NBA

– The Bulls have signed G Ronnie Brewer to a 3-year/$12.5M deal. The Bulls are the new Jazz, with former Utah players Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver and now Brewer in place. The Grizzlies made a mistake by not picking up Brewer’s option, but they were apparently already planning on dumping all their money on F Rudy Gay. Brewer’s a solid player, and already looks like the favourite to start at the 2-spot for the Bulls.

– The Celtics have re-signed G Nate Robinson to a 2-year/$8M deal worth $4M annually.

– According to the Orlando Sentinel, F Penny Hardaway, a 6-7 swingman who is nearing his 39th birthday, who hasn’t played pro ball since 2007 with the Heat, wants to return to Miami to play with all the young guns. “Mentally I was retired and physically I was retired. I was playing recreational ball. But when the decision happened with Chris Bosh(notes) and LeBron, I felt like I could really be good in that system.” Hardaway says the knees that ended his career are totally fine and that he’s working out four times a week and playing ball five times a week.

– Newly acquired Bobcats’ F Erick Dampier indicated Friday that Charlotte would get the first chance to re-sign him, presumably for a much smaller salary, if they decide to wipe out the non-guaranteed $13M due in the final year of his deal to clear salary-cap space. “I would obviously give Charlotte the first opportunity and see what they say, see if they’re interested in me or not. Then we’ll go from there. If they’re not interested in me I’m sure there are other teams out there that could possibly be interested.”

– FanHouse’s source “close to the situation” says that the Hawks aren’t interested in going past the luxury-tax threshold of $70.307M, which the team is only about $4M short of meeting right now, in order to sign F Shaquille O’Neal. The rumour had Shaq moving to Atlanta in a sign-and-trade that would have sent F Marvin Williams to the Cavs. But the source says the team doesn’t want to give up any of its starting five, even for Shaq.

– The NY Daily News reports that Isiah Thomas remains a potential candidate for the vacant GM position.

– G Luther Head thought he had a deal with the Hornets before it was rescinded Thursday due to a so-called failed physical. Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski called it a “slimy trick” by the Hornets to get out of a contract that the recently fired general manager Jeff Bower negotiated. “This is just so unbelievably wrong,” Head’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, told Wojnarowski. “This is just not the way I do business in the NBA.” AOL FanHouse is reporting that the Bucks will be one of the teams interested in signing Head.

NFL

– The NFL has suspended Packers’ DE Johnny Jolly for at least all of the 2010 season. Jolly is accused of playing a major role in the Houston drug trade, so a long ban was expected. It is a bit surprising that commissioner Goodell was so quick to hand the suspension down without a conviction, however. The Packers knew Jolly wasn’t going to play much — if at all — this year, so they prepared by drafting DEs Mike Neal and C.J. Wilson in April. Last month, they demoted Jolly out of the starting lineup and replaced him with Ryan Pickett.

– Vikings’ RB Adrian Peterson insisted Wednesday at the ESPY’s that “you can put to rest” the rumours that he’s unhappy with his contract. The fallout from absences during OTAs appears to have blown over as well. He’s due close to $7M this year and $11-13M next year (after incentives) before the final year voids in 2012 at age 27. At that time, he should have at least one more shot at a mega-deal with guaranteed money.

– The NFL has suspended Seahawks’ WLB Leroy Hill one game for violating the league’s Substance Abuse Policy. For a player who’s received no punishment to this point for multiple run-ins with the law, the latest of which being charges that he beat up his girlfriend, one game is an easy sentence. It is worth noting that Hill’s suspension is only for his substance-abuse-policy violation, which may be taking into consideration only his April guilty plea for marijuana possession. Further punishment may be coming for his numerous conduct code obstructions.

MLB

– The Indians have placed RHP Kerry Wood (blister on right index finger) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 12. Bad timing for the Indians, who were looking to deal Wood before the July 31 deadline. Since he hasn’t pitched since July 11, though, Wood can be activated before the deadline passes. He’ll also surely pass through waivers after the deadline, so the possibility exists to trade him sometime in August. Wood is having a down season but still is one of the better bullpen arms on the market.

– The Red Sox have transferred RHP Josh Beckett to the 60-day DL.

– The O’s have placed C Matt Wieters (strained right hamstring) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 10.

– The Brewers have placed LHP Doug Davis on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 10.

– The Padres have placed RHP Mike Adams (strained left oblique) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 12.

– The Astros have placed RHP Brian Moehler (strained right groin) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 8.

– The Pirates have transferred RHP Chris Jakubauskas to the 60-day DL.

WWE

– Rey Mysterio is expected to retain the WHC, and The Hart Dynasty are expected to retain the Unified tag titles at Money in the Bank.

– There is talk of pairing Melina back with John Morrison upon her return from injury. This would lead to the two feuding with Maryse and Ted DiBiase.

– In an interview with SLAM! Wrestling, Drew McIntyre addressed his work visa issue that led to him temporarily being written off television last month. “There was a process that had to be done, and a way it had to be done. It had to be done when it had to be done. I was always aware of the process that had to be done. It was blown out of proportion by so many people…what you saw on TV was exactly the truth. It had to be done at that time.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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NBA

– The Rockets may have F Tracy McGrady still sitting on their roster by the end of the trade deadline as talks between potential partners have stalled. McGrady appeared to be headed to the Bulls in a three team trade involving the Rockets, Kings and Bulls, but the deal fell apart when Chicago traded G John Salmons to Milwaukee. Talks with the Knicks broke down when the Rockets began dipping into New York’s future first round picks. Talks are continuing, but when all is said and done, McGrady could remain in Houston and the Rockets remain empty-handed.

– There’s a blockbuster three-way trade to report:

To Cavaliers: F Antawn Jamison, G Sebastian Telfair
To Wizards: F Zydrunas Ilgauskas, F Al Thornton, a 2010 first round pick, and the rights to Emir Preldzic
To Clippers: F Drew Gooden

The Cavs went with the trade because they weren’t sold on Suns’ F Amare Stoudemire, and they didn’t have to give up F J.J. Hickson. With Jamison landing in Cleveland, it’s now quite possible that Stoudemire will not be traded by the Suns. His agent says he’s still likely to be moved, but Paul Coro, beat writer for the Arizona Republic, says Amare may not have any deals in place. The deadline is 3 p.m. on Thursday.

– The Knicks have traded G Nate Robinson to the Celtics for G J.R. Giddens and G Eddie House.

– The Bulls have traded G John Salmons to the Bucks for F Francisco Elson and F Kurt Thomas. Elson has a $1.7M expiring contract and Kurt Thomas’ is worth $3.6M, which helps the Bulls get ready for the big free agent class of 2010.

– The Knicks have traded F Darko Milici and cash to the Wolves for F Brian Cardinal.

NFL

– NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reports that the Eagles may hold off until the preseason to trade QB Michael Vick. This makes sense because teams would get more time to evaluate Vick after watching him in exhibition games, however, Vick is due a $1.5M roster bonus on March 5, which the Eagles would obviously have to pay in order to keep Vick into September. Expect Vick to be traded or released before the bonus comes due.

– The Browns have released RB Jamal Lewis. Lewis has hinted at retirement since suffering a severe concussion during Week 12 of the regular season. A release was in line, as the Browns were never going to pay his impending $1.5M roster bonus or $2.4M salary. Lewis, 31 in August, was a better signing for Cleveland in 2007 than expected, but fell off drastically in 2008, averaging just 3.64 YPC on his last 412 attempts.

MLB

– According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Indians and Rays are the favourites to land free agent 1B Russell Branyan. Hoynes reports that the money being offered by both teams is about equal, so it will come down to playing time/at-bats and winning. Branyan is an excellent contingency plan for the Indians, who have 1B Matt LaPorta coming off hip and toe surgeries. The 34-year-old would likely split DH duties with OF Pat Burrell in Tampa. Branyan’s back is questinable, thus him being a free agent, despite a career-high 31 homers last season.

– The Cardinals and Padres are among four teams pursuing free agent INF Felipe Lopez, according to FOXSports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi. Both the Cardinals and Padres are looking to add to their infield depth but neither can give Lopez a starting gig. The 29-year-old batted .310/.383/.427 with nine home runs and 57 RBI for the Diamondbacks and Brewers last season.

– Jason Beck of MLB.com reports that Tigers’ LHP Nate Robertson (groin) underwent surgery in November to repair a torn muscle in his groin. Robertson was bothered by a groin injury towards the end of last season and when it wasn’t healed in October, he decided to go ahead with the procedure. Beck reports that the 32-year-old is fully recovered from the surgery. Roberston is entering the final year of a three-year/$21.5M contract with the Tigers. He should open up in the fifth spot of the rotation.

WWE

– The WWE website is reporting that Bret Hart suffered a “broken left leg in addition to ligament and tendon damage” following the scripted car crash on this past Monday’s episode of Raw.

– It appears Undertaker will once again be taking time off following WrestleMania 26, as he was pulled from all advertising for the company’s annual spring European tour this past week.

– Monday’s Raw drew a 3.4 cable rating with 4.9 million viewers, down 7.2% compared to 5.34 million viewers last week. The show scored hours of 3.29 and 3.5.

TNA

– Six weeks after joining TNA Wrestling, Hulk Hogan tells Brian Fritz of FanHouse.com that he’s just now getting a handle on how to run a wrestling promotion and admits that for a while, he didn’t know what he was doing. Here are some highlights of what Hogan said about:

The First 6 Weeks in TNA: “I’ve never really done this before and with me everything is by instinct and feel. I was just saying a second ago to someone else that it’s actually taken me this long not to be overwhelmed because when I first came in here, everybody was going oh, they’re not going to like you, the young guys are not going to accept you. This whole negative veil of tears was thrown at me that wasn’t true. The company was very receptive; they gracefully accepted me with open arms. And then I got overwhelmed. There was so just so much good stuff going on but so many other little tweaks that kind of caught me off-guard ’cause I’m just a wrestler. I’m not someone who should be running a whole wrestling company. I know the feel for it. So it’s taken me this long to actually get all four of my claws on the ground or four feet on the ground and I feel comfortable.”

Playing Politics in TNA: “Well, you have to realize – barbarically speaking – I used to lace my boots up, go out to the ring, make my money and go home if you can say it that way. Now, the network is asking for certain things and when things get successful you get input from people you never thought you would get input from that give you, kind of, suggestions that help you or almost kind of like demands of what they want that could not be what’s best for wrestling creatively. And so all of a sudden, all these monsters are coming at me and I’m wondering how to politically, gracefully massage them and make them work because sometimes I…I wear my feelings on my sleeve and I’m not real good at being political and graceful with finesse. I’m trying to get all that done because there’s a lot of stuff, a lot of stuff. But I get it now.”

– TNA President Dixie Carter was interviewed on the Between the Ropes radio show last night, which you can listen to at BetweentheRopes.com. Here’s what Dixie said about:

Going Live Every Week: “There are talks, but I don’t think that it’s going to affect the show whatsoever. There’s also benefits to taping because you can make sure your show is perfect .. Smart business decisions are more important than anything else right now. We should take a lot of those dollars and instead of just going live right away, use it to help spread the word on TNA.”

Taking iMPACT! on the road: “We do lose something in our education process of being in the same place all the time. We don’t have that ability to go into all of these different regions outside of house shows, which are really our best indicator right now of how well things are getting over in different regions of the country.”

VoV

– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
– Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
– Facebook – facebook.com/thecanadianrage

NBA

– The Wizards have officially traded F Caron Butler, F Brendan Haywood and G DeShawn Stevenson to the Mavericks for F Josh Howard, F Drew Gooden, G Quinton Ross, and G James Singleton. The deal should solidify the Mavs as championship contenders while cutting the Wizards’ payroll.

– David Stern said Saturday the NBA is projecting league-wide losses of about $400M this season and has lost hundreds of millions in each previous year of the current CBA.

– Knicks’ G Nate Robinson has won the Dunk Contest and is now a three-time winner. Celtics’ F Paul Pierce won the 3-Point Shootout, while Suns’ G Steve Nash won the Skills Competition, Team Texas won the Shooting Stars competition and the Rookies defeated the Sophomores.

MLB

– Rays’ OF B.J. Upton lost his arbitration hearing and was awarded a $3M salary for 2010. The two sides went over only $300K. Upton batted just .241/.313/.373 with 11 home runs, 55 RBI and 42 stolen bases last season.

– ESPN.com reports that the Tigers will sign OF Johnny Damon to a one-year/$7M deal. The contract would include some deferred money. According to Buster Olney, at least one team which might have extended an offer has no expectation that he would actually take a two-year offer. So, Damon will eventually accept a one-year offer, rather than the two-year for some reason. Hmm…

– Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports that the Marlins don’t have interest in free agents 1B Carlos Delgado or 3B Russell Branyan. Frisaro says that they’ll continue to search for a left-handed bat off their bench, but will search primarily from within the organization.

– The M’s have signed 1B Mark Sweeney.

– The Reds have signed RHP Kip Wells.

– The O’s have signed RHP Jeremy Guthrie to a one-year/$3M deal.

NFL

– Eagles’ RB Brian Westbrook says he’s “100% sure” he won’t retire before this year’s OTAs “unless something crazy happens.” He said, “My goal is to get back out there and play football again. That’s what I’m gonna train this offseason to do.” Westbrook acknowledges that getting “younger and cheaper” is beneficial to the Eagles, and playing for another team is “part of the business.” He’s due $7.25M and would have to take a major paycut to play for Philly.

TNA

– Spike TV Senior Vice President Brian J. Diamond spoke to the Miami Herald about a number of TNA topics. Here are some highlights:

Having Hulk Hogan in TNA: “Hulk Hogan is a name that transcends wrestling into the pop culture. So adding him to the mix was the icing on the cake. Hulk is an amazing guy. He is revered by wrestling fans and people around the world, and it was an incredible acquisition. We are so proud and excited to have him as part of the team.”

January 4: “It was tremendous. Obviously we were going head-to-head with WWE. It was not in our anticipation that we were going to beat them in the ratings, but the fact that we did what we did on that night and basically planted the flag and said, `We’re going to go with this.’ It was a big deal.”

iMPACT! Moving to Mondays Permanently: “It’s something we’re looking at right now. Obviously, the success of Jan. 4 lends itself to that, and after that success, it’s making us take pause and consider that. As to when and how and where, that remains to be seen, but that result on Jan. 4 made us look at it and say, `Maybe we’re onto something.”‘

How Involved Spike TV Is With TNA: “We work very closely with TNA. Ironically, their base of operation for the television production is in Orlando [Universal Studios], and we happen to have a gentleman who works for us – who actually at one time ran the studios where TNA records. So he’s there all the time when TNA taping is going. We’re very actively involved. It’s a collaborative relationship. We work very closely together on how things are going to play out. Having said that, they’re the experts when it comes to wrestling. They know what works and what doesn’t. In combination with our television expertise, it works really well.”

WWE

– The official theme song for WrestleMania 26 is “I Made It” by Kevin Rudolph, Lil Wayne and Birdman, according to the Wrestling Observer. Rudolph’s song “Let It Rock” was also the theme song from the 2009 Royal Rumble.

VoV

– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
– Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
– Facebook – facebook.com/thecanadianrage

NBA

– The Lakers have made an inquiry into trading for Nets’ G Devin Harris, according to ESPN’s Ric Bucher. This is far from a done deal at this point. There should be a good amount of buzz about this in the next few days.

– The Arizona Republic reports that the Heat and Suns have spoken about a potential deal involving F Amare Stoudemire and F Jermaine O’Neal. O’Neal has an expiring $23M deal. Eight other teams are apparently interested in adding Stoudemire before the February 18 deadline as well. If Stoudemire stays with the Suns, it appears likely that he’ll decide to opt out of his contract and let go of the $17M that he’s guaranteed to make next year if he sticks around.

– The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Rockets and Sixers continue to talk about a deal involving F Tracy McGrady, but the Rockets persist that F Andre Iguodala is part of the return package. T-Mac has an expiring $23M deal, while Iguodala has more than $56M left. The Cavaliers have also contacted the Sixers about A.I.2.

– The A.P. reports that the Wizards are still trying to void G Gilbert Arenas’ contract. Arenas has 4.5 years left on his six-year/$111M contract. Stay tuned.

– The 2010 NBA All-Star rosters have been announced. It will be held February 14 at Cowboys Stadium. This will be the 59th NBA All-Star Game. Here are the rosters:

East Starters – G Allen Iverson (PHI), G Dwyane Wade (MIA), F LeBron James (CLE), F Kevin Garnett (BOS), F Dwight Howard (ORL).

East Reserves – G Joe Johnson (ATL), G Rajon Rondo (BOS), G Derrick Rose (CHI), F Paul Pierce (BOS), F Gerald Wallace (CHA), F Al Horford (ATL) and F Chris Bosh (TOR).

West Starters – G Steve Nash (PHX), G Kobe Bryant (LAL), F Carmelo Anthony (DEN), F Tim Duncan (SA), F Amare Stoudemire (PHX).

West Reserves – G Chris Paul (NO), G Brandon Roy (POR), G Deron Williams (UTA), F Kevin Durant (OKC), F Pau Gasol (LAL), F Dirk Nowitzki (DAL), F Zach Randolph (MEM).

The Rookies will also face the Sophomores during NBA All-Star Weekend. The rosters:

Rookies – F DeJuan Blair (SA), F Omri Casspi (SAC), G Stephan Curry (GSW), G Tyreke Evans (SAC), G Johnny Flynn (MIN), F Taj Gibson (CHI), G James Harden (OKC), G Brandon Jennings (MIL), F Jonas Jerebko (DET).

Sophomores – F Michael Beasley (MIA), F Marc Gasol (MEM), F Danilo Gallinari (NYK), G Eric Gordon (LAC), F Brook Lopez (NJ), F Kevin Love (MIN), G O.J. Mayo (MEM), G Derrick Rose (CHI), G Russell Westbrook (OKC).

The Slam Dunk Contest will also feature the following:

Dunk Contest – G Nate Robinson (NYK) (champion), G Shannon Brown (LAL), F Gerald Wallace (CHA), G DeMar DeRozan (TOR) (Dunk-In), G Eric Gordon (LAC) (Dunk-In).

The 3-Point Shootout, Skills Challenge, Shooting Stars Competitors and H-O-R-S-E Competitors have yet to be announced.

MLB

– Mariners’ head trainer Rick Griffin hinted Thursday that free agent LHP Erik Bedard (shoulder) might not be ready to pitch for another three-to-five months. Bedard underwent exploratory surgery on his left shoulder in August that revealed a torn labrum and inflamed bursa. According to Griffin, he was given a 10-to-12 month recovery timeline and it has only been seven. In other words, he might be ready by late April, but chances are he’ll be out until May. He’s drawn little interest on the open market this winter.

– Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports that free agent SS Orlando Cabrera is “choosing between offers” from the Rockies and Reds. The Reds can offer much more playing time, but the 35-year-old Cabrera may prefer to play for a potential contender like the Rockies. He batted .284/.316/.705 last season with nine home runs and 77 RBI in 708 plate appearances between the Athletics and Twins and earned $4M.

– Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports that the Blue Jays have “talked to” the agent for unsigned OF Johnny Damon. The Jays have a need for a leadoff-type hitter and Damon could potentially fill that role. Of course, they’re probably waiting for his price to drop just like a handful of other clubs. Damon, 36, batted .282/.365/.489 with 24 home runs, 82 RBI and 107 runs scored last year.

Reds’ GM Walt Jocketty shot down the possibility of signing Johnny Damon, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We called (Boras) about (Xavier) Nady. We asked him about Damon, too. I don’t think it’s going to happen.” Fay adds that he thinks something is brewing, potentially with SS Orlando Cabrera to fill their void at shortstop or OF Jonny Gomes, who was non-tendered by the club in December.

– The Brewers have signed OF Jim Edmonds to a minor league contract. Edmonds, who turns 40 in June, must be added to the major league roster by March 25 or he will be granted his release. He’ll make $850K if he makes the roster, with a chance to make between $2-2.5M with performance incentives. Edmonds hasn’t appeared in the majors since 2008, but still proved pretty valuable, slugging 19 homers with a 937 OPS in 250 at-bats with the Cubs. One of the more underrated players in recent memory, Edmonds is just 18 home runs away from 400. It’s a very nice low-risk acquisition.

– According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Rangers, Rockies, Mariners and Reds are among the possible landing spots for free agent IF Melvin Mora. Rosenthal categorizes the Rangers as having “fringe” interest in the veteran. Mora, 37, hit just .260/.321/.358 with eight home runs and 48 RBI last season. He’s clearly not an everyday player anymore and will have to embrace being a complimentary piece in order to extend his career.

– The NY Daily News reports that the Mets are close to re-signing IF Fernando Tatis.

– The Brewers have signed UTIL Joe Inglett.

– The Dodgers have interest in OF Garret Anderson, among others, as a fourth outfielder.

– The Nationals have signed RHP Tyler Walker. He’ll make $650K if he’s in the majors and $120K if he’s in the minors.

NHL

– According to reports, the Kings, Canucks, Bruins, and another unnamed Eastern Conference team are the remaining bidders for Thrashers F Ilya Kovalchuk. He supposedly is asking for a 10-12-year/$100M deal.

WWE

– TMZ.com has released some disturbing new details regarding the Wednesday arrest of WWE superstars Chris Jericho and Gregory Helms. Kentucky police officers say witnesses told them Gregory Helms struck three people, including Jericho, a man named Gary Kelley and a female passenger named Ashley Storer, at a gas station. Helms then allegedly ran from the scene right after the violent incident but returned after where he and Chris Jericho were arrested for public alcohol intoxication. Cops say Helms was not arrested for the assault because the alleged victims have not pressed charges, which in Kentucky if police do not witness the attack.

TMZ is also reporting that WWE star Matt Hardy was also involved in the Wednesday morning incident that led to the arrests of Jericho and Helms, according to law enforcement sources. Witnesses told police that Hardy was in a taxi with Jericho, Helms and several others, when Helms allegedly struck three people (including a female). Hardy allegedly took off on foot with Helms. After they bailed, the cab driver called 911. Helms returned to the scene and was arrested along with Jericho. Police are not pursuing any sort of action against Hardy.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross posted a blog update on JRsBarBQ.com today regarding Chris Jericho and Gregory Helms being arrested on Wednesday morning for public alcohol intoxication. Ross wrote:

“TMZ making a semi big deal about a situation that Chris Jericho and Gregory Helms found themselves in this week. Both these guys are great people and are credits to the biz and I suggest that this well could be much to do about not much”

Ross thinks we should wait to hear Jericho and Helms’ sides of the story and downplays the significance of the situation.

“No one should rush to judgment about this issue especially since neither individual has addressed there side of this overblown story. This matter definitely deserves a ‘Lighten Up Francis.’ Wrestling needs more hard working, students of the game who are still fans of the biz like Jericho and Helms.”

NFL

– Jets’ QB Mark Sanchez is considering elective surgery on his left knee to fix the patella stabilizing ligament. The surgery would sideline him for two months. Sanchez first injured his left knee at USC in 2008, and it flared up on him at times early in his rookie season. It was his right knee that sustained a sprained PCL late in the season against the Bills. Sanchez is expected to make a decision on the surgery within the next week.

– According to the Denver Post, Broncos’ WR Brandon Marshall is expected to be traded shortly after NFL free agency opens on March 5. The Broncos’ leverage is somewhat damaged after a Week 17 blowout between Marshall and coach Josh McDaniels. Throw in Marshall’s major character concerns, and the team will have trouble getting anywhere close to full value for their RFA. Marshall isn’t talking during this week’s Pro Bowl practices, saying he’s “had enough publicity.”

– Jets’ GM Mike Tannenbaum was noncommittal on RB Thomas Jones’ future Thursday. Tannenbaum said the team “hopes to have him back,” but he also pointed to economic factors that could play into the decision. Jones is due a $2.8M roster bonus in March in addition to a $2.8M salary. The five straight seasons of 290+ carries appeared to finally catch up to him in the playoffs, which likely has the Jets re-thinking their backfield plans for 2010. Jones could be asked to take a paycut befitting his new status as a complementary player.

– Rams’ RB Steven Jackson has been accused of assaulting a former girlfriend who was nine months pregnant at the time. The incident allegedly occurred in March of 2009, with Supriya Harris claiming she was pushed to the ground repeatedly, suffering bleeding wounds in the process. Harris gave birth to her son shortly after the incident, and says she left Jackson after he threatened her again. Jackson, who has a clean record since entering the league in 2004, has not been arrested.

TNA

– Rob Van Dam knows TNA wants a piece of him and said once again the “ridiculous never-ending” WWE schedule will play a factor in which company he decides will wrestle for. Van Dam told Alex Marvez of Scrippsnews:

“I do have some interest right now in what’s going on with the big companies. I know (Hulk) Hogan would like to have me. Eventually, (TNA) may start to wear me down and my ‘no thanks’ will become ‘well, maybe.’ I have some interest, but I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t see myself going back to the full-time, ridiculous never-ending WWE schedule. I couldn’t wait to get away from it before.”

The former WWE and ECW champion says he has been wrestling across the world since leaving the national wrestling but doesn’t have any bookings past this Saturday’s PWG show in Los Angeles. Aside from the brutal WWE schedule, Van Dam still has sour grapes about how WWE handled the “new” ECW:

“WWE destroyed that and made it very symbolic. They wanted everyone to know ECW was dead and this new group happened to be called ECW. That was the last cycle of frustration for me.”

VoV

– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
– Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
– Facebook – facebook.com/thecanadianrage

UFC

– UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will return to the UFC this summer in a unification title fight after a severe intestinal disorder healed itself without surgery, which he and Dana White described as an outright “miracle.” Lesnar spoke live on ESPN’s SportsCenter show on Wednesday morning and described the entire ordeal.

Lesnar told ESPN that during his training for a title defence against Shane Carwin scheduled for last November, he started feeling sick during training. After missing 3 weeks of his training camp, he visited multiple doctors, who couldn’t diagnose what his problem was. Lesnar told his trainer, “I can’t do this fight”, and he was diagnosed with mononucleosis, and was devastated having to back out of a fight. He decided to make the most of it and travel to Canada for a hunting trip. While there, he experienced severe stomach pain like he’s never felt in his life. He woke up one night with a 104 degree temperature and going into shock. He was hospitalized and diagnosed with a severe case of diverticulitis. He literally had a hole in his stomach.

Lesnar travelled to to the Med Center 1 medical facility in Bismark, South Dakota. Lesnar credited the doctors there for saving his life and career. While there, he lost 40 pounds in 30 days. At one point he went 11 days without food or water and was fed intravenously.

He travelled to the Mayo Clinic to get a second opinion and both facilities recommended he undergo a major surgery that would remove part of his colon, end his figthing career and severely alter his quality of life. Doctors told him they couldn’t perform the surgery until the swelling in his stomach went down and was told to return on January 5th for an update. At this point, he was expecting to undergo the surgery and he knew his fighting career was probably over. When he re returned to doctors on January 5, they were dumbfounded to find that Lesnar’s body had healed himself. Doctors told him the medical mystery was like having a winning lottery ticket and called the healing a “miracle.”

Dana White said the surgery would have changed Lesnar’s life. He held off on surgery and he healed himself. During his town time, Lesnar got into “holistic stuff” and changed his diet, which had a positive effect on his recovery. White too called it a miracle.

When asked if there was any health risks of him returning to mixed martial arts fighting, Lesnar said 3 or 4 specialist told him he has nothing to worry about and can resume a normal career. Lesnar said he’s had colonoscopies, CT scans and there are no signs of anything wrong with him. He said that time in the hospital was especially hard for him because he felt helpless and like he had no control over the situation. He thanked his wife, Rena “Sable” Mero, his family, Dana White, the UFC and his sponsors for their constant support.

When asked when he’ll fight again, Dana White said “this summer.” During Lesnar’s downtime, UFC booked an interim title fight between undefeated heavyweight Shane Carwin and former champion Frank Mir for UFC’s March PPV. The winner of that fight will face Lesnar in a title vs. title unification fight this summer in what is sure to be a blockbuster event.

NFL

– Sounding like a player dead-set on retiring, QB Kurt Warner told ESPN’s Rick Reilly that playing football has lost its fun. “You have a game that isn’t that great and people are like, ‘What’s wrong with Warner?’ That wears on you. You don’t have the joy and the fun and satisfaction of having one of those great games because everybody expects you to. You never get to exhale.” Warner, who turns 39 in June, has been named NFL MVP twice, played in three Super Bowls, and made a strong case for Hall-of-Fame enshrinement. Reilly, for what it’s worth, came away from the interview convinced Warner is done.

– Eagles beat writer Les Bowen isn’t buying the report that RB Brian Westbrook’s troublesome left knee will force him to retire. Bowen says it sounds like B-West retiring is what the Eagles’ front office hopes will happen. That way, it won’t be as ugly when they are forced to release one of their most popular players once again. An Eagles spokesman says the team isn’t aware of Westbrook seeking medical opinions on his knee or contemplating retirement. Westbrook isn’t likely to be back with the Eagles, but that doesn’t necessarily mean his career is over.

– RB Deuce McAllister has officially announced his retirement from football. McAllister is said to be 30 pounds over his playing weight, and he says that another knee surgery would likely be required to play again. The local hero will continue to serve as honorary captain Sunday, likely bringing in another baseball bat. He hangs ‘em up as the Saints all-time leading rusher and touchdown scorer.

MLB

– Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that OF Jim Edmonds’ agent Paul Cohen says it’s “better than 50-50″ that his client signs somewhere by the end of next week. Initially, it wasn’t clear whether Edmonds was serious when he challenged his former manager Tony LaRussa to let him come back to the Cardinals. Even if the Cardinals don’t turn out to be a fit, there are apparently enough teams interested to make a comeback a real possibility. Edmonds, who turns 40 in June (on my birthday!), didn’t play in the majors last season, however he slugged 19 homers while posting an OPS of 937 OPS in 250 at-bats with the Cubs in 2008. His days as an everyday player are probably behind him, but he could certainly contribute as the left-handed part of a platoon. He still scorches right-handed pitching, and is still capable of hitting anywhere from 2-7 in the order against righties.

– The Rockies have signed C Paul Lo Duca to a minor league deal. Lo Duca hasn’t played in the majors since 2008 and will be playing backup at catcher, first base, and in the outfield.

NBA

– Jazz F Andrei Kirilenko has expressed interest in re-signing with the Jazz. “I don’t think the money is going to be an issue. I understand that I look at the world realistically. I understand my value is going to be a little lower than it is right now. I’m not worried about that. Money has never been an issue. It’s good to have a good contract and money. But my priority is basketball.” AK-47 becomes a free agent in the summer of 2010, and his contract will not be replicated – he’s due $17.8M next year, the last in a deal that gives him a ridicuous $86M.

– The rumours circulating about the Magic working on a deal to acquire Wizards G Gilbert Arenas are false.

– The Celtics have expressed interest in Knicks G Nate Robinson. Rumours indicate that the Celtics would have to include a first-round draft pick for a deal to be done.

NHL

– Islanders D Andy Sutton has been suspended two games for his hit on Penguins F Pascal Dupuis.

– F Michael Peca has retired.

– The Stars have placed F Jere Lehtinen (UBI) on the IR.

VoV

– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
– Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
– Facebook – facebook.com/thecanadianrage

WILD CARD WEEKEND

– NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora reports that Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin (ankle, knee) is “highly, highly unlikely” to play Sunday against the Packers. Boldin was officially listed as “questionable” on Friday’s injury report and will still be worked out in warmups before any decision on his status is made, but his chances are not looking good. His left leg is in very bad shape, and the Cardinals aren’t going to putt Boldin out there if the backup wideouts can do a better job.

– Patriots coach Bill Belichick announced after Friday’s practice that WR Randy Moss doesn’t have an injury, despite sitting out the workout. Moss is listed as probable for Sunday’s game against the Ravens.
Moss was spotted icing his knees and limping around throughout the week. The Patriots, of course, are a secretive team when asked to reveal injuries. Moss’ absence on Friday was officially listed as “not injury related.”

– Patriots QB Tom Brady (three broken ribs) will play.

MLB

– According to the El Nuevo Herald, the Blue Jays have offered a $23M contract to Cuban LHP Aroldis Chapman and are closing in on a deal. The Nationals, Marlins, A’s, Red Sox and Angels, who may also be players in the negotiation process. Chapman, 21, is expected to sign a five-year major league contract within the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

– A source has informed Jim Bowden of Sirius XM that the Rangers are finalizing a one-year contract with OF Vladimir Guerrero. Bowden has been wrong before, but he’s citing a “source close to” Vlad and the 35-year-old slugger has been in contact with the Rangers all winter. If the news is true, he will take over DH duties in Arlington, where he touts a 394/.471/.705 batting line in 50 career games.

– LHP Jarrod Washburn turned down a one-year/$5M offer from the Twins last week, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Washburn is represented by super agent Scott Boras, who is seeking a larger annual salary for his client. He may eventually turn back to the Twins but it appears negotiations are off for the time being. The 35-year-old lefty was 9-9 with a 3.78 ERA in 28 starts last season.

– The Astros have signed RHP Brett Myers to a one-year/$5M deal with a mutual option for 2011, as well as performances bonuses. Myers will start for the ‘Stros, a promise the Rangers couldn’t keep. The 29-year-old right-hander has played all eight of his major league seasons with the Phillies, going 73-63 with a 4.40 ERA. He was 4-3 with a 4.84 ERA in 10 starts and eight relief appearances last year, when he made $12M.

– Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports that free agent OF Randy Winn has not heard about the Nationals having any interest in him. “Like I said, I’ve never even received a call from them. I don’t believe my agent has either. Whether they do or don’t has not been expressed to me.” Winn, 35, would be an extra outfielder if he joins the Nationals, but he still considers himself an everyday player. Winn hit 262/.318/.353 with two home runs and 51 RBI in 538 at-bats this past season.

– Andre Dawson will enter the baseball Hall of Fame wearing a Cubs hat.

NFL

– Colts QB Peyton Manning has won his record-setting fourth NFL Most Valuable Player award on Saturday. Only one other player, Vikings QB Brett Favre, has won the award three times. Manning led the Colts to a 14-2 record, the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and an eighth consecutive playoff berth. He previously won the award in 2003, 2004, and last season. Manning threw for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns, while completing a career-high 68.8% of his passes this season.

– Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Pete Carroll has reached an agreement to become the next head coach of the Seahawks. The deal is believed to be a five-year/$35M contract. One NFL source calls the agreement “100% done.” The only hangup for Seattle is that they need to interview a minority candidate to comply with the Rooney Rule before they announce the deal. Vikings DC Leslie Frazier has agreed to interview on Saturday but only if he feels that the Seahawks haven’t promised the job to Carroll already. Carroll to Seattle seems like a done deal.

NHL

– Canadiens F Andrei Kostitsyn (knee) will be out for six weeks after undergoing surgery. Kostitsyn has been out of action since December 31 with the injury and will now miss even more time.

NBA

– The Nets have traded F Eduardo Najera to the Mavericks for F Kris Humphries and F Shawne Williams. The deal won’t be officially completed until Monday, after which the Nets will buy out Williams’ contract. Williams was sent away in training camp by the Mavericks and hasn’t played this season. To open a roster spot, the Nets will also cut F Sean Williams.

The Nets have also been seeking a trade for F Josh Boone, but have thus far been unsuccessful. New Jersey tried to trade now released G Rafer Alston and F Tony Battie to the Knicks for G Nate Robinson and F Darko Milicic before Christmas.

WWE

– According to reports, Chris Jericho is expected to join DH Smith, Tyson Kidd and Natalya in The Hart Dynasty. This will also precede a storyline/WrestleMania 26 feud between Jericho and Edge. Stay tuned.

– WWE has released former ECW performer Steve Lewington (a.k.a. DJ Gabriel). Lewington was split from Alicia Fox last April as a result of the 2009 Supplemental Draft, leaving the English grappler to fend for himself. Creative apparently had nothing for him considering he was soon shipped off to developmental. He never returned to the main roster.

Lewington had been under contract to WWE since April 2006. There may have a few other releases in developmental today, but they have yet to be confirmed.

VoV

– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
– Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
– Facebook – facebook.com/thecanadianrage

MLB

– The Yankees have acquired RHP Javier Vazquez and LHP Boone Logan from the Braves for OF Melky Cabrera, LHP Mike Dunn and RHP Arodys Vizcaino. The Yankees are expected to take on all of Vazquez’s $11.5M contract for 2010. They’ve just landed themselves a a legitimate 2009 Cy Young Award candidate to bolster a pitching staff that already includes LHP C.C. Sabathia, RHP A.J. Burnett and LHP Andy Pettitte. The 33-year-old Vazquez posted a 14-10 record and a 4.91 ERA in 32 starts for the Yankees back in 2004 and finished with a 15-10 record, 2.87 ERA and 1.03 WHIP for the Braves in ’09.

– Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com report that four teams remain in the running for free agent OF Jason Bay. It was starting to look like the Mets were bidding against themselves, but it appears that the Mariners, Angels and Giants have varied levels of interest in the 31-year-old outfielder, as well. According to a person familiar with the team’s plans, it’s “not impossible” to envision the Giants signing either Bay or OF Matt Holliday. It turns out that the Mets might not be the shoe-in many thought they were.

– The NY Daily News reports that the Yankees are working on a deal with the Braves for RHP Derek Lowe. Reds RHP Aaron Harang has all but dropped out of the picture. Lowe has three-years/$45M remaining on his contract.

– According to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson, free agent RHP Matt Capps intends to choose between offers from the Cubs and Nationals by Wednesday night. The Nats can offer Capps a shot at closing duties and the Cubs can not, but Washington is far from contention in the NL East. We’ll see what his priorities are. The 26-year-old had a disappointing 2009 season but boasts a 3.61 career ERA and has issued only 50 walks in 271 2/3 career innings.

– FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal reports that the Mariners have agreed to trade RHP Brandon Morrow to Toronto for RHP Brandon League and a prospect. Let’s hope for the Mariners’ sake that this other “prospect” is highly talented. League, 26, is a nice relief pitcher but is destined for a career as a setup man or middle reliever unless he gets his control issues worked out. He had a 4.58 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 76/21 K/BB in 74 2/3 innings this past season for Toronto. Morrow, 25, boasts a high-powered fastball and strong potential as a future No. 2 or No. 3 starter.

– ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports that free agent RHP Justin Duchscherer is planning to sign with a new team within a week. The Yankees, Red Sox, Diamondbacks and Pirates have been linked to “The Duke of Hurl” this winter. He missed all of the 2009 season while dealing with injuries and clinical depression but posted a 10-8 record with a 2.54 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 22 starts in 2008.

– The Nationals have signed RHP Jason Marquis to a two-year/$15M deal. Marquis made $9.875M in 2009 while going 15-13 with a 4.04 ERA and 1.38 WHIP for the Rockies. His ERAs of 4.60 and 4.53 the two previous seasons with the Cubs are probably a better indicator of expected future success, especially because of the mediocre 115/80 K/BB ratio he posted last season while still dancing from enough trouble to post a solid ERA in Coors Field. Marquis will slot near the front of Washington’s rotation in 2010.

– According to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick, the Nationals “are making a big push” for free agent RHP Matt Capps. Capps’ agent, Paul Kinzer, said, “[Nationals GM] Mike Rizzo has done an unbelievable job. They’ve really impressed Matt. The Nationals weren’t even on the radar when we started, but now Matt is considering them hard.” Probably because they can offer him a ninth-inning gig and many of the other teams with interest can’t. The 26-year-old had a disappointing 2009 season but boasts a 3.61 career ERA and has issued only 50 walks in 271 2/3 career innings.

– The Mets are closing in on a deal with RHP R.A. Dickey. He made 14 starts for the Mariners in 2008 but was primarily a reliever for the Twins last season, when he went 1-1 with a 4.62 ERA in one start and 34 relief appearances.

– The Rangers have signed LHP Darren Oliver to a one-year/$3M deal with a $3.5M club option for 2011, or a $500K buyout. Oliver was 5-1 with a 2.71 ERA in 63 games last season.

– The World Series champion Yankees were hit with a luxury tax of nearly $25.69M Monday. New York is the only team to pay a tax for this season and has crossed the threshold in all seven years since the tax started. According to the collective bargaining agreement, the Yankees must send a check to the commissioner’s office by January 31. The Yankees have been billed $174M of the tax’s $190M total since 2003.

– Major League Baseball and its umpires are nearing agreement on a new The deal could be reached as soon as Tuesday. Management has been seeking to gain increased flexibility on postseason assignments as part of the agreement, which could allow umpires to work the World Series in consecutive seasons. Following a series of missed calls during the playoffs, MLB went with an all veteran crew of six umpires in this year’s World Series.

NHL

– Thrashers GM Don Waddell said the contract talks with F Ilya Kovalchuk have hit a “snag.” Waddell said, “Our position is different than his position right now. Their position is fixed years with money and we have a different side of that. That’s what we have to work through. We’ve gotten through every thing else, now we have to make it through that.” Waddell still thinks that the Thrashers and Kovalchuk can come to an agreement. If the two sides can’t agree on a contract extension, Atlanta may attempt to deal Kovalchuk at the trade deadline rather than lose him for nothing as a free agent in the summer. Stay tuned.

– Devils G Martin Brodeur picked up shutout No. 104 of his career as New Jersey beat Pittsburgh 4-0 Monday night. Brodeur was simply fantastic on this night, providing a true microcosm of his career. He set the new NHL record for shutouts, moving past Terry Sawchuk. This record only further cements Brodeur’s status as one of the game’s all-time best goaltenders.

NBA

– The NY Post is speculating that Heat G Dwyane Wade could sign with the Cavaliers this offseason in order to team up with F LeBron James as they did with the US Olympic team. “We know each other away from basketball, and I have an unbelievable respect for the person I’ve gotten to know during our seven years in the league.”

– FanHouse speculates that Jazz F Carlos Boozer could end up playing with the Magic. That could happen either by free agency at season’s end, or by trade, as the Magic don’t have much cap room at the moment. The Nets, Knicks and Heat are expected to make offers if Boozer hits the market.

– Knicks G Nate Robinson has expressed interest in being traded to the Celtics, but ESPN reports that this deal will not happen. It looks like KryptoNate’s one-year/$4M contract will be bought out.

NFL

– The Browns have named ex-Seahawks and Packers head coach Mike Holmgren their new club president. Holmgren, who coached three Super Bowl teams, is the Browns’ new head of football operations. The 61-year-old is expected bring in a new head coach, likely from his own coaching tree, to replace Eric Mangini. Holmgren’s tenure with the Seahawks was a bust.

– The Cowboys have waived K Nick Folk. The 2007 sixth-round pick was one of the league’s better field goal kickers during his first two seasons, but the Cowboys were forced to cut ties with Folk after he missed 10 three-point attempts this year. Shaun Suisham will close out the season as Dallas’ placekicker, with rookie David Buehler keeping kickoff duties. Expect Folk to resurface elsewhere in the offseason.

– The Steelers have signed WR Joey Galloway. Galloway will be the Steelers’ No. 4 receiver at best. The 38-year-old has been out of the league since getting released by the Patriots on October 20.

TNA

–  According to multiple sources within TNA, Scott Hall is expected to appear on the live episode of iMPACT! Raw on January 4, 2010. Hall, who is now 51, is expected to reform an Outsiders/nWo reunion with Kevin Nash, but without the WCW labels due to World Wrestling Entertainment owning the trademarks.

Sean Waltman’s name has also been mentioned for the reunion, but the latest indication given is that he is not a lock to appear.

Hall last appeared in TNA two years ago, briefly feuding with The Angle Alliance (Kurt Angle, AJ Styles and Tomko). Hall was scheduled to partner with Nash and Samoa at the December 2007 pay-per-view, Turning Point, but Hall no-showed the event. During the live show, Joe cut a heated promo on Hall while Nash stood in the background.

Despite Hall’s poor track record with the company, recent reports regarding his behavior at independent shows have been positive. In a recent Twitter post, Nash vouched for Hall with the following: “Talked to Scott on Monday (December 7) and he sounded great!”

– According to FWOnline, the story of Shawn Daivari (a.k.a. Sheik Abdul Bashir) requesting his release from TNA Wrestling is false. His release from the organization was not unexpected as the company made the decision to let him go. Reportedly, he’s had a ton of heat on him for months, not to mention he didn’t get along at all with the company’s Director of Talent Relations, Terry Taylor.

– Roxxi (broken ankle) suffered breaks in two parts of her ankles and is out indefinitely.

WWE

– Grammy award-winning record producer, singer and rapper Timbaland will host next week’s show in Hartford, Connecticut.

VoV

-– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
– Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
– Facebook – facebook.com/marc.valeri

TNA

– As seen last night prior to the Tribute to the Troops special on NBC, Hulk Hogan has been removed from the introduction video which kicks off each and every single WWE television broadcast. “Hulkamania is running wild” has been replaced with “Everyone has a price!” with “The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase pictured instead of Hogan. WWE also removed the clip of Mankind being thrown off the top of a cell at the 1998 King of the Ring. In its place is a clip of Jeff Hardy diving off a ladder at this past year’s WrestleMania. Both Hogan and Mankind had been featured in the intro video since its introduction on October 3, 2005.

– TNA personality Lauren Brooke, 27, announced this past Friday on her Twitter account that she will be leaving the company shortly.

“Truly going to miss the wrestling fans and my fam @ TNA, but time to focus on my 2 Golf Channel Shows! Keep a lookout!”

The word backstage is that she is leaving the company to focus on her impending marriage and pursue other projects. Christy Hemme, who recently retired from in-ring competition, will take over Brooks’ former role as backstage announcer. Brooke’s profile has since been removed from the company website.

WWE

– EA Sports is planning to reveal a brand-new game next month, and while there has been nothing but speculation about what the game could be, early reports indicate that it could be the new host in the line of WWE games, since WWE’s deal with THQ has expired. WWE recently extended the deadline to renew the contract until December 31, a move that was likely made to give THQ more time to settle its lawsuit with Jakks Pacific — so maybe they want to stick with THQ.

It is possible, though, that THQ informed WWE they did not intend to continue the license at which point EA could have jumped in and made an offer. The announcement coming in January certainly would make sense given the framing of the circumstances. WWE brings an established fan base and wouldn’t be seen as too much of a risk even in these difficult economic times.

It may seem like a long shot, one logical possibility is that EA could be relaunching its MVP Baseball franchise. In a financial call last week, Take-Two blamed poor returns from its exclusive MLB contract for reduced profit expectations. In other words, they’re losing money because Major League Baseball 2K9 and The Bigs 2 failed to sell well. 2K Sports still has exclusive third-party rights to the MLB license through 2012, however, so January 2010 seems rather early for EA Sports to start talking about MVP.

It’s also possible that the new game could be another PSN/XBLA title in the vein of 3 on 3 NHL Arcade and Madden NFL Arcade, which would be downloadable. Stay tuned.

– According to the PWInsider, Tommy Dreamer is parting ways with the company. The word going around among talent at last night’s SmackDown/ECW taping in Miami was that Dreamer had requested his release from the company. “The ECW Original” has been with WWE since July 2001, working both as a wrestler and also holding other responsibilities within the company.

– Former WWE diva Ashley Massaro has expressed interest in hosting Raw.

– In some weird trivia, Britney Spears was one of the last people to spend time with Edward “Umaga” Fatu before he died just one week later. The pop singer bumped into “The Samoan Bulldozer” when they shared a flight from Australia to the United States. Spears remembered Umaga from a wrestling storyline he took part in with her ex-husband Kevin Federline on Raw three years ago. She was returning from a series of concerts Down Under, where the grappler had also been in action as part of Hulk Hogan’s Hulkamania – Let the Battle Begin wrestling tour.

MLB

– There is nothing new to report on the OF Jason Bay/C Bengie Molina front regarding the Mets. The team is supposedly starting to wonder if either one of them really wants to be a Met. Bay reportedly has a four-year/$63M offer, while Molina has a two-year/$12M offer. Bay apparently wants a fifth year in order to make a deal, and Molina also supposedly wants another year added on but the Mets don’t seem ready to do that. Both Bay and Molina don’t appear to have any other big offers from the table from other teams. GM Omar Minaya is supposedly starting to get ready to move on other options at both positions.

– MLB.com reports that the Marlins have offered LHP Aroldis Chapman a five-year/$65M deal worth $13M annually. The Red Sox have also reportedly offered him a multi-year/$15.5M deal. Expect many more offers in the coming days.

– ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports that free agent LHP Darren Oliver is close to a deal with the Rangers. It’s not yet clear what the contract will be worth or how many years it will cover, but we do know the Rangers have been in touch with Oliver’s representatives since the Winter Meetings. The 39-year-old left-hander managed a 2.71 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 65/22 K/BB in 73 innings this past year. He was a member of the Rangers’ bullpen from 1993-1998 and again from 2000-2001.

– The Indians have acquired RHP Mitch Talbot from the Rays as the PTBNL for C Kelly Shoppach. The 26-year-old is out of minor league options, so he is a heavy favourite to make the Indians opening day roster. Entering 2009, Talbot was rated by Baseball America as the Rays’ 16th overall prospect. He was limited to 10 starts this past season while dealing with a right elbow sprain, finishing 4-4 with a 4.47 ERA for Triple-A Durham. In Talbot’s minor league career, he is 62-54 with a 3.79 ERA in 165 starts. He has a shot at winning a rotation spot in Cleveland next season, but could also latch on as a long reliever.

NHL

– Rumours are circulating that the Ducks are shopping F Teemu Selanne, as they sit dead last in the Pacific Divison. Selanne has a no-trade clause, so he’d have to accept any deal. The 16-year vet has 14 goals and seven assists this season.

NBA

– Knicks G Nate Robinson has expressed interest in being traded, but is willing to stay if he is given playing time. Robinson has said he wants to finish out his one-year/$4M deal. In the nine-straight that Robinson has missed, the Knicks are 6-3.

VoV

-– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
– Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
– Facebook – facebook.com/marc.valeri

MLB

– Red Sox DH David Ortiz told the Boston Herald that he would like to retire with his current club, even though the team is considering looking for more production from the DH position.

“I want to finish my career here. I think I still have another three or four good years in me. It’s not like I’m going to play until I’m 50, but I can still swing the bat. All I know is that last year I had the worst three months of my career and still almost ended up at 30 and 100.”

– The Pirates have acquired 2B Akinori Iwamura from the Rays for RHP Jesse Chavez. There was a report that a second player would go from Tampa Bay to Pittsburgh, but it turned out to one-for-one. The Pirates will pick up Iwamura’s $4.85M option for 2010 and get themselves a nice one-year stopgap at second base, albeit an expensive one. He’ll likely hit second in their lineup behind OF Andrew McCutchen. The Rays, meanwhile, can go with 2B Ben Zobrist as a full-time second baseman now.

– Red Sox RHP Josh Beckett told WEEI on Tuesday that he had his agent will meet with Red Sox GM Theo Epstein in the coming weeks. Beckett had his $12M option for 2010 vest during the season, but he’ll be a free agent after next year. An extension could cost the Red Sox upwards of $18-20M per year, but it might be worth it, given that Beckett has remained pretty healthy of late.

– Mets OF Jeff Francoeur (thumb) underwent surgery to repair a ligament. He’ll be ready for spring training.

NBA

– The Wolves have picked up the 2010-2011 contract options on F Corey Brewer and F Kevin Love.

– Knicks G Nate Robinson (ankle) is out two weeks.

– SUns G Leandro Barbosa (wrist) is out indefinitely.

– Pacers F Jeff Foster (ankle) is out two weeks.

– Nets F Yi Jianlian (knee) is out indefinitely.

NHL

– A federal bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of the Coyotes to the NHL. The NHL will pay team owner Jerry Moyes $140M for the club.

TNA

– Hulk Hogan spoke to Minnesota’s City Pages newspaper this week and made some interesting things to say about his relationship with Vince McMahon in the 1980s, how much power he’ll have in TNA and what it meant to announce his partnership with TNA at Madison Square Garden.

Hogan claims that Vince “didn’t really understand the business” after buying the company from from his father, Vince McMahon, Sr. “I moved in next door to him in Connecticut and taught him all about lifting weights and riding motorcycles and partying like a mad man; and then I taught him about the wrestling business and making money. And now I’m doing that again with TNA Wrestling.”

Hogan also talked himself up as the savior for TNA. He said the company agreed that he could have a “Vince McMahon role” calling the shots for TNA. Hogan says he will be “unofficially” running the promotion and will have the same if not more influence than he had during his run in WCW.

“All I told these guys was that they should give me a chance. If they didn’t like what I was doing they can tell me to take a hike, but let me have the chance to come in and take a shot at it. Let the fans and the other wrestlers take a look and decide for themselves what they’re in to and I’m confident that I will get this thing rockin’.”

Hogan is already crediting himself with generating the most buzz for TNA in its history and explains the significance of announcing his partnership with TNA Wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“The proof is already out there. In the course of a few days we’ve got more buzz going for TNA Wrestling then it’s had in seven years. For example, no other wrestling organization had ever been able to get into Madison Square Garden in New York for like, 100 years, because Vince owns it and his family owned it before him. So I came in and was like, ‘Watch this.; And we did a press conference at Madison Square Garden.

MMA

– M-1 Global and Fedor Emelianenko have sued Affliction and other unnamed parties for breach of contract stemming from the cancellation of “Affliction: Trilogy” after Affliction decided to return to the UFC as a sponsor. Emelianenko’s scheduled opponent, Josh Barnett, pulled out of the fight because of a positive test for anabolic steroids. Affliction cancelled the event after failing to find a replacement fighter. The lawsuit alleges that Brett Rogers, Emeliankenko’s opponent this weekend, was “ready, willing, and able” to fight Fedor at Trilogy and Affliction “elected to serve it’s own financial interests at the expense of its partners.”