BASKETBALL

In the NBA, the Boston Celtics secured one of their key reserves that could play a big role in another championship run.  They inked Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis to a two-year extension worth $6 million dollars.  In just his second year out of LSU, Big Baby contributed to the Celtics in a major way, especially in the playoffs.  They lost Kevin Garnett for the post-season, he stepped in, and was essential in their first round grueling win over Chicago.  He even hit a game winning basket in Game 4 of the Orlando Series.  Many thought he would be heading to another team, but Bean Town thinks of him highly, so he will be around for at least two more years.  Primarily, he’s an insurance option for the aging Ganett and newly acquired Rasheed Wallace.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, some scary news for Carolina Panther fans.  It appears that superstar wide receiver Steve Smith has injured his shoulder.  It happened in practice, and Smith needed to be carted off to the locker room.  It’s undetermined how much time he will miss, but the coaching staff said it was a tragic sight for the franchise to see such an incredible player wincing in pain.  He may be absent for the first few games of the season.  At the same time, this gives one of their upcoming receivers, Dwayne Jarrett (the former USC standout), a chance to show what he’s got.

Elsewhere in the NFL, an update on the Michael Vick saga.  As of now, Vick doesn’t have a team, and the media has made it seem like no team will touch him.  Well, he has been mentored by former head coach (and Super Bowl champ) Tony Dungy, and Dungy said that “quite a few” coaches have contacted him about Vick.  Dungy isn’t exactly the man to lie or drum up hype.  He’s got a reputation for being pretty sincere, which means that there is hope for Vick to play in the NFL season.  We’ll keep you posted.

BASEBALL

Over the weekend, there was quite an achievement in baseball.  Going into a four-game series against the Red Sox, the Yankees were 0-8 versus Boston this season.  And yesterday, they turned that around in a big way.  The game was neck and neck the whole way, until New York’s Mark Teixeria blasted a home run shot in the 8th inning to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.  And later that inning, Nick Swisher hit a nice shot to center to bring in two more runs.  And that’s all she wrote, as THE YANKEES SWEEP THE FOUR GAME SERIES AGAINST BOSTON.  With this win, the Yankees increase their lead to 6 games over the Red Sox for the AL East lead.

GOLF

In golf, Tiger Woods is simply on-fire…AGAIN.  He just won a major tournament, and yesterday… he won another one.  He took the Bridgestone Invitational Tournament by four strokes.  And on the Par 5 16th hole, Tiger had a beautiful shot to secure his victory.  With an 8-iron, hitting from 178 feet away, he put the ball right next to the hole for a birdie.  Meanwhile, his primary competitor completely choked down the stretch, even chipping a shot into the water.  Tiger is truly dominant right now.  Keep watching whenever you get the chance.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves have finally named their new head coach.  And it is… former Laker player (and coach), Kurt Rambis. People might remember him for being the guy with the funny glasses and a mustache in the 80s.  Yes, he looked very silly.

Hard to imagine how anybody played like that.  The Wolves should have a Kurt Rambis night, where the whole team has to wear those glasses. Anyway, this could be great for the T-Wolves, because Rambis has been mentored by Phil Jackson over the last few seasons in Los Angeles.  Minnesota fans can be sure that Rambis has a tight grasp on both basketball strategy and team chemistry after studying under Jackson… The Zen Master.

FOOTBALL

And finally, the NFL had its first pre-season game yesterday, as the Tennessee Titans took on the Buffalo Bills.  Everyone expected Terrell Owens to show his stuff with the Bills, but he was completely overshadowed by a highly confident Kerry Collins (the Titans super-veteran QB).  Collins had a magnificent season last year, and has been given the keys this season as well.  However, he has Vince Young breathing down his neck for playing time.  So seeing Collins out there looking sharp could instill confidence in Titans fans.

BASEBALL

In baseball, the New York Yankees were 0-8 vs. the Boston Red Sox this year.  And they were looking to finally get that first win last night.  The Red Sox jumped out to an early lead with a Casey Kotchman home run in the 3rd inning to put the Sox up 3-1.  However, then the Yankees completely turned it around, and rocked Red Sox pitcher John Smoltz.  Jorge Posada had a nice game for the Yanks, going 3-4, and crushing a 2-run homer.  Finally, this year’s hex was broken, as the Yankees smashed the Red Sox.  NY Yankees 13, Boston 6.

BASKETBALL

The Atlanta Hawks are making some moves that show they want to win next season.  They had to worry about free agent Marvin Williams re-signing with the team or fleeing, and they decided to just give him the cash over the next 5 years. Williams was a hot rookie selection a few years ago, coming out as a freshman who played as a 6th man for UNC.  However, he has turned into more of a role player than a superstar.  And he was picked ahead of rookie of the year, Brandon Roy.  Keeping Williams is a good move for the Hawks, and shows their fan base they care about stability and winning, but they need a few more pieces if they want to compete in the talent-stocked east.

Speaking of Brandon Roy, he also signed a lucrative 5-year contract extension with Portland, that allows him to spend the prime of his career in his native Northwest (he’s a Seattle native).  In the NBA, this is a big deal, as quality players rarely stay on one team their whole career.  Free agency is too alluring, and players want to play either for contenders, or be a superstar on their own team.  Well, Roy has decided to stick around, and the Blazers are definitely a team on the rise.  But, can they finally make the leap to definite contender this year?  They have all the necessary pieces in place.

HOCKEY

And finally, after 20 incredible seasons in the NHL, Jeremy Roenick is finally calling it quits.  He rose to prominence in the early to mid 90s with the Chicago Blackhawks, and then went on to play for a total of five teams in his memorable career.  He was a staple of the hockey all-star world.  In a sport that’s getting increasingly more violent, it’s amazing that any player has a career over 10 years, yet alone 20 full seasons.  In Roenick, the game loses an Iron Man legend.

BASEBALL

Some great news for Philly fans.  Philadelphia has been preparing themselves for the post-season over the past couple weeks by building a dominant pitching staff.   They have last year’s ace, Cole Hamels, and they just added ’08 AL Cy Young Award Winner Cliff Lee to the mix before the trade deadline.  Well, let’s not forget that they also have the legend, Pedro Martinez.  Martinez joined the Phillies injured, so they sent him to the minors for rehab.  Yesterday, he pitched some minor league ball, and struck out nine of his first 12 outs, finishing the evening with 11 strikeouts total.  Sure, it’s the minor league, but with him in the pitching rotation, the Phillies are ultra-dangerous come the post season.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, it seems that the Giants have officially found a franchise quarterback for the next decade.  In his first few season, fans were highly critical of Eli Manning. He threw for a lot of interceptions, and was extremely shaky on the road.  Then… he beat the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.  And the following season, he led the Giants to the best record in the NFC.  Yeah, he’s for real.  Well, the Giants thought so too, inking him to a $97.5 million deal over the next 6 years.  That’s roughly $15.3 million per year.  Congrats, Eli, you’re one of the highest paid players in the NFL.

In some other notable football news, the Arena Football League, after 22-years, appears to be going out of business.  For those that don’t know, the AFL was a summer league targeted at people who just couldn’t get enough football.  It was also played indoors, and on a shorter field, to ensure a lot of points were scored.  It was also a minor league system of sorts for undrafted rookies and aging veterans.  Kurt Warner began his career there before moving on to a storied career in the NFL.  Well, the economy has hit this league hard, as two teams went out of business last season, and ticket sales are down across the board.  Sure, it might come back, but for now, so long to a noble experiment.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, a little update on the Michael Vick situation.  While Vick is still team-less, he has hope.  A number have teams have officially said ‘No’ (the Redskins said it publicly), but yesterday got a public statement that could keep him optimistic.  Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson said, in regards to Vick, that “he wouldn’t rule anything out”.  What does this mean exactly?  Well, no one really knows.  Some think he did it just to stir up to controversy.  However, the Packers could use Vick.  He’d make a serviceable 3rd string quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers and Brian Brohm, and could be used in trick plays.  Who knows, maybe they will take a gamble on him.

Elsewhere in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs signed a reliable veteran receiver to help out their new franchise quarterback, Matt Cassell.  They inked former New York Giant Amani Toomer, a guy who can get things done when you least expect.  Every year, the Giants wanted to write Toomer off as being done, but he always seemed to be there for a key 3rd down catch, or even a touchdown.  After 13 years, Toomer said retirement is not an option, and will continue his heroic career with the Chiefs.

Also, a bit of funny news from the football world.  On Twitter, San Diego Chargers defensive back, Antonio Cromartie, wrote that he wondered if all the “nasty food” at training camp has contributed to the Chargers NOT making the Super Bowl.  Well, Chargers management didn’t appreciate that.  Their head coach, Norv Turner, brought Cromartie into his office and told him he was being fined $2,500 for the incident.  Cromartie said he thought the fine was a little excessive, but also said he wouldn’t take back what he said.  Clearly, Cromartie is frustrated at the Chargers mere ‘above-average’ seasons, and lackluster playoff performances.  It’s time to show the world that they’re Super Bowl material.

BASKETBALL

The NBA officially announced its 2009-2010 schedule yesterday, and the opener will most assuredly be a doozy.  It’s the top 2 (projected) teams in the East going head to head:  The new look Cleveland Cavaliers, and the fully healthy Boston Celtics.  LeBron/Garnett.  And let’s not forget that Shaq is in the mix now.  And on Chrismas day, you can catch 5 games, with a marquee battle featuring the Cavs v. Lakers.  Kobe & LeBron on Xmas — mark your calendar.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, some bad news for former New York Giants wide-receiver Plaxico Burress. For those that don’t remember, Burress shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan night club last year.  He was ridiculed by the media, but more notably was arrested on weapons charges.  He was later released by the Giants, and yesterday had to stand in front of a Grand Jury and await judgment.  The ruling:  He was officially indicted of weapons charges, and, if convicted, Plax will face a minimum of 3.5 years in prison.

Is this harsh?  That’s the argument around the sports world.  On one hand, Burress did have a gun, and you shouldn’t carry around a gun in public.  On the other, he didn’t hurt anyone but himself, and should he lose 3.5 years of his life on top of that?  Many thought he was unstable at the time, and could have presented a much larger danger, and caused much more harm than just shooting himself in the thigh.  The larger issue here is that Burress had everything going for him before this.  He was making a ton of money, would have re-signed with the Giants for even more money, and wouldn’t have to worry about funds the rest of his life.  And then… he just threw it all away.  At the same time, Burress’ teammate, Antonio Pierce, who was with him on that night, was NOT indicted by the jury.

Elsewhere, some notable news in the college football world.  Yesterday, the defending champion Florida Gators made their head coach, Urban Meyer, a VERY rich man.  Meyer joined the $4 million dollar club (per year). A group reserved for coaches helming the country’s biggest college football powerhouses.  And more importantly, joining the ranks of those doing it well (Think USC’s Pete Carroll).  Meyer signed a six-year deal with the University of Florida for $24 million dollars.  Wow!  Then again, it IS deserved.  He did win two National Championships in four years.

Finally, a little bit of discouraging news out of the New York Jets training camp.  The Jets are all psyched up landing USC’s Mark Sanchez in the draft.  He’s supposed to be the savior, and give the Jets something to root for in the next decade.  That may well be true, but yesterday in camp, the Jets had a fight.  It came on a practice play, when running back Thomas Jones threw a punch at James Ihedigbo.  Other players came in to break up the fight, but when players are throwing punches in training camp, and having, what they called, “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots”, you may have a bit of a chemistry headache heading into the season. 

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, some news out of the Minnesota Vikings training camp.  Their first round draft pick, speedy Wide Receiver Percy Harvin from Florida, has finally signed with the team.  He was holding out, but not being lazy whatsoever.  In fact, he had been working out with his former teammate, Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow.  Harvin said he’s the closest thing there is to a pro quarterback, and he had been catching passes with him.  Now, the Vikings inked Harvin, and he will report to camp.  Harvin should have a major impact on the Vikings, as he will give them the downfield threat they need to draw attention away from their powerful running game.

With that said, the Vikings did receive some bad news as well.  Their current starting quarterback, Tavarias Jackson, sprained an MCL in his left knee.  Now, he will have to partake in some rehab before stepping back out onto the field.  This leaves the Vikings with the newly acquired Sage Rosenfels (from Houston) to take the helm.  However, many think that Rosenfels is only marginally better than Jackson, and that the Vikings really needed to land an experienced guy in Brett Favre to run this ship.  Now, since they are borderline desperate at the quarterback position, there is a strong chance they could give Michael Vick a call.  If he joined the team, the Vikings would become one of the most exciting teams of the season.

And one more humorous story out of the NFL, Tennessee Titans running back LenDale White dropped 30 pounds.  As anybody dieting knows, 30 pounds is a lot.  But White’s weight loss method was a bit surprising.  “I cut out alcohol”, he said.  White said he loved going out, partying, and drinking, and he noticed once he stopped sipping the alcohol, the weight came pouring off.  For example, White said he loves Patron Tequila.  Now, he ceases to touch the stuff, and all of a  sudden he feels lighter on his toes.  Kinda crazy.  White says he won’t even have a glass of wine with dinner.  So, if there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s layoff the tequila.  And all this time we were worried about eating too much bread.

GOLF

In golf, Tiger Woods is back on top.  With Tiger, it’s odd, if he’s not in the news for a few weeks, you kind of forget about him.  But then, all the sudden, he’s done something amazing and is back on top.  And this weekend, that’s exactly what happened.  Tiger Woods won his 3rd Buick Open Title.  And beyond this, he is now 36-1 when leading a tournament after 54 holes.  That’s amazing!  This means that he never loses a lead.  Other golfers will get ahead, and then choke the tournament away down the stretch to a competitor.  But once Tiger gets in the driver’s seat, he stays there.  This win is yet another breathtaking accomplishment in the storied career of Tiger Woods.