MLB

– Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that Angels’ C Mike Napoli has been claimed on waivers by an unknown team. Napoli, 28, has hit 21 home runs in 369 ABs this season for Anaheim, and power-hitting catchers are extremely hard to come by. Waiver deals are tough, as we’ve seen this month, but a few contending teams in the AL are looking to improve offensively, whether at catcher, first base, designated hitter or on the bench. It might take a decent prospect, though.

– The Jays will shut down RHP Brandon Morrow after his next start because of the number of innings he’s thrown this season. Morrow has thrown 143 1/3 innings this season, which is 18 2/3 more innings than he threw last year between the majors and minors. The difference isn’t much, but the Jays are wisely being over-cautious with their young pitcher. With 174 strikeouts on the season, including 49 in 30 1/3 August innings, he would have had a good shot at 200 strikeouts had he finished out the season. Morrow’s last start will be a tough one, as he’ll pitch Friday in Yankee Stadium.

– The Jays have placed 3B Edwin Encarnacion (sprained left wrist) on the 15-day DL.

– The Royals have placed RHP Kanekoa Texeira (right elbow strain) on the 15-day DL retroactive to August 28.

– The White Sox have placed LHP Erick Threets (torn UCL in left elbow) on the 15-day DL.

– The Padres have placed SS Jerry Hairston Jr. (right elbow sprain) on the 15-day DL.

– The Rangers have placed RHP Frank Francisco (strained right latissimus dorsi muscle) on the 15-day DL.

– The Orioles have transferred RHP Jason Berken to the 60-day DL.

NBA

– The Nuggets are interested in trading F Carmelo Anthony to the Nets, Kings, or Timberwolves, according to a report on NBA.com. The Nets are probably the only team in that group that Melo would be interested in joining – they may soon move to Brooklyn, the owner is loaded, and they have a solid core of young players. The Kings are also an improving young team, but Denver’s return price could be too steep for the Kings to match. It seems that Melo wants no part of the Wolves.

NFL

– Ravens’ WR Donte’ Stallworth (broken left foot) is out 2 months after suffering a broken left foot in Saturday’s preseason game against the Giants. Stallworth will undergo surgery to have a screw inserted into his foot, but this is not considered a season-ending injury. The Ravens won’t be able to place him on the PUP list, though, so they’ll have to keep a roster spot open until the Week 8 bye in late October.

– Vikings’ WR Percy Harvin (migraines) predicted after Saturday night’s game that his migraine issues may be behind him after doctors found a primary cause. “I did a test (Friday) night. They found some things that we think is the main cause of it. We’re all feeling really confident. I know we said that a couple times, but I think this time we found what the main cause was. I’m not saying I won’t ever get a headache again, but hopefully, we can slow it down a little bit.” Harvin took three big hits from the Seahawks in his return to action, and he came out of the game none the worse for the wear. Draft him with confidence as a WR2.

– Jets’ OLB Calvin Pace (broken right foot) will reportedly miss 6 weeks after breaking his right foot in Friday’s preseason game against the Redskins. The injury was originally thought to be just a sprain. Big blow for the Jets.

– The Bengals have released WR Antonio Bryant, and the Jets have released WR Laveranues Coles. Check this out: they were massive, $30M free agent busts for Cincinnati and ended up being released in back-to-back years. Coles played a down for the Bengals, while Bryant never did, but will collect a $3.6M signing bonus, $3.1M roster bonus (paid in March), and a $250K offseason workout bonus. Coles finished the preseason with four catches for 19 yards, running with the second- and third-team offense. The 11th-year vet promised his latest stint with the Jets would be his “last hurrah” as an NFL player, so it would not be surprising if he retired.

NHL

– Lightning’ F Vincent Lecavalier (knee) has undergone successful surgery. Vinny should be fine for the opening of the Bolts’ training camp on September 17.

WWE

– Former WWE superstar posted a few messages on Twitter on Friday regarding his 90-day no-compete clause expiring and what’s next for him. Carlito announced:

“My no-compete expired 2day! Let me go outside and c what freedom smells like!”

Also regarding working for RO, it sounds like he’s into it, but doesn’t know if the ROH fans would show him any love.

“ROH? I’d would b gr8 2 do a show 4 them! That crowd would boo me out of the building…and I’d luv it! Just give me a mic and stand back! Cornette doesn’t like me though, so I don’t see that happening!”

– This week’s episode of TNA’s new behind the scenes program, Reaction, saw the recently reunited pairing of Angelina Love and Velvet Sky slam those who have attempted to imitate The Beautful People stable over the years. Love charged during the pseudo-shoot program,

“We created a group that has been like no other for women in professional wrestling. People have tried to be like this. People wanted to join us. No can do…And for all you wannabe Beautiful People girls out there… you know exactly who I’m talking about, get a life. You will never be us.”

“And you’re not cool by the way. You’re not cool.”

Some have interpreted their message as a shot towards WWE’s LayCool, Michelle McCool and Women’s Champion Layla. Both have directed similar remarks towards rival performers in the past, with Love recently stating the following on her Facebook account while watching television:

“So this is what I get for quickly flipping thru the channels on a friday night……a blonde & a brunette blatantly ripping something off……..BRUTAL!!!”

Apparently in response to the TNA Knockouts’ most recent remarks, Layla said the following on Twitter yesterday:

“Living the dream & so blessed!!

1 thing I know when u r attacked u have 2 decide if it’s worth the time & effort to retaliate

Not worth the press

Plus don’t deserve the press we get even tho they want it & need it

Real talk”

It was reported this past June in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the LayCool act was concocted due to WWE’s creative department being embarrassed by The Beautiful People making their female performers look second-rate by comparison.

– Serena issued the following statement on Twitter in light of her release from World Wrestling Entertainment, which was announced by the organization Friday:

“To each and every one of my extraordinary fans, I would like to thank you for your love and support. The past year of my life has been an amazing journey. The people I’ve come to know will always be in my heart and the unique places I’ve been have shown me how beautiful the world is. I feel very blessed. I fell madly in love with pro wrestling when I was just 11 years old. I pursued my childhood dream with every ounce of passion I had and I couldn’t be more proud of where my career has gone so far. I am so excited about the future and continuing to become as great as I can be, hopefully inspiring others along the way. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined”…Dreams do come true ?.. I love you all– Serena”

VoV

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

– From Alan Hahn’s twitter account, he covers the Knicks for Newsday

“Multiple sources are telling Newsday that LeBron James has decided to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. The new Big Three is here.”

We have speculated that the three have had a pact to play together for some time, and this report is from a fairly reliable source in Hahn and Newsday. Later, ESPN’s Chris Broussard said the same thing via Twitter. There’s still a chance LeBron could change his mind at the last minute, but as of now, it looks like he’s going to Miami to play with Wade and Bosh. And don’t be surprised if this is enough to bring Pat Riley back to the bench next season.

In addition, the latest rumour swirling in Miami is that LeBron put down a deposit on a $49M estate here in Coral Gables and was seen around town yesterday.

Wow. If this is true (don’t take it as fact until he says it on ESPN), expect an Instant Classic ripping into this whole situation.

– AOL Fanhouse is reporting that F Shaquille O’Neal’s “first choice” is to win a championship with the Spurs. The Spurs are said to be interested in him as well.

– AOL Fanhouse reports that the Heat are trying to bring back G Jason Williams. J-Will won an NBA title with the Heat in 2006.

NHL

– Contradicting an earlier report, the Kings are not interested in signing UFA F Ilya Kovalchuk according to team governor Tim Leiweke. The problem the Kings have is that they will need to sign talented players like D Drew Doughty etc. to long-term deals soon, and they won’t have the cap space to do so if they give Kovalchuk the $8M+ annually that he’ll command on a long-term contract. The two sides were done with each other this past Sunday and then Kovalchuk’s agent “re-engaged” the team in conversations, the paper reports. The agent, Jay Grossman, sent a proposal to the team Wednesday that didn’t leave enough salary-cap space in the team’s budget to keep the younger players it has been grooming to be building blocks for the organization, according to the Times. “We really would love to add Kovi to our team, but not at the cost of our good young players. Dean (GM Lombardi) is trying here, but we know what we need in cap space going forward to keep our nucleus together. We can’t let one guy throw us into panic in a year or two. It is not about cash. It is about cap.” It looks like the Devils for Kovalchuk if he stays in the NHL, if not, the KHL. Stay tuned.

– The Wild have re-signed F Robbie Earl to a 1-year/2-way contract. Earl was looking for a one-way deal, but couldn’t find one with any NHL team so he re-signed with the Wild. He will get $550K when he is in the NHL and $105K as a minor leaguer.

NHL

– According to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, discussions are “heating up” between the Rangers and Mariners involving M’s ace LHP Cliff Lee. Add another team to the growing list. The Reds have reportedly exchanged names with the Mariners, the Twins may or may not have made an offer, and the Mets and Yankees are at least kicking the tires on Lee. Texas definitely has the prospects to make a deal work and the money exchanged should be a non-issue, even with the murky situation surrounding the Rangers’ exchange of ownership. Lee, who has fanned 89 batters and walked only six, is owed just about $4M.

– According to Newsday, the Mets “like the idea” of bringing Cubs’ LHP Ted Lilly back to the team. If they can afford it, the team would pick up the $6M left on his deal so that it wouldn’t have give up too much in the prospects department in order to get the 34-year-old with the 3-7 record and 3.76 ERA. Other Cubs being mentioned on the trade block include SS Ryan Theriot, 2B Mike Fontenot, INF Jeff Baker, 1B Derrek Lee, OF Kosuke Fukudome and OF Xavier Nady.

NFL

– LB Antonio Pierce has officially announced his retirement from the NFL and will be joining ESPN as an NFL analyst. The writing was on the wall for Pierce, who would have needed surgery on his neck in order to continue his playing career. The former undrafted free agent finishes his career with 687 tackles, nine sacks and seven interceptions. Pierce “will appear on NFL Live, SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, and 1050 ESPN New York, and he will provide weekly analysis on ESPNNewYork.com, ESPN’s home for New York sports news and information.” He said in a statement that “After nine years of having the privilege of playing in the National Football League, today I’ve decided to end my playing days…I am extremely excited about contributing my knowledge and experience in this new endeavor to the championship team at ESPN.”

WWE

– Multi-time WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Saturday’s Blue Jays/Red Sox game. The game takes place at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

TNA

– According to the Wrestling Observer, former WCW star “Taskmaster” Kevin Sullivan met recently with TNA President Dixie Carter about joining the company’s creative team. During that meeting, Sullivan presented an angle that involves a year-long main event storyline that would require them signing a top star who the company would likely have difficulty getting. In addition, TNA did, in fact, quietly part ways with writer Ed Ferrara a few weeks ago. Ferrara left a teaching position and was brought into the company several months ago around the time that Jim Cornette not-so-quietly parted ways with them, in large part due to that hiring. Of course, Ferrara also served as Vince Russo’s right-hand man for the WWF during the Attitude Era.

– One third of the Knockout Tag Team Champions, Velvet Sky, recently signed a three-year contract with TNA Wrestling. She also received a pay raise, bumping her salary from $300 per show to $600 per show. As a result, she is among the company’s top female earners.

VoV

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

– The Habs have re-signed F Dustin Boyd to a 1-year/$650K deal.  Boyd played in 78 games with the Predators and Calgary Flames in 2009-10 and scored 11 goals and registered 24 points.

– The Blackhawks have signed D John Scott to a 1-year deal. The 6’8″ reaguard likely won’t play enough to be a solid penalty minute contributor.

– The Wild have signed F Eric Nystrom to a 3-year/$4.2M deal. Aa nice increase from the $775K he earned in 2009-10 considering he only registered 19 points in 82 games.

– The Rangers are set to re-sign F Vaclav Prospal to the 1-year/$1M with bonuses worth $100K.

– The Bruins have signed F Jeremy Reich to a one-year contract.Reich returns to the Bruins’ organization after a very unsuccessful short stop in Long Island where he played in the 2009-10 pre-season, broke his wrist and was later released.

– The Wild have signed F Matt Cullen to a 3-year/$10M deal. Cullen, a Minnesota native, is going home and is thrilled about the prospect of playing in front of family and friends. He should be a staple on the Wild power play and the team’s second-line pivot. Look for Cullen to register 50-55 points in 2010-11.

– The Stars have signed G Andrew Raycroft to a 2-year deal.

– The Ducks have re-signed F Saku Koivu to a 2-year/$5M deal. The 35-year-old Finn had 19 goals and 33 assists with the Ducks last season.

– The Canucks have signed D Dan Hamhuis to a 6-year/$27M deal.

– The Blackhawks have traded F Andrew Ladd to the Thrashers for D Ivan Vishnevsky and a 2nd-round pick. Ladd, 24, had 17 goals and 21 assists last season for Chicago. Ladd will join former teammates F Dustin Byfuglien, D Brent Sopel and F Ben Eager in the Georgia city as it is becoming Chicago South.

– The Devils have signed D Henrik Tallinder to a 4-year/$13.5M deal. He recorded four goals and 20 points in 82 games last season.

– The Devils have signed D Anton Volchenkov to a 6-year deal. The 28-year old Volchenkov finished eighth in the NHL with 172 blocked shots last season, despite playing in only 64 games. He added 153 hits as well as four goals and 10 assists.

– The Flames have signed F Olli Jokinen to a 2-year/$6M deal.

– The Oilers have signed D Kurtis Foster to a 2-year/$3.6M deal.

– The Coyotes have signed F Ray Whitney to a 2-year/$6M deal.

– The Penguins have signed D Paul Martin to a 5-year/$25M deal. Martin was limited to 22 games in 2009-10 because of injury, registering two goals and nine assists.

– The Lightning have signed G Dan Ellis to a 2-year deal. Ellis had a .909 SV% and 2.69 GAA in 31 games last season with the Preds.

– The Canucks have signed F Manny Malholtra to a 3-year/$7.5M deal. The deal includes a no-trade clause. The 30-year-old native of Mississauga, Ontario spent last season with the San Jose Sharks, registering 14 goals and 19 assists, and played very well for the team in the post-season.

– The Canucks have signed F Joel Perrault to a 1-year/$510K deal.

– The Blues have re-signed F Alex Steen to a 4-year extension. The 26-year-old Steen was tied for the team lead with 24 goals and totalled 47 points in 68 games for the Blues last season.

– The Leafs have signed F Colby Armstrong to a 3-year/$9M deal. The 27-year-old spent the last two and a half seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers. In the 2009-10, Armstrong had 15 goals and 14 assists in 79 games.

– The Canadiens have signed G Alex Auld to a 1-year/$1M deal.

– The Sharks have signed G Antero Niittymaki to a 2-year/$4M deal. The 30-year-old Finn was 21-18-5 with the Lightning last season, registering a 2.87 GAA and a .909 SV%.

– The Penguins have signed D Zbynek Michalek to a 5-year/$20M deal.

– The Lightning have signed F Martin St. Louis to a 4-year extension. The 35-year-old, who still had one year left on his contract, had 29 goals and 65 assists for the Bolts last season.

– The Flames have signed F Alex Tanguay to a 1-year/$1.7M deal.

– The Flyers have re-signed D Braydon Coburn to a 2-year deal with a cap hit of $3.2M per year. The 6’5, 220 pound Calgary native had five goals and 14 assists for the Flyers last season.

– The Rangers have re-signed F Erik Christensen to a 2-year deal. Christensen had eight goals and 18 assists in 49 games with the Blueshirts last season. Christensen turned down a 2-year/$1.5M contract from the Rangers earlier in the week so expect a slight upgrade.

– The Senators have signed D Sergei Gonchar to a 3-year/$16.5M deal worth $5.5M annually. Gonchar had 11 goals and 39 assists for the Pens last season. All the rumors seemed to point Gonchar to Washington or back to Pittsburgh. Gonchar gets a no-trade clause in his contract and will quarterback the power play. Gonchar, if healthy, could score 15-20 goals and end up with 65 points with the Senators next season. He was the best offensive defenseman in free agency and now teams that were looking at him will have to alter their strategy.

– The Rangers have signed veteran G Martin Biron to a 2-year/$1.75M deal worth $825K annually. Biron was 9-14-4 with the Islanders last season with a 3.27 GAA and an .896 SV%.

– The Flyers have acquired D Andrej Meszaros from the Lightning for a 2nd-round pick in 2011. Meszaros did not have a good time in Tampa after signing a 6-year/$24M contract in August 2008. He was expected to take over the power play and lead them on the blueline but he had only two goals and 16 points in 52 games in the 2008-09 season before shoulder surgery ended his season. This past season was even worse with six goals and 17 points in 81 games. He is still young enough at age 24 to change the course of his career and the change in scenery will not hurt him. Playing with D Chris Pronger should help as well.

– The Bruins have re-signed D Daniel Paille to a 2-year/$2.15M deal with $1M and $1.15M in the first and second year, respectively. Paille had 10 goals and nine assists in 74 games with the Bruins last season.

– The Leafs have acquired F Kris Versteeg and F Bill Sweatt from the Blackhawks for F Viktor Stalberg, F Philippe Paradis and F Chris DiDomenico. Versteeg had 44 points in 79 regular-season games last season, along with 14 points in the post-season for the Stanley Cup champions.

NBA

– Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson will return next season, putting off retirement for at least another year to chase his 12th NBA championship. Jackson made the announcement Thursday with a news release. The coach of the two-time defending champions said last week he was leaning toward retirement after another long season, but he changed his mind after getting a week to rest up at his off-season home in Montana.

Jackson, who will turn 65 later this year, says next season will be “a last stand for me, and I hope a grand one.” Jackson is the winningest coach in NBA playoff history, with 225 victories and two more titles than Boston’s Red Auerbach. He has won five titles with the Lakers and six with the Bulls.

– The Grizzlies have re-signed F Rudy Gay to a maximum 5-year/$81.6M deal with forward Rudy Gay, prompting him to cancel meetings with other teams, including the Timberwolves. Don’t know why the Grizzlies didn’t at least wait for him to bring back an offer sheet. Gay is another example of a potential big mover returning to his old team, and you can almost hear the wind being sucked out of New York’s sails at this point.

– The Wolves have signed F Darko Milicic to a 4-year/$20M deal. F Al Jefferson, who is now requesting a trade, will play elsewhere next season. This also means F Kevin Love is going to have to fight Darko and F Nikola Pekovic for playing time, as well.

– The Bucks have signed F Drew Gooden to a 5-year/$32M deal. Gooden was solid for the Clippers last year and should be productive for the Bucks if he gets his 30 minutes per game.

MLB

– Phillies’ 2B Chase Utley (torn ligament in right thumb) will undergo surgery Thursday and is expected to miss the next eight weeks. So much for that “5-to-6 week” timetable that was being thrown around on Thursday morning. Utley injured his thumb while sliding into the second base bag on Monday and will be in a splint for the next five weeks. If he makes a quick recovery and avoids setbacks, we could see him by early September.

– According to Jim Duquette of Sirius XM Radio and MLB Network, Mariners’ LHP Cliff Lee told people around the club that Tuesday may have been his last start as a Mariner. There’s always the chance that it could be, as GM Jack Zduriencik would be silly to turn down an offer that he deems appropriate. Expect Lee to be wearing a new jersey sooner rather than later.

– The Rangers have officially acquired C Bengie Molina from the Giants for RHP Chris Ray and RHP Michael Main. Molina should get a nice helping of playing time in Texas and will surely post better stats in the shallow confines of the Ballpark at Arlington. He was batting just .257/.312/.332 with three homers and 17 RBI in 202 at-bats for San Francisco.

– Sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com that the Mariners are “trying to move” INF Jose Lopez. Lopez is a rather obvious candidate to be traded to the Phillies now that Utley will need thumb surgery, a possibility that may be helped by assistant general manager Benny Looper’s previous ties to Seattle. The 26-year-old infielder is batting just .244/.271/.336 with five home runs and 30 RBI in 307 at-bats with the Mariners this season, but would likely thrive in the cozy Citizens Bank Park. Lopez’s contract includes a $4.5M club option for next season or a $250K buyout. He is capable of playing either third base or second base.

– The Orioles have placed DH Luke Scott (left hamstring strain) on the 15-day DL. Scott injured the hamstring during a home run trot against the Athletics on Wednesday night. He hits the DL with a .274/.348/.520 batting line to go along with 12 homers and 30 RBI. Barring any setbacks, he should be in line to return shortly after the All-Star break.

NFL

– QB Brett Favre retook the practice field with high schoolers in Hattiesburg, Mississippi Thursday morning. He did the same last July. Retaking the practice field at Oak Grove High indicates that his surgically repaired ankle is healing, and that Favre likely will go through the same routine he did last year before reporting to the Vikings. “His arm is great like always,” said Oak Grove coach Nevil Barr. “As far as how his ankle is I haven’t heard him say anything about it.”

– The NFL has suspended Chargers’ WR Vincent Jackson three games for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. The suspension stems from Jackson’s two DUIs, and it can be appealed. He was expecting a four-game ban, so V-Jax should feel at least some relief. Interestingly, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that even if V-Jax follows through with his holdout threats, the suspension will start in Week 1 anyway. As Profootballtalk reported yesterday, teams interested in trading for Jackson were already aware of the looming suspension. It’s one of the reasons that a trade remains a long shot. Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee will likely be the Bolts’ starting wideouts for at least the first three weeks of the season.

– The NY Post reports that Titans QB Chris Simms was arrested Thursday morning for driving while under the influence of marijuana. During a 2AM traffic stop, police observed Simms had “red eyes, flushed face and slurred speech.” The arrest figures to crush his chances of landing a roster spot in Tennessee behind Vince Young and Kerry Collins. Phil’s son was nothing short of a disaster in spot action with Denver last year, and has seemed shell shocked since his life-threatening spleen injury in 2006.

WWE

– According to the Wrestling Observer, Richard Blood (aka Ricky Steamboat), 57, suffered a brain aneurysm last night in Tampa and is currently being hospitalized. His condition has been upgraded to stable, but he is likely to be hospitalized for some time after suffering a brain aneurysm last night in Tampa.

– WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has written a blog entry responding to Martha Hart’s lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment over using the likeness and footage of Owen Hart.

“I feel that it’s ridiculous for anyone to think they are serving the best interests of Owen’s memory or his children to pretend he wasn’t a wrestler. Not only was he a wrestler, he was a great one and proud of it. I personally believe Martha Hart has done nothing to keep his memory alive and sadly, he fades from view a little more every year. I do suspect this lawsuit is more about publicity, ego, and small-mindedness than it is about pro-wrestling and all of those that are in it.

“I know Owen was always proud of his body of work. His fans have never forgotten him and most of today’s WWE wrestlers and hundreds of employees have never forgotten him. They speak endlessly of loving memories that speak volumes on what kind of person he was. I saw Owen on TV a few weeks ago against a young Matt Hardy and it put me in such a good mood all day long. Why would anyone want to prevent that? Martha needs to accept the sad truth that he’s gone, but we all deserve to be able to salute and honor him for being the great man and the great wrestler that he was.”

TNA

– TNA officials have gotten more aggressive over the past week or two when it comes to signing Paul Heyman. Heyman has been offered the head of TNA creative job, but he wants even more control than that. Heyman reportedly wants to be what Dana White is to the UFC – the front man who has a ton of power behind the scenes and can overrule virtually anybody and have things done his way. Heyman feels the creative side of TNA needs an overhaul, but that creative isn’t the company’s biggest problem.

– Hulk Hogan was scheduled to undergo back surgery. Apparently Hogan didn’t have the surgery yesterday but is scheduled to go under the knife by the end of the week. We wish him the best and a quick recovery.

– TNA fired creative team member Ed Ferrara last week. Ferrara, best known for his previous stints in WWE and WCW, had been Vince Russo’s booking assistant while in TNA.

– Former WCW wrestler & booker Kevin Sullivan met with Dixie Carter when she was in New Jersey a few weeks ago. Sullivan expressed pitched the idea of him joining TNA’s creative team and has worked with many people already in TNA. It’s said that Sullivan has written out an entire year of booking for the company.

– TNA has re-signed Velvet Sky to a 3-year deal.

VoV

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

– The Houston Chronicle reports that Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey met with F Chris Bosh in Dallas moments after the free-agency window opened at midnight Eastern last night. Morey made sure Rockets fans know what he was doing, tweeting, “Just finished meeting with @chrisbosh – great player & person. He is about winning so I focused on how w/Houston he can win a championship.”

The Rockets would have to do a sign-and-trade deal with the Raptors to make Bosh a member of the team. The paper reports that the forward made it clear yesterday “through third-party intermediaries he ‘definitely’ would consider the Rockets and specifically cited an interest in playing with F Yao Ming and the chance to play on ‘a world stage.’” Possible sign-and-trade deals that were put together with Bosh’s help are in place with a few teams, including the Rockets, according to the paper’s source.

Yao is doing his part to get Bosh to come to Houston as well. He sent Bosh a Tweet about an hour before midnight, according to the AP, that read, “Hey Chris, hopefully you’ll play with us next season. I’ll be healthy and I’d really look forward to playing together.”

– The Hawks are “cautiously optimistic” that G Joe Johnson will accept the 6-year/$124M offer they made to the scoring guard at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday morning. Johnson would be insane not to accept the offer, even though he’ll probably still hear what some other teams like the Bulls and Knicks have to say. Although the deal sounds crazy from the Hawks’ perspective, David Aldridge points out that Johnson will only be 31 in the summer of 2012 and he’ll still have significant trade value. And even more interestingly, the current Hawks ownership likely won’t be running the team when Johnson is in the fifth and sixth years of this deal.

– ESPN reports that Thunder team reps showed up at F Kevin Durant’s doorstep at 12:01am last night to start talking about a contrct extension. The 21-year-old NBA scoring champion is likely to end up with the maximum 5-year/$80M offer from the Thunder.

– The Bucks have signed F Drew Gooden to a 5-year/$32M deal. Gooden was solid for the Clippers last year and should be productive for the Bucks if he gets his 30 minutes per game.

– The AP is reporting that Byron Scott has accepted the Cavaliers’ coaching job, and that the team will make an announcement later on Thursday. Consider this a done deal. We’ve read some reports that Scott will play a big role in bringing F LeBron James back to Cleveland, and he also has plenty of head coaching experience between New Jersey and New Orleans. Brian Shaw removed his name from consideration on Wednesday, clearing the way for Scott.

– The Bucks appear to be close to a deal that would bring back free agent G John Salmons next season. A deal has not been met, but it does sound like Salmons, who opted out last week, may be ready to return to the Bucks.

MLB

– According to ESPN, there are six teams in the running for Mariners’ LHP Cliff Lee, who becomes a free agent at season’s end, and the Mariners are not on the list. Lee is likely to get dealt at the trade deadline, with the Phillies, Yankees, Mets, Rangers, Dodgers and Twins being the most likely suitors. The Twins are thought to have a good chance at acquiring him if they include prospect C Wilson Ramos in a package. Other GMs also tell ESPN that the Mariners might not want to wait until the end of July to trade Lee because if he has any kind of minor injury, his stock will plummet. Stay tuned.

– The Rangers are set to acquire C Bengie Molina and a PTBNL from the Giants for RHP Chris Ray. The swap only needs approval from MLB commissioner Bud Selig, which should come before the night is through. Molina will immediately provide the Rangers with a solid, veteran presence at catcher and should show better power marks in the club’s cozy ballpark. Ray, 28, has a 3.41 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP and a 16/16 K/BB ratio in 35 appearances this season. He will pitch in middle relief in San Francisco.

– MLB.com reports that the Nationals called the White Sox to ask about the availability of OF Carlos Quentin, as well as the D’Backs in regards to RHP Dan Haren and RHP Edwin Jackson. The players that Washington is getting the most calls about are 1B Adam Dunn and OF Josh Willingham.

The Phillies are also reportedly interested in Haren. According to Crasnick, the D’Backs are out scouting Phillies prospects for a possible trade. Haren, who turns 30 in September, is in the second year of a 4-year/$44.75M contract. He is owed $12.75M over each of the next two seasons. His contract includes a $15.5M club option for 2013. It’s not known who the D’Backs may be interested in, but Domonic Brown, Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton would probably be near the top of their list.

NHL

– The Wild have re-signed F Guillaume Latendresse to a 2-year/$5M deal worth $2.5M annually. Latendresse blossomed in Minnesota last season after coming over in a trade from the Canadiens. After posting two goals and one assist in 23 games with Montreal, Latendresse was dealt to the Wild on November 23 and responded by scoring 25 goals and 12 assists in 55 games with Minnesota.

NFL

– Virginia Beach Police have changed their stance, refusing to put a title on Eagles’ QB Michael Vick’s role in the shooting that occurred at his 30th birthday party. Police originally said that Vick was “not a person of interest.” That led some folks to believe that he wouldn’t face any discipline from the league. However, the fact that he apparently lied about when he left the party and more witness evidence means that the police may want to talk to Vick soon. They aren’t calling him a suspect, a person of interest or a witness. But with Vick’s federal probation officer now investigating as well, this is headed down a very bad road for Vick.

– PFT reports that at least one team interested in a trade for WR Vincent Jackson has learned that the Pro Bowler expects to be suspended four games to open the 2010 season. With two DUIs as a pro, V-Jax is a multiple offender of the Personal Conduct Policy. Whether or not Jackson is on the Chargers’ 2010 roster, it sounds like Legedu Naanee is going to start games to open the season, with Malcom Floyd filling in as the nominal “No. 1 receiver.” Craig Davis would be No. 3, and Antonio Gates’ targets would also rise. Jackson’s trade value will obviously take a hit with this news. He won’t be available until Week 5, and would be just one more misstep away from an even lengthier ban.

WWE

– The situation with Wade Barrett’s work visa is said to be not as serious as it’s been made out to be. Apparently everyone knew the situation was coming as Barrett had been talking about it for weeks. He is expected to be back in the country as early as today and back on WWE TV as early as this coming week. There is still no word on Drew McIntyre’s return but it’s believed that he may be out for a bit longer.

– WWE officials have told the members of Nexus to play the heel role while in public in front of fans. They’re not allowed to pose for photos or sign autographs and are wearing the ‘N’ armbands while out. The decision has made that The Nexus stable will remain on the RAW roster and won’t be doing any run-ins on SmackDown. Most expect that this may change eventually.

TNA

– 4FWOnline reports that tentative plans call for Velvet Sky to turn on Madison Rayne during the Women’s Knockout Champion’s title defense against Angelina Love at next month’s Victory Road pay-per-view, costing her the belt. She would then join back up with Angelina Love, reuniting the original members of “The Beautiful People.” At last night’s Impact taping (scheduled to air on July 8), Rayne challenged Love to put a retirement stipulation in their Victory Road match. She agreed and it was announced that should Velvet Sky or Lacey Von Erich interfere in the match, Rayne will lose the title via disqualification.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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NHL

– The Flames have released F Theo Fleury. GM Darryl Sutter said,

“I believe Theoren did a great job and should be proud, especially considering all the factors including age, time away from the game and lifestyle change. This is not a hockey story, it’s a life story. Our agreement with Theoren was that he had to be one of our top six wingers and there were never any intentions of assigning him to the American Hockey League.”

Fleury said,

“I am very thankful to Darryl and the Flames organization for following through on the commitment to provide me with this opportunity. I said in the beginning that no matter what the outcome, this would be a success story. I intend to take the next few days to review this experience and make decisions with my family regarding next steps in my life.”

The 41-year-old made news after an NHL comeback attempt. While he did have a very impressive camp, as Sutter said, he did not crack the top six forwards line, and was cut. Fleury remains unsigned, as he was in camp on a tryout contract. Fleury will take a few days to evaluate his options before having a press conference scheduled for Monday. It’s possible that he could officially announce his retirement, although it’s very possible that another team make take a flier on him.

– According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the Flyers will waive D Randy Jones some time this weekend. Jones is another cap casualty, as he’s set to earn $2.75M this season. Jones collected just four goals and eight points in 47 games last year.

– The Canucks have released F Mark Parrish.

MLB

– According to ESPN.com’s Jorge Arangure, MLB has officially declared Cuban LHP Arolids Chapman a free agent. The 21-year-old Chapman is widely considered one of the top unsigned pitching talents in the world. He defected from Cuba several months ago and established residency in a small European country in order to gain access to the major leagues. The Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers and Angels, among others, are expected to bid for his services.

– Padres general manager Kevin Towers indicated Friday that he’s open to working a trade for the Cubs OF Milton Bradley this offseason.

– Giants SS Edgar Renteria (elbow) is scheduled to undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery on Saturday. Renteria has been bothered by elbow issues for much of the season and appeared in just one of the Giants’ last 11 games. He will have bone chips removed as part of the procedure but should be fine for the start of spring training. The 34-year-old hit .250/.307/.328 in 124 games this season.

– Rays LHP J.P. Howell (rest) has been shut down for the rest of the season. With the Rays out of the playoff hunt, it made no sense to continue pushing Howell. The 26-year-old will finish with a 2.84 ERA, 79/33 K/BB ratio, 1.20 WHIP and 17 saves over 66 2/3 innings.

NBA

– The Pacers have signed head coach Jim O’Brien to a one-year extension.

– The Knicks have officially signed G Nate Robinson to a one-year/$2.9M deal.

TNA

– According to the PWTorch Newsletter, to update on our previous report regarding Scott Steiner possibly leaving TNA if Jeff Jarrett doesn’t return: This news doesn’t seem to surprise many within both the TNA office and locker room alike. Steiner and Jarrett have always had a close friendship outside of work, and Jarrett was always known as the one guy in WCW who could calm Scott down when he started going off on people.

In January, several reports came out detailing Scott Steiner’s rough physical shape. One story going around was that he takes a full hour to warm up for a match, although other reports stated this was an over exaggeration. A fellow wrestler was quoted as saying: “He can’t bend over and tie his shoe because of his lower back pain. His stretching routine before matches is barbaric just so he has the mobility to get through a match because he’s wound so tight.”

Despite concern from friends that he‘s too big, Steiner continues to prioritize muscle-mass over everything else. He’s made it clear that he has no interest in appearing on camera if he feels that he looks small or weak.

– According to FWOnline, as noted earlier, Lacey Von Erich, daughter of former WWE Superstar “The Texas Tornado” Kerry Von Erich, has signed on with TNA. She debuted at this past Tuesday’s Impact taping (set to air next Thursday), assisting Velvet Sky and Madison Rayne. The third generation wrestler was strictly signed to replace Angelina Love in “The Beautiful People” faction. Even though Love doesn’t have her employment visa, she is still living in Tampa while waiting for everything to be sorted out. The signing of Von Erich would seem to indicate that the company doesn’t see Love’s visa situation being resolved anytime soon.

While Von Erich most certainly has the looks necessary to be a member of “The Beautiful People,” she is far apart from Love in terms of wrestling ability, experience and presence. Von Erich started her career in pro wrestling roughly two years ago and has wrestled sporadically throughout that time (it is believed that she has taken part in no more than twenty matches throughout career). When she was in WWE’s developmental camp in late 2007, she flamed out quickly and didn’t receive high marks. She only lasted four months in the company before being let go, which is rare for a developmental wrestler. While Love and Taylor Wilde were in WWE’s developmental system and also let go the very same year, both moves were heavily criticized by those who had trained with them or had seen them on DSW. On the other hand, there was no such criticism of Von Erich or Rhaka Khan being let go.

Despite the addition of Von Erich to the “The Beautiful People,” the future prospects of the group very much remains in question. Internally, the senior member of the group, Velvet Sky, is still seen as a liability in the ring despite several years of wrestling experience whereas Rayne has essentially been treated as a jobber/punching bag throughout her brief tenure in TNA. In fact, since joining the company in February, Rayne still has yet to score a single pinfall victory on television.

VoV

– Here are the TNA Hard Justice results: Christopher Daniels d. Suicide, Chris Sabin, Amazing Red, Alex Shelley, Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed in a Steel Asylum Match; Abyss d. Jethro Holliday in a Bounty Match; Hernandez d. Big Rob for the TNA Championship briefcase; The British Invasion d. Beer Money Inc. to retain the IWGP Tag Team Championships; ODB (and Cody Deaner) d. Angelina Love (and Velvey Sky) to win the Knockouts Championship; Samoa Joe d. Homicide to win the X-Division Championship; Booker T & Scott Steiner d. Team 3D to retain the Tag Team Championships; Kevin Nash d. Mick Foley to win the Legends Championship; Kurt Angle d. Sting and Matt Morgan to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.

PGA

– Y.E. Yang carded a final round par-2/70 and won the PGA Championship by three-strokes over Tiger Woods. Shocking. Yang briefly tied Woods after the 4th hole, and they again tied at the 8th hole when Woods bogeyed. On the back nine, Woods was able to go a stroke up with a short birdie-putt at 11, but Woods gave the stroke back on the next hole. The turning point of the match was the 14th, where Yang’s tee shot on the drivable par-4 was just short of the green and he proceeded to hole-out for an eagle to go up one-stroke on Woods. Yang was still up by a stroke going into the final hole and an 8-foot birdie-putt gave him his final margin of victory. The win is the second for Yang this season on the Tour, but it is his first major championship and he has become the first Asian player to ever accomplish the feat. More importantly, Tiger loses his first ever tournament when leading after three rounds. Wow.

OLYMPICS

– Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds Sunday at world championships, turning his showdown against Tyson Gay into a rout and putting to rest the questions that went unanswered last time he set the record – at his showboating Olympic run of 9.69 seconds. It was the biggest change in the record since electronic time was introduced in 1968. It came very close to the 9.55-second time that an American professor said Bolt would have run in Beijing had he run all out in the Olympic 100 finals. Bolt blew away his own world record by .11 seconds on the one-year anniversary of the last world record. Gay, meanwhile, set the American record by finishing in 9.71, a time that would have been a world record 12 months and one day ago, but was an afterthought instead.

NHL

– Blackhawks F Patrick Kane is expected to make a statement regarding his recent arrest and the second-degree robbery, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and theft of services charges he now faces. Kane has not spoken publicly since he and his cousin allegedly broke a cabdriver’s glasses, ripped his clothes, and repeatedly hit the cabdriver when he couldn’t provide them with correct change for a $15.00 on a $13.80 fare. He has put in a plea of not guilty, though, and his lawyer has spoken for him, saying Kane did not steal from or assault the cabdriver. A grand jury heard the Kanes’ case on Thursday and will decide next week whether to dismiss the charges, downgrade them, or proceed with the charges as they currently stand. Stay tuned.

– The Rangers have signed F Vaclav Prospal to a one-year/$1.1M deal. The 34-year old Czech Republic native became a free agent earlier in the summer when the Lightning bought out the final three years of a four-year/$14M contract.  He had 19 goals and 26 assists in 82 games for the Bolts last season. The move will reunite Prospal with John Tortorella who Prospal coached Prospal in two separate stints with Tampa Bay.

NBA

– According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Heat G Dwyane Wade said in a recent interview, regarding his eventual free agency, “The plan has always been to stay with the Heat, and that’s still the plan.” The Heat can offer Wade about $30M more than any other team. He also said, “I want to be one of those players that stays with one franchise for his entire career.” Great news for Heat fans, but anything can happen once the 2010 free agent frenzy gets underway. Stay tuned.

– The Timberwolves are reportedly still tyring to facilitate G Ricky Rubio’s buyout, and Rubio has $600K in endorsements lined up if he plays for Minnesota next season. According to the Pioneer Press, Rubio’s $6.6M buyout is “expected to be negotiated down” to about $3.3M, which he would be able to repay over several years. This is some of the most promising information that’s surfaced in some time, giving renewed hope that we’ll see Rubio in a ‘Wolves uni next season.

NFL

– In an interview with 60 Minutes, Eagles QB Michael Vick said he cried in prison because of the guilt he felt about being involved in dogfighting, and was disgusted with himself for allowing it to happen. Vick said the day he walked into prison he realized “the magnitude of the decisions that I made. And, you know, it’s no way of, you know, explaining, you know, the hurt and the guilt that I felt. And that was the reason I cried so many nights. And that put it all into perspective.” Crybaby…

MLB

– Mets 3B David Wright (concussion) was released from the hospital and put on the DL Sunday, one day after he was hit square on the helmet by a 94 mph fastball from Giants RHP Matt Cain. Depending on how further tests come out, Wright could be out the remainder of the season.  Wright was examined by a neurologist Saturday night and again Sunday morning before being sent home. Wright still had a headache and was experiencing “post-concussion symptoms”. Wright tried to talk GM Omar Minaya into letting him try and play, but the Mets finally decided to be correctly cautious and sit him down, as they’ve been hit with a rash of injuries. While Wright could potentially miss the rest of the season, Minaya stressed that the move for now is for the minimum 15 days, and after rest and recuperation, Wright will be reevaluated. Don’t be surprised if the Mets hold him out until next season, as they’re a ways-away from the NL East lead.

– During the 10-3 defeat at the hands of the Mariners, Yankees legendary SS Derek Jeter went 3-for-4 with an RBI to pass Luis Aparicio for the most hits all-time for a shortstop (2,675). “It was kind of hard to believe. That’s why I was surprised when (a writer) told me yesterday. I just try to be consistent year in and year out, and I think if you’re consistent, then good things happen. It’s kind of hard to believe to say the least. I think I have a few more hits left in me. Hopefully, I have a few more years left playing shortstop.”

– The Rangers have placed C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (arm) on the 15-day DL.

– The Pirates have placed RHP Jose Ascanio (shoulder tendinitis) on the 15-day DL.

NHL

– The Captain is back with the New York Rangers. F Mark Messier, who in 1994 led the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup title in 54 years, is returning to the club as a special assistant to GM Glen Sather, the club said Sunday. Messier, a six-time Cup champion as a player, has expressed interest in recent years about his desire to eventually run a team as GM. This could be the first step in the process that might lead Messier replacing Sather when the current GM’s tenure with the Rangers is over.

WWE

– Jim Ross has updated his blog on www.jrsbarbq.com. The highlights:

Kurt Angle’s arrest: “I hope that he can recover from this matter and regroup. If regrouping requires Kurt to leave pro wrestling and moving to other endeavors such as acting full-time then so be it. Perhaps the former Olympic Gold Medal winning Freestyle Wrestler in the ’96 Games in Atlanta puts too much physical pressure on himself in an athletic setting and may be more relaxed and happier if movies were his focus is not being a ‘jock.’”

Regarding the Raw guest hosts: “More suggestions for Raw Guest Host ops: Gene Simmons, Dog the Bounty Hunter along with Dog’s wife Beth, Jane Velez-Mitchell on a couple of double espresso’s, no one named “Jackson,” (on second thought, Jesse Jackson might be intriguing especially when he did the obligatory opening show promo), Larry King who could orchestrate a Divas in Suspenders bout, and Memphis Mayoral Candidate Jerry Lawler which is merely a cheap plug on this site for any one who may live in Memphis who I hope votes for Jerry for Mayor. I can assure you that Lawler running for Mayor is NOT a publicity stunt. My old broadcast partner is deal serious. Funny, too, as we rarely talked politics when we traveled together as we both dislike professional politicos who like to hide behind the “public servant” moniker.”

On Michael Vick returning to the NFL: “Yes, I do agree that Michael Vick has earned a second chance. It’s now up to Vick to make the most of his opportunity to play football for a living. It comes down to making sound, personal decisions and not hanging with bottom feeders and people with dubious character. Vick needs to surround himself with people like Tony Dungy, allow his Faith to evolve, and put God and Family first. The Good Lord blessed Vick with amazing gifts of which Michael Vick should count his blessings every day…just like the rest of us.”

– There were some Internet reports online saying Nick Dinsmore, a.k.a. Eugene, would be heading to Tampa to work as trainer in developmental despite his release from the company this past Friday. However, The Sun has confirmed that Dinsmore was fully released from his WWE contract.

TNA

– Bobby Lashley is set to make his in-ring debut on September 20 at No Surrender.