Friday Night Lights Friday

Separated at Birth:



Just a reminder for all of you FNL fans out there, tonight is another all new episode of Friday Night Lights at 9 PM/est on NBC. I have to say, hasn’t this season been the best to date? If you have no idea what I am talking about, well then click here to get in the know!

Friday Funnies

Ten Malaysian national hockey team members have been sent to rehab after tests showed they are smokers. Team manager George Koshy said the players will be sent to the National Sports Institute (NSI) where they will attend sessions that will hopefully help them to stop smoking.

"Not all of them are hard-core smokers. Some claimed that they had stopped smoking while a few others said they were cutting down the habit," said Koshy, without revealing who the culprits were.

"All the 10 players will have to undergo a special rehab programme to help them kick the habit."

Malaysian hockey officials and players were heavily criticized after failing to qualify for the Beijing Olympics and finishing last in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

What exactly are they smoking that they are being sent to rehab? If this were the Mets of the mid to late 1980s, smoking would seem like a win compared to the massive amounts of cocaine many of the team members were ingesting.
(Photo: Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images; source)

Popemobile 2.0?

George Steinbrenner visited the Yankees training facility this week in this dazzling golf cart. The way Brian Cashman and Mariano Rivera are greeting him, you’d think it was the Pope.
(Photo: Reuters)

sugar cravings

Baseball: How much does winning a Cy Young Award cost? Apparently only $650,000 if you're Tim Lincecum...Honestly, why would you want to be a Scott Boras client? When you are not having your money frozen by the government, you're turning down a two year, $45 million offer by the Dodgers. Tell me this Manny, what other team that actually has money to spend wants you on their team?...It's the A's or bust for Nomar Garciaparra...Milton Bradley had his spring training debut with the Cubs cut short thanks to mild tightness in his left quadriceps...A $410 million spending bill pending in congress has ear marked $3.8 million to help redevelop the remaining section of the old Tiger Stadium. And yet for only $1 you can buy a house there. Something seems out of whack.

(Photo: AP)

Basketball: For the first time in his career, LeBron James failed to record an assist as the Cavs fell to the Rockets, 93-74...The Lakers pounded the Suns, 132-106...Celtics guard Gabe Pruitt is sorry for the DUI he received following Boston's loss to the Clippers Wednesday night...The Bulls suffered two major losses as former player Norm Van Lier and former coach Johnny "Red" Kerr both passed away on Thursday.

College Basketball: With their 71-60 victory over UAB, Memphis clinched the Conference USA title...Washington is keeping pace in the Pac-10 after edging Arizona State, 73-70 in OT...DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris combined for 56 points as Michigan beat Purdue, 87-78.

Football: Albert Haynesworth is a very very very wealthy man...And DeAngelo Hall is too. Looks like the Redskins are the shelter from the economic depression we're all dealing with...There are some unconfirmed rumors that Fred Taylor will sign with Patriots sometime on Friday...Officials are allowing Michael Vick to serve his final two months of his sentence under home confienment...Los Angeles must be very confident that they'll be able to lure an NFL team to their city. Otherwise the approval of an $800 million NFL-ready stadium will look very stupid.

Hockey: Fire Glen Sather chants rained down on the ice as the Rangers dropped another one. After holding a 1-0 lead for much of the game, the Panthers scored twice in the third period for a 2-1 victory...Marty Brodeur showed no signs of rust as the Devils blanked the Avs, 4-0...Mike Green scored his 23rd goal of the season as the Caps topped hte Thrashers, 4-3...The Bruins routed the Ducks, 6-0...The Penguins sent defenseman Ryan Whitney to the Ducks for forward Chris Kunitz and a prospect...Meanwhile the Canadiens sent winger Steve Begin to the Stars for defenseman Doug Janik.

Nascar: Matt Kenseth is looking for his third win a row at Las Vegas this weekend.

Best of the Rest: It wasn't quite the storybook ending people were hoping for following Tiger Woods's second round ousting at the Accenture Match Play Championship...The Dakar Rally will return to Argentina and Chile in 2010. The race was moved to the South American location from its usual African stage due to terrorist threats.

Check this out: Congratulations go out to New England QB Tom Brady and his lady love Gisele as the crazy couple reportedly tied the knot on Thursday. Is it me, or is a bit weird when ESPN.com has news of their marriage on the front page under news of big NFL free agent signs and NBA scores? US Weekly has a gallery of pictures of the couple to mark the occasion.

So What?

Baseball: The Dodgers have made an interesting two year offer to Manny Ramirez...Alex Rodriguez hit a homerun in his first spring training game and then promptly got into a car driven by his cousin, yes that cousin. Does A-Rod have that big a craving for attention?...The Indians christened their new spring training home with a 10-7 loss to the Giants...On the same day Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis' season came to an official close, the Twins relieved RHP Boof Bonser will miss the season after arthroscopic surgery revealed partial tears in his labrum and rotator cuff...Jim Bowden may still have a job with the Nats, but special assistant Jose Rijo does not.

Basketball: The Clippers edged the Celtics, 93-91...In Tim Duncan's absence, Tony Parker picked up the slack, knocking down 39 points as the Spurs rolled past the Blazers, 99-84...Devin Harris followed up his game winning performance on Monday with 42 points in the Nets 111-99 victory over the Bulls.

College Basketball: Duke took down Maryland, 78-67...While Virginia Tech upset Clemson, 80-77...Jim Calhoun picked up his 800th career victory as the Huskies bested Marquette, 93-82.
Football: Brandon Jacobs and the Giants have agreed to a four year, $25 million contract...The Dolphins have reached a deal with free agent Gibril Wilson...Sources reveiled the Jets have parted ways with receiver Laveranues Coles.



Hockey: The Rangers fell to the Maples 2-1 in a shoot-out in John Tortorella's debut. Well at least Markus Naslund got himself into his first fight in 16 years...The Wings dominated the Sharks, 4-1...Petr Sykora's goal late in the third period was the difference maker in the Penguins 1-0 win over the Islanders. Sidney Crosby missed the game with a groin injury...Martin Biron registered his 25th career shutout as the Flyers blanked the Kings, 2-0...Marty is expected back in goal for the Devils on Thursday.
(Photo: Reuters)


Nascar: AJ Allmendinger got off to a great start, coming in third at Daytona, but without sponsorship, his ride may literally come to hault.

Best of the Rest: Travis Tollett is hoping to make history becoming the first quadriplegic to compete in the annual "Race to the Clouds" at Pikes Peak International Hill in July.

Check this out: If you do your homework, it turns out you can eat for free all day long. Click here to see the plan in action.

Hump Day Hair

In another edition of FANtastic hair, this Oilers fan is giving us something to cheer about and it’s blue, white and spiky!
(Photo: AP)

It’s not all rosy in the NFL

Everyone always talks about how the NFL is the model for modern sports leagues. About the TV ratings and revenue, the near sell-out attendance, how it is the number 1 sport in America. Well even the number 1 sport is not immune to the economy. As announced on December 9, 2008, the League has reduced its staff by 15 percent but that wasn’t enough for Roger Goodell. The no-nonsense commissioner has voluntarily decided to take a 20% pay cut from his $11 million salary and bonuses from last year. Furthermore, he and a number of league executives have frozen their salaries for 2009. A worthy move for a commissioner I have grown to embrace - who doesn’t love a guy who decides that players that act like five year olds should be reprimanded as such - but I don’t know if it will make the recently unemployed feel better.
(Photo: David Duprey/Associated Press; source)

Li’L Wayne supports D-Wade’s Band Aid Craze

I will be the first to admit that since Penny Hardaway left the Orlando Magic like 10 years ago, I haven’t been as into the NBA as I once was. I’ll still watch Nets games at the gym, but I don’t follow it like I follow other sports. So a week or two ago, as I was going through the photo gallery for the All-Star game, I noticed Dwyane Wade’s nod to the band-aid and wondered what was up? Is this like the time Nelly started to wear a band-aid under his eye when his brother was jailed? Or a new team building exercise like the Ray’s Mohawks?

Well as it turns out, it was neither, but rather a fashionable way to hide some stitches he received after a facial run-in with Dwight Howard’s elbow.

But like all good trends, what starts out as function quickly turns into fashion as seen by rapper Li’l Wayne’s nod to Dwyane’s new look.
(Photos: Reuters; AP)

Fall Overboard

Baseball: Ken Griffey, Jr. could earn an additional $3 million in incentives bringing his 2009 salary up to $5 million...Jake Peavy and Roy Oswalt will anchor the United States pitching staff as World Baseball Classic rosters were unveiled...John Maine pitched for the first time since undergoing surgery in September. The Mets ace said he felt fine...Twins RHP Boof Bonser will have exploratory arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder...The A's have scrapped plans to build a new stadium in Fremont.

Basketball: Stephon Marbury is officially out of New York, but is he heading to Boston?...Kobe Bryant injured his ankle in the Lakers's 107-93 victory over the Thunder...Dwayne Wade had 21 points and a career high 16 assists as the Heat contributed to the Pistons 7 game slide with a 103-91 win...Hall of Famer Dave Bing, Mayor of Detroit? It could happen.

College Basketball: It didn't take long for Pittsburgh to lose their #1 crown after falling to Providence, 81-73...With their win over Florida, LSU has clinched its share of the SEC championship...Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell is not too thrilled with UCONN coach Jim Calhoun's tirade.

Football: Kurt Warner wants to get paid!

Hockey: Flyers rallied in the third to overtake the Capitals, 4-2...Speaking of rallies, the Preds knocked in four goals in the third period to beat the Hawks, 5-3...The Canadiens blanked the Canucks, 3-0...Jarome Iginla had two goals and two assists in the Flames 4-1 victory over the Blue Jackets...Dan Healtey got his 30th goal of the season as the Hurricanes topped the Senators, 4-2...John Tortorella held his first practice as the Rangers head coach...Former NHL ref Bryan Lewis believes fighting is on its way out. Don't piss me off this early in the morning.

Nascar: A bad batch of parts is to blame for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Mark Martin's enginge failures.

Best of the Rest: Greg Norman thinks golfers should take a paycut...Michael Phelps will begin his comeback tour in Charlotte at the UltraSwim meet in May.

Check this out: Famed gossip columnist Liz Smith has been dropped by the New York Post. Wow the economy is bad! Click here for the details.
(Photo: Reuters)

Separated at Birth

Tonight is the season finale of Privileged. But if more fans don’t tune in, it could be the series finale, so I am asking all of you out there to tune into the CW at 9 PM/est. You will not be disappointed! To catch up on this amazing show, click here.

No whammy, no whammy, no!

Baseball: Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells could miss a month after injuring his hamstring during drills on Monday...You can breathe Cubs fans, Carlos Zambrano's shoulder is fine...Brad Penny felt good after throwing BP...Ryan Church is hoping to prove his worth to the Mets after an injury plagued 2008...If your goal was to get fired by not showing up to spring training, well then Odalis Perez, mission accomplished!...Speaking of the Nats, it seems their GM Jim Bowden may have a few more problems than having no-show pitchers.



Basketball: Devin Harris nailed a 47-footer to give the Nets the 98-96 win over the 76ers...The Celtics decimated the Nuggets, 114-76...Nate Robinson had 41 points in the Knicks, 123-119 victory over the Pacers...The Jazz picked up their fifth win in a row as Carlos Boozer made his return to the team...Charles Barkely will spend five days in the clink after pleading guilty to DUI. Now this would be a reality show I would watch. Watch out Charles, because the popo are on your tail!
(Photo: AP)

College Basketball: Pittsburgh is number 1 again...Kansas topped Griffen-less Oklahoma, 87-78...Louisville handled Georgetown, 76-58...Like father, like son. Texas Tech head coach Pat Knight was suspended for one game on Monday after complaining about the officials.

Football: If Donovan McNabb is going to sign an extension with the Eagles, he'd like a viable receiver first...The Vikings are closing in on a deal that would send Texans QB Sage Rosenfels their way.

Hockey: The Sharks edged the Stars, 1-0. Evgeni Nabokov collected his 45th career shutout in the win...Marty Brodeur has told the Devils he's ready to return. But are the Devils ready to change out the red hot Scott Clemmensen?...Speaking of returns, the Flyers's Danny Briere's has been pushed back to Friday...The Rangers have brought in John Tortorella to replace Tom Renney as their head coach.

Nascar: 51 teams are making the trip to Vegas.

Check this out: Hilary Duff opens up on dating Ottawa Senator Mike Comrie.

Not surprising

The Rangers have fired head coach Tom Renney in the midst of a downward fall that has them hanging onto the final playoff spot in the East. Oh, but at least they beat the Islanders on Wednesday. The Rangers have not announced a replacement, but judging from a New York Daily News report, it won’t be assistant coach Perry Pern, since he also got the pink slip on Monday. Too bad Glen Sather and his ridiculous free agent signings couldn’t get the boot as well.
(Photo: AP; source)

Millionaire's Club

Baseball: The Braves picked up outfielder Garret Anderson for the low price of $2.5 million...Joe Crede and the Twins agreed to a one year, $2.5 million contract...The Dodgers and Manny Ramirez are still talking...Where are you Odalis Perez?...Derek Jeter has a sore hamstring but does not believe it will be a problem...The Yankees Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady and Met pitcher Mike Pelfrey could use a few bucks after having their assets frozen by the government...The last place you want to be is in Diamondbacks training camp. 10 players and one coach missed practice because of a stomach virus. Yuck!

Basketball: Dwayne Wade's 50 points were not enough as the Heat fell to the Magic, 122-99...For his 23rd birthday Rajon Rondo scored a career high 32 points as the Celtcis bested the Suns, 128-108...A 36 year old lawyer named Frederick Goings has been charged with two counts of murder related to the death of Eddie Curry's former girlfriend and infant daughter. Watch out Frederick, because the popo are on your tail!
(Photo: Reuters)

College Basketball: Duke topped Wake Forest, 101-91...Arizona State held off Arizona for the 70-68 win...Blake Griffin's status is uncertain as Oklahoma readies itself fo its game against Kansas on Monday.

Football: Instead of taking a paycut, Marvin Harrison may ask the Colts for his release...The Cardinals are offering quarterback Kurt Warner between $10-12 million to stay in Arizona...The Patriots could be interested in signing Fred Taylor.

Hockey: The Capitals remain undefeated against the Pens after their 5-2 victory...After honoring Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell, the Rangers continued their plummet, losing to the Maple Leafs 3-2 in OT...The Lightning edged the Bruins, 4-3...Josh Harding made 44 saves as the Wild stiffled the Blackhawks, 2-1...Matt Cullen recorded his first hat trick as the Canes roughed up the Avs, 5-2.

Nascar: Matt Kenseth made it back-to-back wins after taking the checkers in California...Click here for full results...And here for updated points standing.

(Photo: AP)

Best of the Rest: Andy Roddick won his first title of 2009, taking out Radek Stepanek, 7-5, 7-5 in the finals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championship.

Check it out: The Oscars were held last night and Slumdog Millionaire cleaned up. But while you maybe interested in who won (click here for the full rundown) I'd prefer to look at the clothes. Click here for the best dressed of the night.

Friday Night Lights Friday

Good news/bad news kids. The good news is that Friday Night Lights is all new tonight and for those Matt and Julie fans, things could be getting a little hot and heavy between the former flames.

Ok, the bad news, are you sitting down? According to Korbi over at zap2it.com, FNL is in danger of being cancelled. I know same old story right? Doesn’t it seem like the “c” word has been whispered about every year since the show started? So what can you do? Get all of your friends to tune into tonight’s episode at 9 PM/est on NBC!
(Photo: AP)

How do you say “oh crap” in French?

Le Canadiens? Kostitsyn possibly? All good tries, but even though I took Spanish instead of French in middle school I am almost 100% sure neither is the correct answer, on the other hand, after today’s scandalous report in the French newspaper La Presse, I might not be that far off. According to the article, a number of Habs players could have a strong connection to alleged intermediary Pasquale Mangiola, who is facing weapons and drug charges. It seems Magniola and the Kostitsyn brothers Sergei and Andrei have been seen gallivanting through Montreal hanging out at local bars and restaurants, while defenseman Roman Hamrlik may be also be connected with the alleged criminal.

This latest revelation puts quite a damper on a team that has been celebrating its 100th birthday. Between Alexei Kovalev’s recent paid vacation and their continued poor performance on the ice, this probably takes the cake as the most embarrassing incident so far this season.

Watch out Canadiens, because the popo are on your tail!
(Photo: Reuters; source)

Friday Funnies

While I do approve of the slam dunk, I don't approve of the green jersey or the creepy shoes. St. Patrick's Day is a month away buddy!
(via First Cuts)

Brrr it's cold in here

Baseball: It appears Tom Glavine will be back with the Braves this season...Speaking of the Bravos, they avoided arbitration by signing Jeff Francoeur to a one year, $3.375 million contract...The Orioles and Brian Roberts are nearing a contract extension that could be worth $40 million...The Indians acquired reliever Juan Salas from the Rays and designated Andy Marte for assignment...Chase Utley is hoping to be healthy enough to play by Opening Day...Jeff Francis will likely miss the 2009 season after opting for shoulder surgery.

Basketball: First the Celtics lose Kevin Garnett to injury and then they lose to the Jazz, 95-80...18 was the magic number for Tim Duncan, who finished with 18 points and 18 rebounds in the Spurs 83-79 victory over the Pistons...The Magic aquired Rafer Alston from Houston...Manu Ginobili will miss three weeks after being diagnosed with a stress fracture.

College Basketball: Duke eneded their two game slide, besting St. John's 76-69...UCLA topped Washington, 85-76...Charlotte upset Xavier, 65-60.

Football: Santonio Holmes was fined $10,000 for using the football as a prop during his TD celebration during the Super Bowl...The Raiders gave cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha a $45.3 million contract making him the highest paid defensive back in NFL history. Part of the money is help pay for the psychiatrist he'll need for stying in Oakland for three more seasons...Bills running back Marshawn Lynch was charged with three gun related misdemeanors. Watch out Marshawn, because the popo are on your tail!

Hockey: Sergei Gonchar's late goal gave the Penguins the 5-4 win over Montreal. It was Gonchar's first goal since returning from injury...Meanwhile Alexei Kovalev is expected to rejoin the Canadiens on Friday...Ken Hitchcock picked up his 500th win as the Blue Jackets topped the Maple Leafs, 4-3...Mike Richards's five points helped lift the Flyers over the Sabres, 6-3...Keith Tkatchuk's OT goal gave the Blues the 2-1 advantage over the Predators...The Sharks beat the Kings 4-2 for their 25th home win of the season.

Nascar: Paul Chodora, a crew member for Jermey Mayfield's team, has been suspended indefinitely after failing a drug test.

Best of the Rest: Texas Tech and coach Mike Leach reached an agreement on Thursday for a five year, 12.7 million contract...Tiger Woods will be returning to the tour next week.



Check this out: Madea Goes to Jail hits theaters today and come 7:15 PM/est, I will be in my seat, munching on my popcorn, sipping my cherry coke and watching this movie. Is it sad that this is the first movie all year that I've really really really wanted to see?
(Photo: Reuters)

Update on Shea Stadium

So if you were wondering how Shea Stadium was fairing yesterday, February 18, 2009. Well judging from this picture:





Not too good. Hope you got all of your mementos.
(Photo: AP)

Separated at Birth

Sorry for the lack of posts today, I am super busy at work. But I didn't want to leave you empty handed so here's another separated at birth:

Did you see that?

Baseball: Ken Griffey, Jr. is heading back to Seattle...Josh Willingham signed a $2.95 million contract with the Nats...The A's Brad Ziegler was named to the US WBC team...Jim Thome wants to play for two more years...John Henry wants a salary cap because the Yankees spent too much. Well let's wait and see how the season goes before we start throwing those words around...The Marlins will get a final decision on their new ballpark by early March...Note: I am so bored with the A-Rod situtation, that I am holding off on updates.

Basketball: The Lakers downed the Warriors, 129-121...The Suns had another offensive explosion, routing the Clippers, 142-119...The Bulls received Brad Miller and John Salmons from the Kings in a six player deal...The Thunder haver rejected their trade for Tyson Chandler because of his toe...Charles Barkley is sorry for his DUI. Yet he should be more sorry about the mug shot which still gives me nightmares.

College Basketball: Without Stephen Curry, Davidson nose dived in their 64-46 loss to the Citadel...North Carolina held off North Carolina State, 89-80...Penn State topped Illinois, 38-33. I am pretty sure my eighth grade girls basketball team could have put up more points on the board.

Football: Albert Haynesworth will test the free agent market...The Colts and cornerback Kelvin Hayden have agreed on a five year, $43 million deal...The Ravens franchised Terrell Suggs while the Cardinals tagged Karlos Dansby and the Chargers have put the franchise tag on Darren Sproles...Tom Brady is on schedule with his recovery from surgery...Sad news, former New York Giant Brad Van Pelt has died at the age of 57.



Hockey: Alexander Ovechkin had this dandy little goal in the Capitals 4-3 victory over the Canadiens...The Rangers won!! I think they should just play the Islanders from here on out...The Detroit Red Wings scored 5 power play goals in their 6-2 victory over the Predators...The Blue Jackets edged the Blues, 4-3...Mike Green apparently had a change of heart and decided to give the Hall his stick.
(Photo: AP)

Nascar: Jeff Burton will make his soap opera debut on General Hospital, which means that indeed it is a very slow Nascar news day.

Check this out: Amy Poehler's new show Parks & Recreation has started filming and Watch with Kristin has all of the scoop. Click here to get a sneak peak.

Hump Day Hair

Spring Training is officially underway and it seems Edison Volquez hair is right on board.
(Photo: AP)

Laughter instead of Tears

Baseball: Watching A-Rod's press conference yesterday, I found myself laughing when he tried to hold back tears. Was that the wrong response?...The Pirates gave Nate McLouth a three year, $15.75 million contract...Ken Griffey, Jr. wants to go with the Braves, but the two sides are still working on a deal...The Braves did give Kelly Johnson a one year, $2.85 million deal...Eric Gagne OKed a minor league deal with the Brewers. That was nice of him after he fleeced them out of $10 million the year prior...The Rays have banned Scott Kazmir from competing in the World Baseball Classic...Mike Hampton's heart is fine. I am so glad he turned down Atlanta's offer and went with the Astros.

Basketball: The Suns rampaged the Clippers, 140-100. More shocking than the score was Zach Randolph's best imitation of Chris Brown with Suns reserve Louis Amundson playing Rihanna...The Magic edged the Bobcats, 107-102 in OT...Nate Robinson scored 32 as the Knicks over took the Spurs, 112-107 in OT...Tracy McGrady will undergo knee surgery putting a kibosh on the rest of the year...The Hornets traded Tyson Chandler to the Thunder...The Nets are involved in trade talks that will most likely send Vince Carter west.

Football: Jerry Jones has not made a decision on T.O.'s fate with the team...The Saints released Deuce McAllister.

Hockey: The Devils were shut-out by the Panthers 4-0, ending their win streak...Speaking of ending streaks, the Bruins snapped a four game slide routing the Hurricanes, 5-1...Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos's three goals were not enough as the Blackhawks rallied for the 5-3 victory...Stars center Brian Richards is out 6-8 weeks with a wrist injury...The Canadiens are giving All-Star Alex Kovalev some time off. That does not sound good...After breaking the NHL record for most consecutive games with a goal by a defenseman, Mike Green is not into giving the Hall of Fame the stick that scored that historic goal.

Nascar: TV ratings for the Daytona 500 were down.

Best of the Rest: Tiger Woods is still a few weeks away from returning according to his caddie...Could Danica Patrick be headed to Formula1?

Check this out: So by now, you all know I love "My Boys" on TBS. Well new espisodes don't start airing until March, but Give Me My Remote has given me a new reason to get super excited about this show. Click here to find out why.

(Photo: AP)

Technical Issues

As many of you may have noticed, I’ve been having major technical issues which have prevented me from updating this blog over the past two days, but I’ll be back to normal tomorrow.

In the meantime, I wanted to congratulate Matt Kenseth for winning the Daytona 500, give high fives to Kobe and Shaq for putting aside their differences and collecting co-MVP honors during the NBA All-Star Game and leave you with this question, since the Penguins had no problem dumping head coach Michel Theriren less than a year after leading the team to the Stanley Cup finals, will the Rangers be that far behind in firing head coach Tom Renney after they dropped another game on Monday, falling to the Blues 2-1?

Friday Funnies

Looks like these guys are celebrating Valentine's Day early!

(Photo: Getty Images)

Winter Classic at Yankee Stadium?

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman took a tour around the yet to be opened “New” Yankee Stadium this week. The old Stadium across the street was a serious contender for the 2009 Winter Classic, but logistical issues made it impossible. Nevertheless, the NHL and the City of New York has not given up hope of hosting a Classic in the Big Apple and what better place than at the new home of the New York Yankees?

Mr. Bettman’s tour is in no way a confirmation for 2010. Instead the hated Commissioner told a radio host:

“This was extremely preliminary. To suggest we're even at the embryonic stage would be an exaggeration."

Ah, I still hold out hope of watching the Rangers from my usual perch in the outfield bleachers at the Stadium, freezing my butt off and going through hot chocolate like it makes a difference in my body temperature.
(Source)

Friday Night Lights Friday

Separated at Birth:



Another exciting episode of Friday Night Lights is upon us. After an emotional farewell to Smash last week and the return of Matt Saracen’s mother, this week looks to be another goody and we learn more about Tyra’s rodeo guy Cash, while Matt continues to deal with his mother.

Tune in to NBC tonight at 9 PM/est to catch this all new episode!

Good Vibrations

Baseball: Delmon Young and the Twins have agreed on a one year deal...And so have Rick Ankiel and the Cardinals...Dan Uggla won his arbitration case, netting the Marlins second baseman $5.35 million...Those rumors about Ken Griffey, Jr.'s imminent return to Seattle were according to Griffey, just that, rumors...South Florida is getting ready to vote on the Marlins proposed new Stadium...Former All-Star and battle attacker Jose Offerman was sued for $4.8 million by John Nathan who was involved in that famous bat incident in 2007...For many teams around the league tomorrow is not just a day to butter up their wife or significant other, but also a day for pitchers and catchers to report to Spring Training. Click here to see if that includes your favorite team.

Basketball: Paul Pierce scored 18 in the fourth quarter as the Celtics rallied past the Mavs, 99-92...Shawn Marion put the exclimation point on the Heat's 95-93 edging of the Bulls...The NBA has fined Cavs coach Mike Brown $25,000 for publicly criticizing referee Joey Crawford.

College Basketball: Notre Dame ended their seven game slide in conviencing fashion, taking out #7 Louisville, 90-57...#18 Arizona State completed their sweep of #11 UCLA with a 74-67 victory...UCONN's junior guard Jerome Dyson was diagnosed with a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. It is unknown if or when he will return.

Football: Plaxico Burress wants to be traded by the Giants. That's fine, let some other team deal with your crazy!...That LA NFL Stadium cleared another hurdle.

Hockey: The Wings streak has hit six after their 4-2 win over the Wild...Meanwhile the Senators made it three in row after pounding the Flyers, 5-2...Tomas Vokoun made 42 saves on his way to his fourth shutout of the season as the Panthers killed the Hurricanes, 5-0...The Flames blanked the Kings, 2-0...Islanders center Doug Weight will be out six weeks after suffering an MCL sprain during the Isles 4-2 loss to the Devils on Wednesday. I am sorry, is the whole team made of glass now?

Nascar: Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch won their respective Duels on Thursday setting up the starting grid for Sunday's Daytona 500. Click here to see who will be positioned after the Martins row...You can thank the poor economy for this bargain. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is slashing prices on this year's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

(Photos: Reuters and AP)

Check this out: Just in time for Friday the 13th, another Friday the 13th movie is hitting the theaters. But if you are not in the mood to scare yourself silly or if your girlfriend is calling dibs on movie night this weekend, Confessions of a Shopaholic is also hitting the local multiplex.

And finally, a happy birthday shout-out to my dad who celebrates his big bday today!

Brashear vs. Orr

Barely a few minutes into the Rangers, 5-4 shootout victory over the Capitals and Donald Brashear and Colton Orr decided to literally get back into the swing of things.



The fight lasted for 1:02, but more importantly revealed that Colton Orr has finally decided to get rid of the overgrown Mohawk (and I think I am being kind in calling it that) and replace it with a closer cut do and now a few facial lacerations.

The Brashear/Orr rumble was quickly followed by a Matt Bradley/Aaron Voros scrap, which was far less amusing and once again pointed out the fact that Voros is not a fighter.

breaking things and putting them back together

Baseball: It's official, Bobby Abreu has agreed to a one year contract with the Angels...While Adam Dunn signed a two year deal with the Nats...Kevin Millar has signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays...There are some scandalous allegations coming against Roberto Alomar...In response to the claims in the lawsuit filed by Alomar's ex, Roberto says he's in good health...Remember that lady that discovered a rare 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings team baseball card? Well she sold it for $64,073 on an online auction.

Basketball: The Knicks continue to slide, falling to the Clippers 128-124 in OT...Ray Allen left the Celtics 89-77 win over the Hornets early with a hyperextended thumb...A day after being named to the All-Star team, Mo Williams put up 44 points in the Cavs 109-92 victory over the Suns...With their 113-109 victory, the Jazz put an end to the Lakers seven game win streak...Former Clippers GM Elgin Baylor is suing the team and the leauge for employment discrimination.

(Photo: AP)

College Basketball: UNC rallied past Duke at Cameron Indoor, 101-87...It seems like yesterday when Wake Forest was #1 in the nation, now they've dropped another one, this time to NC State, 82-76...#1 UCONN continues to cruise, topping #23 Syracuse, 63-49.

Football: So now that Brett Favre has announced his retirement, the Packers have offered to retire #4...Plaxico Burress's agent Drew Rosenhaus is reportedly shopping the embattled WR around the league and the Giants are not too happy about that.

Hockey: The Rangers snapped a five game losing streak thanks to Ryan Callahan's game winning goal in the shoot-out giving the Blueshirts a 5-4 advantage over the Capitals...Mike Green had two goals in the game, tying the defenseman record for consecutive games with a goal...Double the good news in Pittsburgh, Sergei Gonchar has been cleared to play and they beat the Sharks 2-1 in a shootout...Zach Parise continues to dazzle with his four points in the Devils 4-2 victory over the Islanders...The Oilers extended the Canadiens road losing streak to seven...The Ducks edged the Flames, 3-2...Hockey legend Guy Lafleur has been ordered to stand trail in April on a charge of obstruction of justice.

(Photo:AP)

Nascar: Aric Almirola paced Sprint Cup practice on Wednesday...Jimmie Johnson is not planning on wearing a brace on his injured finger. And hopefully has decided to steer clear of kitchen knives for the rest of the season...Dale Earnhardt, Jr. thinks Daytona could use a facelift. And lucky for him, the track is planning on repaving in 2010...Don't forget, the Duels are today. If you're stuck at work, try TrackPass at nascar.com, it's free for this week only!...Speaking of the Duels, Ryan Newman will start in the back after changing an engine.

Best of the Rest: David Beckham has just one day to make up his mind about staying in Milan. Oh MLS, always the last to figure out he's just not into you...Michael Bradley scored twice as the US downed Mexico, 2-0.

Check this out: What do Prince Harry and Sean Avery have in common? Click here to find out.

Unwanted visitor enters K-Ville

Famous for the tents that occupy an area by Cameron Indoor Stadium on the Duke University campus, Krzyzewskiville had an unwanted visitor on Wednesday, meningitis. An unidentified female student waiting for tickets for Wednesday night's Duke/UNC basketball game was diagnosed with the disease on Tuesday and is currently being treated at Duke Hospital. As a precaution, her roommates and fellow tentmates are also undergoing treatment. I get it’s a big game, but as a freshman, you’ll have a few more chances to enjoy Cameron Indoor.
(Photo: Mike Charbonneau; source)

Hump Day Hair

My real disappointment with Alex Rodriguez’s ESPN interview was not that he came off insincere or rehearsed, it was that he failed to get his hair did before he went on camera. I mean where’s the frosted tips?

(Photos: AP and AFP)

tongue tied

Baseball: Bobby Abreu could be getting closer to joining the Angels...Braden Looper has signed a one year deal with the Brewers believed to be around $5 million...A ruling in the arbitration case of Dioner Navarro netted the Rays catcher $2.1 million...Johan Santana will likely not participate in the World Baseball Classic...A California court will rule whether the names of other 103 players who tested positive for steriods will be released. Can we just move past this and look towards the future of baseball?...A new book written by Darryl Strawberry is scheduled to hit the shelves in April and will center around his time in baseball. Oh this is going to be good!



Basketball: A last second foul by LeBron James allowed the Pacers to slip past the Cavs, 96-95...There was some good news for Cavs guard Mo Williams, he was named to the All-Star team...With their 108-93 victory, the Spurs beat the Nets for the 13th straight time...Kobe Bryant reached 23,000 points in the Lakers 105-98 victory over the Thunder...Michael Jordan has made some mistakes, but he's man enough to bring them up. That's great, but I am still not letting you make any draft choices for me on my fantasy team.
(Photo: Reuters)

College Basketball: #13 Villanova pummeled #10 Marquette, 102-84...Don't forget, tonight Duke takes on UNC.

Football: Apparently Brett Favre has told the Jets he will retire, more news to come on this story, I am sure...The Saints and Hornets need some money, kids. Anyone got $27. 5 million?...20 years after he left UCLA to become a Dallas Cowboy, Troy Aikman will get his degree.

Hockey: The San Jose Sharks rallied with four goals in the third period to swipe out the Bruins, 5-2...One year after being cut by a teammates skaet, Richard Zednik knocked in the Panthers game winning goal in OT giving them a 5-4 victory over the Maple Leafs...Mats Sundin scored twice in the Canucks 6-4 win over the Blues...The Kings edged the Islanders 4-3 in a shootout...Jaromir Jagr is not going to the oilers.

Best of the Rest: Antonio Margarito's boxing license has been suspended for one year after he illegally wrapped his hand...Congrats to Stump on becoming the oldest dog to take Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club. The Sussex spaniel is 10. Click here for photos...Sad news, American freestyle motorcross ride Jeremy Lusk has died from injuries sustained during a recent competition. He was just 24.

Check this out: After hearing news that ABC was bumping Ugly Betty from the schedule through June I was a bit shall we say nervous about its chances for survival, but after reading this, I am feeling a lot better.

Arrests Galore

Big Fat Liar
Merry Christmas to me, only two months late or 10 months early depending on how you look at things. Not one, not two, but three major popo stories are dominating the headlines this fine afternoon, beginning with the Astros all-star shortstop Miguel Tejada, who has been charged with lying to Congress about steroids. Like I always say you never screw around with the government, but I guess I never say it in Spanish. Nunca screw around con el government. I am sure Sra. Zoch is having heart palpitations with that spanglish translation. It is believed that Miggy will plead guilty in accordance with a deal already struck. Watch out Miguel, because the popo are on your tail!
(source)

Southern Hospitality
Meanwhile the Michael Phelps case is breaking wide open. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the now famous bong photo. Of the eight people, seven have been charged with drug possession while one was charged with distribution. Unfortunately for one of the eight charged, their bond money just got taken away after the popo confiscated the bong Phelps was allegedly using. He/she was selling it on eBay for $100,000. So it is true, you can buy anything on eBay. Watch out potheads, because the popo are on your tail!
(source)

Engaged and Underaged
Finally West Virginia RB/receiver Jock Sanders could be looking for a new way to spend his afternoons after is arrest over the weekend for DUI. Sanders failed three out the four field sobriety tests and had a blood alcohol level of .125 over the legal limit of .08. As an added bonus, he’s only 20 and therefore looking at addition charges. WVU has not announced their plans for Jock (great name by the way) but he’s looking at either a suspension or dismissal from the team. Watch out Jock, because the popo are on your tail!
(source)

stupid mistake

Baseball: Alex Rodriguez admitted to his stupid past in an interview with Peter Gammons. Click here if you missed it...In the fallout of ARod's admittance, Texas owner Tom Hicks feels betrayed. Heads up Hicks, I think there were a lot of Rangers players that betrayed in the same manner...The Astros are not signing Adam Dunn...But the Rays did sign Morgan Ensberg to a minor league contract...The Giants re-signed Rich Aurilia to a minor league deal...The Cardinals released Adam Kennedy...The Brewers are trying to bring in Braden Looper...Rays RHP Chad Bradford will undergo shoulder on his right elbow.

Basketball: Marreese Speights had a career high 24 points in the 76ers 108-91 rout of the Suns...T'Wolves center Al Jefferson will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL...Mavs guard Jason Terry had surgery on his hand. A return date has not been set...Charles Barkley will be back on a TV near you following the NBA All-Star break. Thank goodness, it's not the same without Sir Charles.

College Basketball: UCONN is still #1...#4 Pittsburgh downed West Virginia, 70-59...Zaire Taylor nailed a 10-foot jumper to give the Missouri the 62-60 edge over Kansas.

Football: Ben Roethlisberger is turning into my type of athlete. According to reports he played in the Super Bowl with broken ribs...The Pacman experiment is officially over in Big D...David Carr has been re-signed by the Giants.



Hockey: Zach Parise scored an empty netter capping off the Devils 3-0 victory over the Rangers. It would be nice if the Rangers pretended they aren't already making their offseason plans in February and like scored a goal every once in a while...Speaking of the Rangers, Sean Avery cleared waivers on Monday and was sent to the Hartford Wolfpack, the Rangers minor league affiliate. The Stars do not have their own affiliate in the AHL...The Flames scored two short handed goals on their way to a 6-2 smashing of the Canadiens...The Blues signed Andy McDonald to a four year, $18.8 million extension...A panel has recommended hockey ban fighting at all levels. That's a little extreme don't you think?
(Photo: AP)

Nascar: Goodyear is hoping to debut new tires in 2010. Hopefully they don't suck as bad.

Check this out: Starbucks has announced it will be offering a $3.95 value meal with your morning pick me up. Click here for the details!