. Arizona is still maintaining that no MRIs have revealed any structural damage, but this seems like a big step to take if that truly was the case. That Webb will go three weeks without throwing suggests that it will be six weeks before he’s back starting for the Diamondbacks, even if there are no additional problems.

– The Yankees will place RHP Chien-Ming Wang (weakness in the adductor muscles of both hips) on the DL prior to Saturday’s game.

– The Braves have placed OF Garret Anderson (strained left quad) on 15-day DL.