Rangers Flip Kevin Millwood Into 3 Players

Tom Hicks, the owner of the Texas Rangers, is having money trouble. That has caused the Rangers to get inventive when it comes to filling out the roster. GM Jon Daniels did just that — flipping Kevin Millwood into three players.

First Daniels traded Millwood to the Baltimore Orioles for Chris Ray. After saving money on that deal, the Rangers turned around and signed Rich Harden and traded for Mike Lowell of the Boston Red Sox.

The biggest name in that trio is Harden. He’s a Source: Knuckle Curve RSS Feed

EPL TV Ratings On ESPN2: Aug 15 to Dec 5, 2009

Maybe it was the World Cup Draw bounce or a nice lift from the previous weekend’s Manchester United game, but the Nielsen Ratings for last weekend’s match between Portsmouth and Burnley, far from being two popular teams in America, achieved the sixth highest rating of the 2009-2010 Premier League season thus far.

The broadcast generated a 0.2 rating and was watched by an estimated 278,078 viewers in the United States. Take a look to see how well the ratings are compared to the restSource: EPL Talk RSS Feed

Twitter rumors on Damon..

I've taken some complaints over the years for posting stuff from questionable places, but the format of this blog has always been to pass along pertinent information I come across, about the Mets with my own opinion/editorial. I claim to have no sources for inside information, nor am I attempting to gain credibility as a news source. This is simply one fan passing along and expressing himself to others, it's up to you, the reader to decide the merit of something I pass along. I'm startingSource: Mets Fever RSS Feed

Sharks acquire defenseman Jay Leach on waivers from Montreal Canadiens

SHARKS ACQUIRE DEFENSEMAN JAY LEACH ON WAIVERS FROM MONTREAL
The San Jose Sharks acquired defenseman Jay Leach today on waivers from Montreal. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound blueliner registered 5 PIMs in 7 games played for the Canadiens this season, and 3 assists and 10 PIMS in 12 games played for the AHL Lowell Devils. "Jay adds depth to our organization's defensive core, and we are pleased that we were able to acquire him," general manager Doug Wilson said of the addition.
The Source: Sharkspage RSS Feed

West Auckland F.C., The First World Champions!

As it’s World Cup draw week, I thought I’d share one of my favourite football stories with you, about the first ever World Cup, though it was only for domestic sides at the time.I heard this story for the first time when I was nine, due to it being made in to a television drama in 1981, called a Captain’s Tale. It made a real impression on me, because it seemed so far fetched, yet was true and here’s how it happened.

After the success of the first Olympic football tournament atSource: EPL Talk RSS Feed

Kevin Love’s Girlfriend is a UCLA Cheerleader?

Kevin Love, apparently, has been going out with this UCLA “spirit squad” member (that means cheerleader, right?) for over a year now. Over the holiday weekend, Gary Parrish of CBS Sports was in SoCal for the 76 Classic and tweeted that he was told Love was dating her. Love has good taste - Elise has already been profiled by SI.com as “cheerleader of the week.” She’s still a Bruin, majoring in Economics. Very impressive. Which Minnesota Timberwolf has a more fetching girlfriend,Source: The Big Lead RSS Feed

Tommie Harris Apologizes To Team, Right Hand

Vaughn McClure of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE has Tommie Harris’ inevitable shaming in the aftermath of his decision to punch Cardinals guard Deuce Lutui helmet head yesterday.

(Harris knew just where Lutui’s weakness was: His hard plastic shell)

Harris: “Yes, I felt like I hurt my team. I just want to apologize to my fans, first off (and) the little kids out there that saw that action, that I behaved in that manner. I apologize to my teammates. … I’ll make up for it.”

Source: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

Blatant N’Gog Dive Rescues Liverpool, Angers Birmingham

Another day, another dive. With a stilted Liverpool trailing a frisky Birmingham City at Anfield late, David N’Gog (pronounced like “own goal”) sensationally split two defenders while charging in from the left. N’Gog then almost blew past Lee Carsley, but Carsley slid towards him, grazing the ball while managing to avoid any contact. N’Gog leapt, then dived harder than Greg Louganis. Referee Peter Walton pointed to the spot. Moments later Steven Gerrard slotted home to the left,Source: EPL Talk RSS Feed

Yanks Take 2-1 Series Lead, Turn to CC on Short Rest

Thanks in part to some lazy Yankee defense early on in Game 3 of the World Series, all signs pointed to a messy blowout and an early exit for Andy Pettitte, who threw 40 pitches in the first two innings.

But Andy settled down nicely while the Yankee bats, including his own (!), finally busted open, scoring runs in five consecutive innings after being shut out for the first three. Seemed like the moment one thing went wrong, Cole Hamels was toast. 

Game 3 also treated us toSource: The Big Lead RSS Feed

My First Impression Of Man United’s Gabriel Obertan

Saturday’s snoozy session between Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers turned Old Trafford into a literal Theatre of Dreams. Even the linesman sailed off to the Land of Nod, for what other excuse could there be for deeming Rovers sub Nikola Kalinic offside when he banged in Edwin Van der Sar’s deflection off a Benni McCarthy strike for a goal?

While Rovers were wronged, United dominated this game. Big Sam thought small as he chose to have his charges play negative footballSource: EPL Talk RSS Feed

Burnett Lights Up The Phils In Game 2

Jayson Werth should really do something about that squirrel hanging out on his chin. Just a thought. The New York Yankees’ bats finally woke up for Game 2 of the World Series Thursday night with a 3-1 win over the reigning world champion Philadelphia Phillies.
Continue reading this story at Sports Untapped.

Source: Babes Love Baseball RSS Feed

Pushing False Bucs Rumors? That’s A Suspendin’

Briefly yesterday, the sports world was aflitter and atwitter, abuzz and agog at the word coming from Tampa that the Buccaneers’ owners, still reeling from the Bernie Madoff scheme, were going to have to sell the team before next season. The rumor seems to have originated from former Buc Dan Sileo on WDAE 620 AM, though according to JOE BUCS FAN, it quickly spread to other relevant media organizations.

(Uh oh, Jasper’s here. And he’s got his paddle. Guys, that’s not aSource: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

The Roundup

Good morning everyone. Yesterday was quite a day. It was such a day that I’m just now starting today. Please keep it down. Absolutely no yelling will be tolerated. Did I just use that picture of Bar Refaeli the other day? Yes, yes I did. I fail to see a problem.

The new Yankee stadium is already falling apart. /laughs out loud (NY Times)

A group of teenage girls spent a year stealing from celebrities. Pretty interesting stuff. (NY Post)

It’s the consensus that ShogunSource: The Big Lead RSS Feed

More Glorious Twitter Fail: UCLA’s Randall Carroll

You know it’s a significant Twitter misstep when the sender not only deletes the tweet, but takes down his entire Twitter page. That’s what UCLA freshman receiver Randall Carroll has done following his ill-advised tweet to a pal concerning Bruins offensive coordinator Norm Chow.

Carroll, (Twitter name OCiAM), sent a tweet to La Cañada St. Francis High running back/safety Dietrich Riley, dated Oct. 22, that included a racial epithet to describe Chow, who is of Chinese descent:Source: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

Steve Phillips’ Affair Ends Like You Think It Would

If we were to tell you that Steve Phillips had an affair with a 22-year-old production assistant, how do you suppose that situation would play itself out? It couldn’t possibly end discreetly and amicably with nobody in his family the wiser, right?

(Weird, we figured her Facebook profile would be a boiled rabbit.)

No, in a surprise to absolutely nobody, Phillips’ affair has blown up in his face in a failure every bit as epic as his career as Mets’ GM. The NEW YORKSource: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

Yankees Pound Angels, Take 3-1 Lead

A day after the Los Angeles Angels were able to climb out of an early hole, the New York Yankees put Game 4 of the ALCS away for good. After building a 5-0 lead after five innings, the Yankees went on to win by a final count of 10-1.

The two biggest stars for the Yankees were Alex Rodriguez and C.C. Sabathia. Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBIs and a walk. His big hit came in the form of a two-run homer in the fifth inning.

Sabathia, pitching on short rest, wasSource: Knuckle Curve RSS Feed

Today’s Football Guru Searching For Answers In The Digital Abyss

“Who pays the players when they’re on international duty?” asks Doug.

Here in the football wilderness that is the states, I find more and more of my friends, neighbors and coworkers growing curious about the beautiful game. The “football-curious” we’ll call them. And since they know me as somebody who’s fanatical about the sport, they inevitably come to me when they have questions. (If they looked a little harder I’m sure they could find somebody with deeper knowledgeSource: EPL Talk RSS Feed

Why NBA Owner Jay-Z Escaped Rush Judgement

Thanks to a rebuke of Rush Limbaugh by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Colts Owner Jim Irsay this week, the talk radio host was dropped from a group bidding to buy the Rams today. Cited as basis for the rebuke was Limbaugh’s past “divisive” comments. Though the subject of those “divisive” comments went unclarified by Goodell. Though Limbaugh as a racist was the operative translation.

(Rush vanquished by NFL Owners as Jay-Z welcomed by NBA Owners)

Now thatSource: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

Dibble : Every Bit As Accomplished A Fashion Designer As He Is A Baseball Anaylst

For only $75 ($95 autographed!) you can own the above jersey, as peddled by former reliever/current Nationals broadcaster Rob Dibble.  “You are the real-life Kenny Powers, aren’t you?” tweets an astonished Jamie Mottram, though I don’t think that’s a very fair statement.  KFuckingP is usually funny.

Source: Can't Stop the Bleeding RSS Feed

Why Glazer’s Shanahan-To-’Skins Piece Deleted?

Last night Jay Glazer posted a piece on the Foxsports.com website that trumpeted the distinct possibility that Mike Shanahan would take over as Redskins coach “as early as this season.“

(Full text of piece at the bottom of this post)

That piece was later deleted from the Foxsports.com website, but remains in Google’s cache - for now.

You can also still search it on Google News, but when you click on the story, you get a “page not found” message.

As notedSource: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

Stros not happy with Berkman...

We don't see enough of the Astros to know just how bad Lance Berkman is in the field, we lived with Delgado's ole style because of his power bat, could we do the same with Berkman's.
According to the Houston Chronicle some officials in the Astros organization are unhappy with both his defense and offense.
The 33 y/o switch hitter has a lifetime BA of .299 while averaging 35 HRs and 115 RBIs per season. This year he's hitting .274 with 25 HRs and 80 RBIs, that type of productionSource: Mets Fever RSS Feed

Lucas Leiva: Good Enough for Liverpool?

If you believe Liverpool manager Raphael Benitez there are few midfielders more suited for the Premier League than Lucas Leiva. After all, Benitez has spent much of his 2009-2010 campaign lobbying on behalf of the twenty-two year old Brazilian. Benitez praises Levia’s work rate and dedication to the team, all the while ignoring his glaring deficiencies. Liverpool supporters from Merseyside to Mumbai have been lamenting Leiva’s inclusion in Benitez’s first team since the departure ofSource: EPL Talk RSS Feed

The Roundup: Photographic Evidence of Blown Calls in Denver and South Bend; Refs Apologize to Georgia

Mariah Carey, anyone? … cocaine flying out of someone’s rear end …slideshow of really bad tattoos … pretty bad first date … this lost dog story is pretty radical … wow, talk about crooked cops … when the ex-husband comes looking for his ex-wife, it is dangerous to be sleeping next to her … another gigantic dead whale … a mid-air fight between pilots and crew … “Slow chicken order leads to assault arrest” and she cried in the mugshot … there’s fresh, fun newSource: The Big Lead RSS Feed

Mark Becker To Stand Trial In Ed Thomas Slaying

We’re not sure if there’s any such thing as “good news” when a murder trial starts going forward - after all, one man’s dead, and another is looking at life without parole - but such is the nature of justice and punishment, both of which are sorely needed in Parkersburg, Iowa.

That’s where, earlier this summer, venerated head coach and community leader Ed Thomas was allegedly gunned down by a troubled ex-player, Mark Becker. Despite the relatively easy identification andSource: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

L.A. Douses Adenhart Jersey In Celebratory Booze

It was a foregone conclusion for most of the month, but the Angels finally wrapped up their third straight AL West title last night, wiping out division contender Texas with a 11-0 shutout. It was a bittersweet moment for a team who have quietly established a near-stranglehold on the division, but who still misses a fellow player taken from them just six months ago.

After their win but before the media showed up, manager Mike Scioscia addressed his team and reminded them - though they Source: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

‘One pitch’ lands Mo on the cover of SI

As part of a Tom Verducci package on Mariano Rivera and his Cutter of Doom, Number 42 finds himself atop Sports Illustrated this week. Here’s what the press release from the sports weekly had to say:

This week’s October 5, 2009, issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands Wednesday, features Yankees’ closer Mariano Rivera with the billing One Man, One Pitch: The One and Only Mariano Rivera. As the gates swing open upon another MLB postseason, baseball will once again attempt toSource: River Avenue Blues RSS Feed

Shocker: BCS Teams Face Lighter NCAA Sanctions

If one were to craft a hierarchy of perceived importance to college sports, in terms of its divisions, one would think that the order would go like this: 1) BCS schools, 2) non-BCS I-A schools, 3) I-AA schools, 4) HBCUs. That’s to say absolutely nothing about the quality of said institutions, just how much they matter to big-money athletics.

(”And it appears to me that the littlest children have been the naughtiest…”)

Based on a report just released by MichaelSource: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

Tom Brady Sued Over Shooty Costa Rica Wedding

You may recall the Tom Brady-Gisele Bundchen wedding, v 2.0, this past April which featured an open bar, monkeys and intermittent gunplay. Two members of the paparazzi who hid in the jungle taking photos on the sly said that security guards hired by Brady tried to muscle them for their cameras, and then shot at them when they ran for it.

The photographers, Yuri Cortez and Carlos Avi, have filed a $1 million lawsuit against Brady and his bride over the incident. The claim that BradySource: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

Herschel Walker To MMA: NOT PUBLICITY STUNT

Remember that it was just a month ago or so that Strikeforce stunned the world of MMA by landing the services of Fedor Emelianenko, whose name I almost spelled correctly on my first try. Fedor is generally considered the last, best contender to Brock Lesnar, who’s currently chewing up UFC and spitting it out. That Emelianenko opted for Strikeforce and the EA MMA game instead was, to say the least, a shock.

(He’d rather have been beating these people’s faces in. Not Source: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

Justine Henin to Reportedly Announce Tennis Return on Tuesday

Former world number one Justine Henin will reportedly end her retirement and announce a comeback to professional tennis on Tuesday, says two prominent Belgian media publications.

Henin retired from the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour on May 14, 2008, ending a distinguished career that included seven major titles.

According to the Associated Press, Belgium’s La Derniere Heure and Le Soir have reported the news of Henin’s imminent return.

Source: On the Baseline Tennis News RSS Feed

MMA Fans: Cowlishaw Thinks Your Sport Is “Gay”

Few professions allow, nay - encourage, their practitioners to be so constantly and egregiously wrong as that of Mainstream Sports Columnist. Their entire careers are predicated on comforting their fellow old white men’s opinions that all change is bad, the NBA is full of “thugs,” and baseball statistics are the worst thing to happen in sports, ever.

(Would you call either of these men gay to their face?) 

Such professional contrarianism has Source: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

Ichiro stuns Mo as Yanks fall 3-2

Only Ichiro Suzuki would swing at a pitch four inches inside and hit a home run.

The Yankees entered the 7th inning of their Friday evening affair with the Mariners clinging to a 2-1 lead. Nick Swisher led off the inning with a bloop double down the left field line. While Robinson Cano struck out, Melky Cabrera took a wild pitch for ball four. The Yanks had runners on the corners and one out. They were set to pick up a big insurance run. There was but oneSource: River Avenue Blues RSS Feed

Open Forum Friday: Will Kim Clijsters Be One of the Top Players to Beat in 2010?

Kim Clijsters signaled her return to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour with a spectacular run to the women’s title at the first Grand Slam of her comeback.

Does Clijsters have what it takes to be one of the players to beat in 2010? Tell us your opinion in this week’s edition of Open Forum Friday!

Kim’s title run in Flushing Meadows included two big wins over Venus and Serena Williams, but can she keep up the momentum and return to her formerSource: On the Baseline Tennis News RSS Feed

The Shocking, True Rise And Fall Of ‘Tim Treebow’

Save Tim Treebow! Can we do any less? The Ballyhoo Grill in Gainesville has what I consider one of the great landmarks in all of America, or had, until the NCAA and its band of merry attorneys stepped in.

Above is the chainsaw sculpture of a dead oak tree in front of the Ballyhoo — painted and dubbed “Tim Treebow” by the owner — which has drawn wide acclaim, including a mention in GQ MAGAZINE. But the Ballyhoo recently received a “Cease and desist”Source: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed

Brian Urlacher’s Text Message: “Season is Over”

Brian Urlacher: He gloomily texted a Chicago Tribune sportswriter “season is over.” That’s a real bummer for the Bears middle linebacker, who, according to Peter King, was poised for a return to greatness this season. What a horrible morning to be a Chicago sports fan. Jay Cutler’s first game was a major bust, and now your defensive leader is done for the year. The defending Super Bowl champs visit the Windy City next week. How does 0-2 sound? And then Chicago has to travel toSource: The Big Lead RSS Feed

If the price is right..

Last week there was a shareholder meeting at the offices of Aris BC and it was decided that if the price is right, then Kostas Papanikolaou(2.01-SF) will be sold to the highest bidder. It so happens that this bidder is Olympiakos, that are trying to win the bad impression they made on their fans by letting Giorgos Printezis(2.05-PF) leave the team.
On the other hand Aris are selling Papanikolaou with the pretense that they cannot afford the contracts that they have signed already.Source: The Hoop RSS Feed

Riggins To Clinton Portis: ‘Quit Being A Crybaby’

It’s only a handful of hours until the big Redskins-Giants opener, and the war of words IS ON. There’s, um, no Giants involved in this one, though. It’s between a Redskin and a former Redskin. Odd.

The feud between Clinton Portis and John Riggins continues, and all we can do is sit back and enjoy the show. Personally I think that this would be better if Portis dressed up in one of his signature wacky costumes, and Riggins went back to his mohawk. But

Match Notes: Stoke 1:2 Chelsea

Delap: Stoke City's Wild Card

Stoke City vs Chelsea FC at the Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, 3pm local time. Conditions: pitch good, weather fine.

Line-ups

Chelsea: Cech, A Cole, Terry, Ivanovic, Bosingwa, Ballack, Malouda, Kalou, Mikel, Lampard, Drogba

Stoke City: Sorenson (Simonsen), Faye, Collins, Huth, Higginbotham, Delap, Shawcross, Etherington, Whelan, Kitson (Tuncay), Beattie (Fuller)

1st Half