Tragedy hits the Chiefs

Kansas City Police confirmed that a member of the Chiefs, who they are keeping unnamed at this time, has committed suicide at the team's facility. I will keep you updated as information becomes available.

UPDATE: Police have identified Jovan Belcher as the Kansas City Chiefs player who killed his girlfriend and himself early Saturday, December 1st, morning.

Kershaw Out Indefinitely

The Los Angeles Dodgers scratched Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw from Sunday's scheduled start against the St. Louis Cardinals and announced the left-hander is out indefinitely. The 24-year-old has been dealing with inflammation in his right hip.

Kershaw has an appointment with a hip specialist in New York on Tuesday and will join the Dodgers in Washington after that. Manager Don Mattingly said he has no idea when -- or even if -- Kershaw will pitch again this season.


Kershaw declined to speak with reporters Saturday. Mattingly said Kershaw tried to test the injury by going through his delivery without a ball Saturday, but was in too much pain to go further. When Mattingly scratched Kershaw from a start in San Francisco last Sunday, Kershaw admitted he was irritated with the manager.

"There was no fight as far as him wanting to pitch this time," Mattingly said. "He knows he can't pitch with this."

Kershaw leads the National League with 206 2/3 innings. He is 12-9 with a 2.70 ERA.

No CBA Reach NHL Lock Out in Effect

The September 15th deadline for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)  between the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players' Association passed without any agreement being reached.

Therefore as a result, the training camps will not open until an agreement over the new CBA is reached. The NHL has instituted a lock out of the players til an agreement is collectively reached and agreed upon.

Executives from the NHL and NHLPA last met on Wednesday, when proposals for a new CBA was exchanged. However, an agreement was not reached at that time and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Saturday that there were no formal negotiating sessions are scheduled.

Commissioner Daly stated "We spoke [Saturday] and determined that there was no point in convening a formal bargaining session in light of the fact that neither side is in a position to move off of its last proposal. I'm sure we will keep in touch in the coming days and schedule meetings to the extent they might be useful or appropriate. We are sorry for where we are. Not what we hoped or expected."

WWE Jerry "The King" Lawler had a heart attack

     During the tag team match between Kane & Daniel Bryan and The Prime Time Players on Raw, viewers may have noticed members of the audience and WWE production team staring toward the commentary booth, as well as the absence of Jerry “The King” Lawler’s voice. WWE.com learned that the WWE Hall of Famer collapsed at the announcers' table and was tended to in the locker room area by WWE medical staff. Lawler was then taken from the arena to a medical facility in Montreal.
     Jerry "The King" Lawler is in a cardiac care unit and all his vital signs are stable. WWE will provide additional information as it becomes available. Our continued wishs is that Jerry will have a full recovery.

Cowboys Should Trust Romo

Jerry Jones takes his share of criticism, and perhaps most of it is deserved. The Super Bowl rings have been collecting layers of dust, something critics even point to when the owner and self-appointed general manager made his money to buy the team in oil and gas exploration, not talent evaluations. Jerry Jones started a debate this offseason by saying that the window for this Dallas Cowboys team might be closing, which of course came off like a not-so-subtle threat, which is a classic rhetorical jab from the man writing the checks.

Should the Cowboys become a playoff team in 2012, surely some will applaud Jones for "lighting a fire" under his team asses. Or perhaps they'll give credit to some new ways of thinking -- Dallas coach Jason Garrett attended the MIT-hosted Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, and Jones also quietly hired a senior analytics manager and a director of football research.

But it's more likely that the credit could go to further the strides from what has been a potent offense led by the oft-maligned Tony Romo, a QB who is due for a few good breaks in the campaign that is to come. With Romo directing the attack, Dallas could wield a truly exceptional offense in 2012.

Cowboys CB Claiborne

Dallas Cowboys fans have been buzzing about the new addition of Morris Claiborne to our secondary. The consensus top corner in the 2012 draft, Claiborne is clearly a talented player. But how much of an impact can he make during his rookie season?

Playing cornerback as a rookie in the NFL is tough. The quarterbacks are quicker and more accurate, the wide receivers have a lot more speed and the game is much faster than it is in college.

As a rookie cornerback, you need to have a short-term memory because you are going to get beat.As a rookie, you need to have confidence and must play on your instincts because it's very difficult to learn all of the coverages. The opposing offensive coordinators are going to test you very deep early. They are wanting to see if you can actually stop a go route and that you know how you play the ball down field. The right mentality is also key.

Knowing how to use angles is critical for a cornerback. When you can take angles away, you can control the speed of your opponent.


It's crucial that rookie CBs study film, pay attention in meetings and know their opponents. When a CB begins to understand the patterns of how an offense attacks, he can then go from reacting to receivers to actually making the plays and creating turnovers.

In today's NFL, it's especially tough on rookie corners because offenses will usually spread the defenses out. That means that rookie corners, if they have talent, will usually be put on the field before they are ready. First-round cornerbacks are even likely to struggle at first. Defensive coordinators are then forced to scheme to hide any weaknesses in the secondary.

Claiborne has a good size, length and terrific ball skills. His wingspan is incredible. He's athletic, very competitive and he's better in bump coverage than off. He's a good matchup against bigger receivers, and he'll have huge challenges playing in the NFC East. His biggest issue is lack of actual game experience and also lack of reps in practice. This is what lead to his recent knee injury.

Michael Vick Injuried in Loss to Steelers

Michael Vick's results weren't quite so good.


Vick escaped injury after banging his left thumb on center Jason Kelce's helmet, and took a seat on the bench after the offense went three-and-out in his only two drives.


Vick got hurt on his final throw and was wincing in pain when he came off the field. X-rays on Vick's thumb were negative.


"I heard a pop and I didn't know if it was my thumb or from the collision," Vick said. "I was hoping it wasn't anything severe. I should practice on Saturday."

Former NFL LB Naposki Gets Life in Prison

A former NFL linebacker has been sentenced in California to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his lover's wealthy live-in boyfriend nearly two decades ago.

An Orange County Superior Court judge has sentenced Eric Andrew Naposki today. However, a jury convicted him a year ago of first-degree murder.

Prosecutors say Naposki shot the 55-year-old William Francis McLaughlin at the suggestion of his lover, Nanette Ann Packard, who was also McLaughlin's live-in girlfriend.

Naposki was working as a nightclub bouncer at the time of the murder back in 1994. He was a former linebacker for the New England Patriots and for the Indianapolis Colts.

The 46-year-old Packard was convicted back in January and also was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The prosecutors also say that Packard stood to collect $1 million in life insurance if her live-in boyfriend McLaughlin died.

A wonderful question would be "why did they do it?" I would guess out of greed or lust for each other. However, I feel kind of sorry that Naposki could be manipulated by this woman, that he loved, into taking another person's life. Now he has to pay by sitting in jail until he dies for a extremely bad judgement call on his part. I hope that Naposki and Packard both realize the full extent of what their actions have caused.



Parts of this article were taken from the Associated Press article released on Friday, August 10, 2012.

Randy Moss Set to Make Return Friday

After being away for a year from football, wide receiver Randy Moss will be making his debut for the San Francisco 49ers on Friday night's preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings.


The reigning NFC West champions are hoping the 35-year-old Moss can fill a big void in coach Jim Harbaugh's version of the West Coast offense.

Moss is expected to come off the bench Friday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Michael Crabtree and Ted Ginn Jr. will be starting.
  Moss, whose reputation has taken a hit for his sometimes questionable work ethic, signed a one-year contract with the 49ers in March. He last played for New England, Minnesota and Tennessee during a very rocky 2010 season.
  Moss said he initially retired citing "personal reasons outside of football" and considered making a comeback late in the 2011 season before ultimately deciding to give his body more time to heal. He suffered a shoulder injury back in 2010 while with the New England Patriots.

Moss' best season came for the Patriots in 2007, when he caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and an NFL single-season record 23 touchdowns in helping New England to a 16-0 regular-season record. He has 954 catches for 14,858 yards and 153 TDs in his career, which started with the Vikings back in 1998.

Chargers RB Mathews Injuried

San Diego Chargers starting running back Ryan Mathews will undergo surgery Friday (today) morning for a broken collarbone.

Mathews was injured on his first carry of the preseason in the first quarter of Thursday night's game against the Green Bay Packers. Coach Norv Turner has said he'll be out for four to six weeks.
"It's just unfortunate," quarterback Philip Rivers told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "His first carry of the season. He'll stay strong. We'll keep him strong and upbeat because I know how excited he was about the season. He was openly commenting about how excited he was and how hard he's trained. He'll still bounce back and have a great year."

Mathews was also involved in a car crash on Monday. However, he stated that he was only banged-up and was still able to play on Thursday.

Mathews, who replaced LaDainian Tomlinson as San Diego's feature back in 2010, ran for 1,091 yards and six touchdowns last season. He added 50 catches for 455 yards.

Since being drafted 12th overall in 2010, Mathews has had trouble staying healthy. He missed four games in his rookie campaign and two more last season.

The Chargers lost backup Mike Tolbert in free agency but did add veteran Ronnie Brown.

"That's why Ronnie Brown's here," Coach Turner told the newspaper. "I think you're going to have situations where you're not going to have everybody. That's what I've been talking about since April after the draft and after we signed these players, we've protected ourselves in those situations.
"If someone goes down, we have answers. We have guys who can step in and go."

Terrell Owens 1st Practice as a Seahawk

Owens returned to an NFL practice field for the first time since late in the 2010 season on Wednesday when he jogged on to the field at Seahawks headquarters about 10:15 a.m. with a throng of media waiting to document every move the five-time All-Pro and now 38-year-old made on his first day back in the NFL.

Owens, who spoke softly before the large crowd after practice, was gracious about the chance he was getting with the Seahawks.

"It's all about for me now being part of something rather than being the center of something. I understand a lot of the media is here because of me and again, I have changed in a lot of ways," Owens said. "A lot of things have occurred in the last two years and I've had a lot of time to think about things and put things in perspective and I just want to move forward and leave all the things that happened five to 10 years ago behind me. That's where I am mentally."

Owens is the latest reclamation project being taken on by Seattle coach Pete Carroll, who has found success in his first two seasons with the likes of Browner, Mike Williams and Red Bryant – players once considered on their way out of the league who instead have thrived with the Seahawks.


Whether Owens ends up making a difference will depend on if he makes the team. If his first practice is any indication, Owens at least has a chance.

Despite age showing its sign on his once youthful face, Owens is in tremendous shape. He's long and lean, fitting the descriptions given by Carroll and other Seahawks personnel following Owens' workout for the team on Monday. He worked mostly with the No. 2 offense on his first day at flanker and opposite fellow second-chance receiver Braylon Edwards. The starting flanker position belongs to Sidney Rice, but he is being withheld from contact during training camp as he continues recovering from offseason surgery on both shoulders.

Owens spent the entire 2011 season out of football, left to reevaluate his career options following surgery on his left knee. His comeback started this spring playing for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League. He had 35 catches for 420 yards and 10 touchdowns while playing eight of 11 games, but was released and lost an ownership stake in the team in May.

The chance to play in the IFL might have seemed like desperation, but Owens said it was a critical experience in his comeback. It was the bottom for his football career and a baseline from which to rebuild.

"Just to get around that atmosphere and to know that I was at the top at one point ... it's almost like I have to rebuild my career, start over," Owens said.

Owens did have a few highlights during his first day. He beat rookie Jeremy Lane down the sideline and caught a perfect toss from Matt Flynn for a 35-yard reception, juggling the ball briefly before pulling it in to his stomach as he fell to the ground. He followed that with a quick slant across the middle on another strike from Flynn.

"Once you get out there and you snap the ball and you're going against the defense, you just see a helmet running out there," Flynn said. "You're not thinking this is T.O. or whatever, you get out there and see a receiver and getting open."

The concern with signing Owens is that it goes against most of the moves Seattle (No. 22 in AP Pro32) has made during the first two years of Carroll and general manager John Schneider being in charge. They made a dramatic point to get the Seahawks locker room younger and on giving those youthful players a chance even if they lacked major experience.

There's also the well-documented baggage from Owens' past. Owens repeatedly said he's different from the receiver that made headlines for his disruptions in some previous stops.

"The last two years have been life-changing for myself," Owens said. "I don't want to try and sit up here and emphasize how much I've changed. I think you'll kind of see that as these days go along. It's more about actions speak louder than words, and I think you'll see that more than anything."

AJ Allmendinger tested positive for Adderall

 AJ Allmendinger tested positive for prescription Adderall, the suspended NASCAR driver told ESPN in an exclusive interview Tuesday.

Adderall is typically prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Allmendinger said. He does not have ADHD and therefore had no prescription.

He explained that he had been out in Louisville, Ky., the Wednesday before the Quaker State 400 race at Kentucky Speedway and was tired.

A friend of a friend, Allmendinger said, handed him a pill and stated it was a workout supplement that would give him energy. Allmendinger ingested the pill. Two days later he was randomly tested at the racetrack, a test he would ultimately fail.

He said neither NASCAR nor its drug testing team from Nashville-based Aegis Labs informed him of the specific substance in question until after a B sample was tested July 24, only that he had tested positive for an amphetamine. It was not until he was informed it was Adderall that he traced it back to that night in Kentucky.

Allmendinger said he does not abuse Adderall, rather that he took it just once.

Allmendinger is currently going through NASCAR's Road to Recovery program, which he said he hopes to complete by the end of August. He said his case is being treated more as a stress-coping methodology than drug rehabilitation.

A NASCAR official said NASCAR does not dispute Allmendinger's story, mainly because it is information the sanctioning body does not have. Spokesman David Higdon said NASCAR is unaware of the specific substance Allmendinger took, other than that it was an amphetamine. Higdon said testing won't reveal the brand of a substance.

"It's part of the Road to Recovery program, to discuss that and work through it," Higdon said. "We deal with [the individual] as soon as Dr. [David] Black comes back and recommends reinstantement."

Dodge pulling out of NASCAR

Dodge announced Tuesday that it is withdrawing from the NASCAR competition following the 2012 season.

Dodge was faced with a rebuilding phase beginning in 2013, after Penske Racing -- the lone NASCAR organization to field Dodges since 2009 -- chose to leave the manufacturer in favor of Ford Motor Company beginning next season.

"We've spent an intense five months working to identify and evaluate all options for our future involvement in NASCAR," SRT Motorsports president Ralph Gilles said. "A number of opportunities emerged, and our team worked diligently to put a structure together to fit our overall business and competitive objectives. While we have been pleased and enthused with the amount of interest from teams and sponsors over that time, in the end, we simply couldn't develop the right structure."

Penske has fielded Dodges since 2003, winning 29 Sprint Cup races to date and a Nationwide Series championship with driver Brad Keselowski. But in March, Penske announced the return to Ford, which the team had fielded from 1994 to 2002.

Industry sources question whether Dodge's parent company, Fiat, has any passion for NASCAR, leading to Penske's decision to leave for Ford and, ultimately, Dodge's decision to leave the sport altogether, the sources say.

"Dodge has been a great partner to NASCAR for many years, and they have been part of numerous memorable moments throughout our history," NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France said. "They made a business decision not to return in 2013, as they did in 1977 before returning in 2001. We wish them well and hope they again will choose to return to NASCAR at a later date."

Ford announced Monday that Roush-Yates engines would provide motors for Penske beginning in 2013, leaving questions about what may become of Penske's motor department and its 60-plus employee staff.

However, this isn't the first time Dodge has chosen to leave NASCAR. The manufacturer pulled out of the sport in 1977 and didn't return until 2001. Since that time, Dodge has accumulated 55 Sprint Cup victories.

"It's an extremely difficult decision to know that we won't be there for our fans next season," Gilles added. "It's important to note that we have not lost focus on 2012 or the commitment to our partnership with Penske Racing in both the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series this season."

Cardinals Quarterback Kevin Kolb's injury minor

 Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt calls Kevin Kolb's injury minor and expects the quarterback to play in Friday's preseason game against Kansas City.

Kolb left Sunday's Hall of Fame game with bruised ribs and was limited in practice Tuesday.

"He's still a little sore," Whisenhunt said, "but I don't anticipate there being any problems as we progress through the week. He may be limited this afternoon, but I certainly think as the week progresses he'll be fine and he'll play."

Kolb is locked in a tight battle with John Skelton for the starting job. He started but was intercepted on his first throw in Sunday's 17-10 loss to New Orleans. His lone completion came on his final throw, the first play of his third series, and the play on which he was injured. Against New Orleans, Kolb completed 1 of 4 passes for four yards. Skelton was 4 of 6 for 32 yards.

The Cardinals worked out jointly with the Chiefs on Tuesday at Kansas City's practice facility at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph. They chose to go to Missouri rather than travel all the way from Canton, Ohio, to Arizona, then back to Kansas City for a game just five days later.

Skelton will start against the Chiefs, a decision that was made before Kolb was hurt.

The Cardinals also activated running back Beanie Wells from the physically unable to perform list prior to Tuesday's practice. Like Kolb, Wells participated in the walk-through portion of practice but he did not take part in any of drills.

Coming off his first 1,000-yard season, the fourth-year pro from Ohio State has not practiced while recovering from the surgery on his right knee.

Whisenhunt said Wells probably won't play against Kansas City on Friday.

"We're working him back in," Whisenhunt said. "I think it's important he gets back into the flow of the walkthroughs. That's the reason he's off of PUP now. We feel like he's good now, but we're going to be conservative working him back in."

Allmendinger released by Penske Racing

Suspended Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger was released by Penske Racing on Wednesday.

Allmendinger, who drove the No. 22 Shell Penzoil Dodge, was indefinitely suspended last Tuesday after his "B" sample urine test supported an original test that was positive for amphetamines.
"I apologize for the distraction, embarrassment and difficulties that my current suspension from NASCAR has provided," Allmendinger said in a statement. "As I stated last week, I have begun NASCAR's Road to Recovery program and look forward to using those resources and its completion to compete again in NASCAR in the near future."
The release didn't come as a surprise. Team owner Roger Penske said Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that he planned to meet with Allmendinger this week, noting others in his organization who have failed drug tests have been terminated.

Roger Penske says his former driver AJ Allmendinger has become the example for NASCAR's substance abuse policy. Plus, Chip Ganassi is still bullish on his teams.

Even had Allmendinger not violated NASCAR's drug policy there was a good chance he wouldn't return to Penske in 2013. He had a one-year deal and was 23rd in points at the time of his initial suspension.
Penske Racing officials said Sam Hornish Jr. will remain in the No. 22 for the foreseeable future. Hornish drove the past three races at Daytona, New Hampshire and Indianapolis that Allmendinger missed.
There are a couple of races in which Hornish was committed to a third Penske Cup car with sponsors that will have to be evaluated. Penske has said those races could be used to try out other drivers.
"Penske Racing fully supports NASCAR's substance abuse policy and we are disappointed with AJ's positive drug test results," Penske said in a statement. "AJ is a terrific driver, a good person and it is very unfortunate that we have to separate at this time.
"We have invested greatly in AJ and we were confident in his success with our team. The decision to dismiss him is consistent with how we would treat any other Penske Racing team member under similar circumstances. As AJ begins NASCAR's Road to Recovery program, we wish him the best and look forward to seeing him compete again in NASCAR."
Penske said he will evaluate his options for the No. 22 car in 2013. Among those expected to be interested in addition to Hornish are Joey Logano, Brian Vickers and possibly Ryan Newman if sponsorship can't be found for him at Stewart Haas Racing.
Logano is in the final year of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing. Gibbs officials have said they want to re-sign him, but until sponsorship is found Logano said he's keeping all options open.
Roush Fenway Racing driver Matt Kenseth, according to multiple sources, will take over Logano's No. 20 team with primary sponsor Home Depot and likely Dollar General in 2013.
Penske Racing president Tim Cindric said he, Allmendinger and Allmendinger's business manager flew to Detroit to meet with Penske and other top management on Tuesday night. He said Penske explained there really were no options but dismissal based on company policy with others who have failed drug tests.
"He said, 'Look, I can't help you in this particular situation relative to going forward, but there will be a point and time -- I don't know how or when -- when I'll be there to help you,'' Cindric said.
"It's certainly not the news (Allmendinger) wanted. Nobody wins in this situation. But we needed to have closure. We just wanted to make sure he knew where we could so he could plan accordingly.''
Cindric admitted it will be tough for Allmendinger to get another top ride in NASCAR's top series based on what has happened if and when he's reinstated.
"It's going to be a bit of a mountain to climb for him to have another opportunity as good as this one,'' he said. "We realize that, but there is nothing we can do to help that other than go through steps to be reinstated and make sure we're able to express our support for him as an individual.''
Cindric said the decision to release Allmendinger was all Penske's.
"Internally, we have a zero tolerance policy,'' he said. "We don't think the drivers should be outside that policy. As much as we wanted it to be different, there was nothing we could do.''
Cindric said closure at this time gives Penske Racing more time to focus on 2013. While the hope is to have Hornish in the No. 22 the rest of this season and do well enough that he makes next year an easy decision, he said the process is wide open.
Cindric said the only potential conflict for Hornish this year is Talladega where he already was committed to sponsors to drive in a third Cup car.
"We'd love to see him in the car,'' Cindric said. "We also need to ensure we have results.''
On whether Allmendinger will be paid by Penske for the rest of the year, Cindric said, "The fair answer to that question, I've seen Roger's concern for individuals. I feel as though in all circumstances he's been fair. Only AJ can really explain to you whether he was fairly treated or not.''

Story from espn.go.com

Angels OF Mike Trout sets AL Honor First

Angels outfielder Mike Trout was selected as AL Player of the Month and AL Rookie of the Month for July. He's the first AL player to win both the Player of the Month and the Rookie of the Month in the same month. Trout also won the monthly rookie honor in May and June, joining Ichiro Suzuki (April, May and June 2001) as the only player to have won for three straight months.

Hamilton helped salvage Ryan Dempster's Rangers debut

Josh Hamilton got back on track and helped the Texas Rangers' offense stay on a roll on Thursday night.

Hamilton drove in four runs and the Rangers bailed out Ryan Dempster in his Texas debut in a 15-9 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Hamilton hit .177 in July, but had his second four-RBI game of the season. He has 10 RBIs in his past nine games.

"Basically I've said stop thinking about it, stop listening to everybody -- everybody's got something to say," Hamilton said. "Just go out there and play. React. Try to slow the game down again. It worked. There's nothing wrong with my swing, it's just about trusting myself, not being too aggressive and trying to slow the game down again."

The Rangers broke an 8-8 tie after six innings when they scored four runs in the seventh, including Hamilton's two-run double, and added three in the eighth.

Dempster allowed eight runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. The Rangers acquired Dempster from the Cubs minutes before Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline.

Roy Oswalt (4-2) threw two scoreless innings in relief for the win.

C.J. Wilson gave up eight runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. David Carpenter (1-2) took the loss for the Angels. Angels relievers were charged with 11 earned runs in 6 1/3 innings in the last two games of the series.

The Rangers earned a split of the four-game series with the Angels after Wednesday's night's 11-10 win in 10 innings.

"It was kind of a momentum kill from how we played the first two nights to how we played these last two," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's tough. It's a good team there and it's not a forgiving park if your guys don't hit their spots, and some of our guys in the pen had a tough time doing that."

It was the Rangers' first time scoring in double figures in consecutive games since May 7-8.

"It's been a lot of fun," Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "We're starting to show some excitement. We have a lot of momentum offensively right now. This was more of a prototypical Rangers game where we scored as many runs as we needed to win. We kept pounding them."

Texas leads Los Angeles by five games in the AL West.

Kinsler went 3 for 5 and scored four runs and Elvis Andrus and Michael Young also had two hits and two RBIs as Texas finished with 18 hits.

Mitch Moreland and David Murphy hit back-to-back pinch-hit singles before Hamilton's double in the seventh.

Outfielder Torii Hunter led the Angels with three hits, two RBIs and a run scored. Kendrys Morales went 2 for 5 with a homer and two RBIs. Albert Pujols, Alberto Callaspo and Howie Kendrick added two hits each for Los Angeles.

Besides Dempster, catcher Geovany Soto and rookie first baseman Mike Olt made their Texas Rangers debuts.

Soto went 2 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Olt, a rookie from the University of Connecticut, went 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Game notes

Mike Olt was called up from Double-A Frisco Thursday and made his major league debut at first base just hours later. Rangers manager Ron Washington said Olt will mostly start at first base and also at designated hitter against left-handed starters. Olt can also play third base when Adrian Beltre has a day off.

MLB Teams' Facebook Pages Hacked

The Facebook pages of the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and several other Major League Baseball clubs have been restored after briefly being hacked.

On the Yankees official news feed Thursday, there was a false item that Derek Jeter was undergoing a sex change.

The Cubs' page contained an expletive directed at the longtime Cubs fan and actor Bill Murray. The posts were removed shortly after they appeared.

MLB released a statement saying "for a brief moment today, a few MLB Club Facebook accounts were hacked and inappropriate material was briefly on display."

The league also said it is working with the Facebook and legal authorities to determine what exactly happened. The pages of the Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox were also hacked.

Redskins Quarterback Robert Griffin III

Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder and coach Mike Shanahan staked everything on acquiring Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. They gave the St. Louis Rams their first two picks in this year's draft and first-rounders in 2013 and 2014. From the looks of things on the field in training camp, RG3 is all that the Redskins expected. His skills are exceptional.
The biggest question over the next three years is whether the Redskins have enough resources to acquire championship talent to surround him. The missing first-round pieces from the next two drafts are one problem, forcing the Redskins to look to free agency for answers.
The salary cap is another problem. The NFL imposed a $36 million penalty over the next two years against the Redskins for what the league considered to be a manipulation of the cap in the 2010 uncapped year. Washington lost $18 million this year and another $18 million for next year.
Although rebuilding will be tough, the Redskins appear to have the right player to build around in RG3.
Here are five observations from Redskins camp:

[+] Enlarge

Geoff Burke/US Presswire Throwing an accurate deep ball appears to be one of Robert Griffin III's biggest strengths.

1. RG3 could be RGDEEP: Somewhere between the skills and bodies of Michael Vick and Cam Newton is Griffin III. He moves around the pocket like Vick. His throws -- particularly the deep ones -- are as pretty as Vick's and Newton's. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll took time out of his offseason to study tape of Newton's deep throws and concluded he never has seen a rookie quarterback make as many big plays. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Newton's 30 completions of 21 or more yards in air were second to only Eli Manning of the New York Giants. Griffin could challenge those numbers. Like Ben Roethlisberger, Griffin does some of his best work outside the pocket, buying time to make plays. His deep balls explode out of his hand and are catchable.
But TE Chris Cooley may have summed up why Griffin will be a star. He's more mature than his age. Cooley said Griffin walked into the Redskins' locker room and immediately established credibility and leadership. Young players idolize him. Veterans respect him. The question is how long it will take for the Redskins to win with Griffin. Although Griffin has the potential of a 4,000-plus-yard passing season similar to Newton's, it won't be as easy in the NFC East. The Eagles, Giants and Cowboys have great man-to-man coverage skills. A tough schedule may make it even tougher for RG3 to win more than six games as a rookie, but if the Redskins finish strong, they could start thinking playoffs next year.
2. Offensive line a major concern: Already, the news is bad along the offensive line. Right tackle Jammal Brown has hip problems. At the moment, Brown isn't going to need surgery and might miss a couple of weeks, but the injury is concerning. Left guard Kory Lichtensteiger needed a scope on a rebuilt knee and might not play in the preseason. That leaves the Redskins with Maurice Hurt at left guard and journeyman backup Tyler Polumbus at right tackle. Polumbus has been getting good reviews in camp. Another injury, though, could be devastating because the depth may not be there along the line. The good news is left tackle Trent Williams is having a great camp. Teammates talk about how much more professional he is studying tapes and working. His conditioning also is good. Williams has the talent to be one of the best left tackles in the NFC. RG3 can make the line look good by scrambling away from sacks, but the line needs to come together with consistent run-blocking for the offense to be successful.
3. Safety in numbers? A sleeper position for the Redskins might be safety. Shanahan overhauled the position by bringing in Brandon Meriweather, Tanard Jackson and Madieu Williams. They could end up being steals. Meriweather is the most interesting acquisition. He was immature at times in New England and was a nonfactor last season for the Chicago Bears. Still, Meriweather is a former first-round talent who really loves playing the game. He's a good blitzer and a big hitter. Jackson had numerous off-the-field issues in Tampa Bay, but he's talented free safety who can make plays. At one point, Williams was one of the highest-paid safeties in football. Even though it didn't work out for him in Minnesota, he could help a decent Redskins defense as a backup. He has good coverage skills.
4. Running on empty? In Denver, Shanahan was a master of getting the most out of unknown running backs. Roy Helu, Tim Hightower, Evan Royster and rookie Alfred Morris might form the least known backfield in the NFL, but Shanahan believes that he can make something work on the ground. Face it, there is no 1,200-yard, every-down runner among this group, but each back offers specific skills that could make the ground game passable. Hightower is the likely starter, but he's coming off knee surgery. Helu is a zone-blocking runner, but he has to make sure he doesn't fumble. The intriguing players to watch are Royster, a sixth-round pick from last year, and Morris, this year's sixth-round pick. Both offer a little explosion if they can get through the first wave of tacklers.
5. Receiving corps should create excitement: Last year, the Redskins were trying to get by with unknowns Anthony Armstrong, Brandon Banks and Terrence Austin working the outside routes. Despite losing $18 million of cap room, the Redskins were able to add Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan. The best part about this group is it has deep-ball potential, which helps RG3. His best option, though, will be Santana Moss, who has lost more than 15 pounds and is working exclusively out of the slot. Moss caught only 46 passes in 12 games last season, but he should be back at the 60- or 70-catch level this year if he stays healthy.

article retrieved from http://www.espn.com/ and written by John Clayton, NFL senior writer

Denver Broncos have high Expectations

With one phone call from Manning to Denver leader John Elway in March, the landscape of the organization changed. The Broncos are no longer a league curiosity caused by Tim Tebow-mania. They are now relevant because Manning, who missed last season with a neck injury, is the story in the NFL.

The Broncos, though, aren’t consumed by being a popular story. They are focused on the impact Manning, at age 36, will have on the team. In public and in private, the Broncos are not worried about Manning’s health. They are simply in awe that he is on their side.

The organization feels it’s time to make a major push because of Manning.

“It’s very similar to the Super Bowl year we had in New Orleans," said new Denver cornerback Tracy Porter, a former Saint. "We have extremely high expectations on this team, starting with Peyton, all the way down to the last guy on the roster. Our expectations are not just to hopefully get to the playoffs. Our expectations are to get back to New Orleans to play for the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl.”
THREE HOT ISSUES:

1. Manning’s health
2. Defensive readiness
3. Young receivers

The Broncos operate as if Manning will be ready for the Sept. 9 opener against visiting Pittsburgh, but they won’t know if he will be fully healthy until he starts taking a few hits. Again, all indications are that Manning should be fine. He is throwing well, he hasn’t suffered any setback and he is practicing at a strong tempo. He is on pace to be ready for the season.

 The Broncos’ defense is still a work in progress. It went from No. 32 to No. 20 in the NFL last season under the guidance of head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Allen parlayed the success into the Raiders' head-coaching job. Former Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio, Fox’s defensive coordinator in Carolina in 2002, stepped in to replace Allen. The Fox-Del Rio pairing is strong, but this unit must continue to improve. It will have to play the first six games of the season without weakside linebacker D.J. Williams because of an NFL suspension, and pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil could face a short suspension for a recent gun arrest. So, the team will have to get a lot of players ready during camp as the Broncos try to continue the upward defensive swing.
Third-year receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker will be in the spotlight throughout camp. Both are talented players who have continued to show a lot of promise. Playing with Manning should hasten their learning curve. But there is not a quarterback in the NFL who is as particular about his receivers as Manning, and both must adjust to Manning’s game. The early word is that both players are earning Manning's trust.

 There is cause to be optimistic, Broncos have a terrific head coach in Fox, whose presence and impact should not be discounted. He is an upper-echelon coach who has a firm grip on this program. His players love him and the overall spirit of the franchise is probably as high as it has been since the back-to-back Super Bowl-winning years in the late 1990s. Fox did a wonderful job last season turning a 4-12 weakling into an 8-8 team that won a playoff game. In Fox’s second season in Carolina, he led the team to the Super Bowl. Will it happen again in Denver? We’ll see, but his players fully believe in him, and that’s a huge head start.

There is also reason for pessimism with the Broncos. We do not yet know if the Broncos are loaded enough with talent to make a long playoff run. There are a lot of questions. Will the team be able to run the ball enough to help Manning now that the Broncos aren’t using the Tebow-led option? Are the youngsters on the offensive line ready to protect Manning? Will they be good enough at defensive tackle and safety? This team is far from a finished product and it faces a brutal schedule. Still, expectations are high because of Manning. But the truth is, Denver must build itself around Manning very quickly -- the chief challenge of training camp.

Carolina Panthers LB Thomas Davis uninjuried

Rivera says an MRI on Thursday revealed no damage and that Davis has a strained right calf.

Davis will not participate in Saturday's Fan Fest back in Charlotte but could return to practice as soon as next week. He hasn't practiced since Sunday.

That's encouraging news for Davis, who's trying to become the first known NFL player to have returned from three torn ACLs to the same knee. Davis tore his right ACL last September for the third time in three years and missed 14 games on the injured reserve.

Rivera also said Friday that defensive tackle Ron Edwards would end up missing a few days of practice after hyperextending his right knee in practice Thursday night.

Floyd Mayweather released from jail

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was released from a Las Vegas jail early Friday after serving two months of a three-month sentence in a misdemeanor domestic battery case.

The undefeated boxer walked out of the Clark County Detention Center beneath the glow of street lamps and glare of TV cameras to resume a boxing career that his lawyers and personal physician warned in court documents might be at risk. They said jail food and water didn't meet Mayweather's dietary needs, and lack of exercise space in a cramped cell of fewer than 98 square feet threatened his health and fitness.

Mayweather looked fit as he donned a leather Miami Heat cap, pulled a gray hooded sweatshirt over his head and shared hugs with about 20 family members and friends, including his 12-year-old daughter, Iyanna Mayweather, and his manager, Leonard Ellerbe.

He said nothing to the media as he got behind the wheel of a blue Bentley sedan with several friends, including rapper 50 Cent, inside and drove away.

A lot has happened in Mayweather's world since he was jailed June 1.

With no television in his solo cell, he couldn't see archrival Manny Pacquiao lose his WBO welterweight title June 9 to Timothy Bradley Jr.

Mayweather, who goes by the nickname "Money," wasn't around to celebrate last month when Forbes magazine named him the world's highest-paid athlete for 2011.

But Mayweather is now a free man, even if his next opponent is not immediately clear.

Ellerbe declined comment outside the jail late Thursday, where he waited with friends, including Mayweather adviser Sam Watson.

Promoters for Pacquiao plan on a fight Nov. 10 at the MGM Grand Garden arena in Las Vegas, Nevada Athletic Commission executive Keith Kizer said. Pacquiao's opponent hasn't been named, but Mayweather wasn't believed to be on the list.

Pacquiao, who earned $62 million in fights and endorsements last year, ranked second on the Forbes richest athletes list behind Mayweather and his $85 million in fight earnings

Mayweather received about 30 days off his 90-day jail sentence for work time and good behavior. Nevada state law allows inmates to receive up to 10 days off per month for cooperating with jailers and working or being willing to work. Las Vegas police administer the jail, and a department spokesman said Mayweather wasn't required to work and didn't misbehave behind bars.

The 35-year-old boxer pleaded guilty last year to reduced domestic battery charges stemming from a hair-pulling, arm-twisting attack on his former girlfriend, Josie Harris, while two of their three children watched. The plea deal allowed him to avoid trial on felony charges that could have gotten Mayweather up to 34 years in prison if he was convicted. Harris and the children have since moved to the Los Angeles area.
Police say that as a high-profile inmate, Mayweather was kept separate for his protection from the other 3,200 inmates in the downtown Las Vegas facility.

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa rejected arguments that Mayweather's accommodations were cruel and unusual. The judge ruled June 13 that while Mayweather might not have liked the regimen, he had sufficient space and time for physical activity and the only reason he wasn't eating properly was because he was refusing to eat the meals he was given.

The judge earlier gave Mayweather a break -- allowing him to remain free long enough to make the Cinco de Mayo fight against Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden arena in Las Vegas. Mayweather won to run his record to 43-0 with 26 knockouts. Cotto lost for just the second time in 38 fights.

Zack Ryder, Dolph Ziggler & Justin Roberts involved in car accident in San Diego

WWE Superstars Zack Ryder, Dolph Ziggler and announcer Justin Roberts were involved in a car accident just outside of downtown San Diego on Friday afternoon just after 5:00 p.m. PT. Traveling in a limousine, the three were rear-ended as they were transported from Comic-Con: International at the San Diego Convention Center.

"It was a quiet ride since Dolph and I don’t get along. Then, all of a sudden, the brakes hit and I slid down the couch part of the limo. The driver stopped and the car behind us hit us," Zack Ryder said.

"I landed on the floor and my neck hit the edge of the chair," Ryder added. "Ziggler went flying. Justin went flying. The car hit us full speed; we all got thrown from our seats. My neck is a little sore. That’s it. We’re all OK though."

Local paramedics examined the former United States Champion and his fellow passengers, finding no major injuries, according to Ryder.

"It was a big limo, so we couldn’t tell exactly what was going on outside, but we merged on to a highway and then at one point we braked," Justin Roberts told WWE.com. "Zack basically slid down the bench. Dolph and I were sitting in the back facing forward, and Zack was on the bench sitting sideways. Then, out of nowhere, we got hit pretty hard."

Roberts continued, "You could tell by the way Zack was sitting, that his neck [was hurt], and Dolph was sitting right in front of where the impact was, so he got hit hard.

"I don’t remember what happened with myself," Roberts said. "I just know I was sitting on the floor with my knee up, and I was fine. Then I saw that my leg was bleeding, and it hurt. I don’t know what I hit my knee on."

Roberts explained that his cut was minor and he will have it reevaluated when he sees WWE physicians at the WWE Live Event in Tucson, Ariz., this weekend.

"I don’t think anyone was hurt in an emergency way," he said. "It doesn’t feel good, but we didn’t want to sit around in a hospital in San Diego."

According to Roberts, all three declined going to the hospital; he and Ryder are now traveling by car to Phoenix and Ziggler departed on a flight out of San Diego. Stay with WWE.com as more details become available.

Story straight from http://www.wwe.com/news/zack-ryder-dolph-ziggler-and-justin-roberts-involved-in-a-car-accident

Two NASCAR stars compete in Triathlon

Five time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports Racing teammate Kasey Kahne were dueling at Daytona Saturday night, and then competing in their first Triathlon on Sunday morning.

Along with the over 300 people signed up for the race, the Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series played host to the two NASCAR stars and several of their crew members who were working on very little rest.

"I always wanted to do a tri. I've enjoyed swimming running and biking through the years and went online looking and saw there was an event that worked out with our cup schedule, relatively speaking," said Johnson. "I signed up, talked about 15 buddies into doing it...crew members fellow drivers...and here we are. I'm glad we did it. I didn't get much sleep last night especially after racing and all but it was the perfect time to do it, and it was a lot of fun."

Kasey Kahne who finished the event fourth in his age group agreed.

"He's the one who started it all and being his teammate and stuff  this season I said, man I've got to do it. At least train as much as I can I really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun," said Kahne. "Three hours of sleep, probably not ideal, but it worked out. I'll definitely do more."

Jimmy Johnson was the first to hit the water, his group taking off at 7:17 a.m. for a 600 yard swim followed by a 12 mile bike ride and then the clincher, a 3.1 mile run before reaching the finish line. Johnson finished at one hour, 11 minutes and 57 seconds...just a couple of minutes shy of his goal.

"Hydration caught up with me on the run. I started to cramp and lost some time there," he said. "The swim and bike felt great and certainly a lot of fun and I'll do more of this."

Kasey Kahne hit the water with his age division a short time after Johnson. Running was the easy part for Kasey but the swimming proved to be a test. He still finished 27 seconds faster than Johnson and the finish line was a welcome site.

"Our finish line, you're happy to see it when you're first and other than that you want to keep the race going and today I was far from first and very happy to see the finish line."


Story from Nascar.com and http://www.abcnews4.com/story/18974442/nascar-stars-compete-in-triathalon-on-james-island

Adrian Peterson Arrested In Houston, TX

Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson was arrested on the charge of resisting arrest after an early morning incident where police say it took three officers to subdue Peterson.

Houston Police Department spokesman Kese Smith said Peterson was at a downtown nightclub early Saturday morning when an off-duty Houston police officer working security asked Peterson and a group of people he was with to leave because it was closed. The man, who Kese said identified himself as a police officer, left to tell other patrons to leave the club before returning to Peterson's group to again tell them to leave.

Kese said Peterson turned around and told the officer that he heard him the first time and pushed him in the shoulder, causing him to stumble. The officer told Peterson he was under arrest and to put his hands behind his back. Peterson began yelling, pulled away and "assumed an aggressive stance" so another off-duty officer came to help. Peterson continued to struggle with them both.

The 27-year-old player was finally handcuffed with the help of a third off-duty officer. Peterson complained of shortness of breath after he was taken to a Houston jail and was examined by Houston Fire Department personnel, who said that he was OK.

Peterson, who is a Texas native from Palestine, was released from jail Saturday on a $1,000 bond. The charge is classified a misdemeanor.

Team spokesman Bob Hagan said Saturday the Vikings "are aware of the situation and are gathering more information."

John Cena to star in new movie

WWE Superstar John Cena will reprise his role as Fred’s imaginary dad in this third installment of the hit movie franchise entitled "Fred 3: Camp Fred," which premiers Saturday, July 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon! Based on one of the most popular internet characters of all time, the movie follows Fred on his adventures at the worst summer camp ever – and you can get a first look at it at WWE.com as well.

Sheamus injuried

Alberto Del Rio – who is well known for his flashy ring entrance behind the wheel of a luxury automobile – instead used his car hood to batter The Great White during an intense brawl between the two SmackDown rivals.

Sheamus was treated for head contusions and lacerations to the head, rendering him unable to compete in The Great American Bash 20-Man Battle Royal. It remains to be seen what effect this will have on his World Heavyweight Title defense against Del Rio in less than two weeks at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view.


With WWE superstar Sheamus getting injuried at the hands of Alberto Del Rio at Super SmackDown Live on Tuesday, what does this mean about WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view. The answer is anybody's guess as of right now.

Former Raiders Star Ben Davidson Dead at 72

Ben Davidson, the hulking defensive end who starred for the Oakland Raiders back in the 1960s before he become a famous television pitch man, has passed away at the age of 72.



Davidson died Monday night. He had been getting treated for prostate cancer. Former Raiders coach John Madden first reported Mr. Davidson's death Tuesday on KCBS radio in San Francisco, California.


Davidson spent 11 years in professional football, starting out with the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins in the NFL before he joined the Raiders in the AFL in 1964.



Davidson played in the second Super Bowl for Oakland after the 1967 season and then was on the team that lost the conference title game the next three seasons.


One of Davidson's most memorable plays came on Nov. 1, 1970, against Kansas City. The Raiders trailed 17-14 late in the fourth quarter when Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson ran for a first down to seemingly seal the win.

As Dawson was on the ground, Davidson dived into him with his helmet. In a rage, Chiefs wide receiver Otis Taylor jumped on Davidson and a brawl ensued.

Davidson didn't play football until going to East Los Angeles Community College. He went from there to the University of Washington, where he helped the Huskies win Rose Bowls in 1960 and '61.

He was then a fourth-round pick by the New York Giants in 1961. He played his rookie season with Green Bay, winning the NFL championship with the Packers in 1961.

He then spent two years in Washington before joining the Raiders in Davis' second season as coach in Oakland. He spent eight seasons with the Raiders. He was a second-team Associated Press All-AFL selection in 1965 and first-teamer in 1967.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy, and daughters Jan, Dana and Vicki. My deepest condolences go out to his family, friends and the fans!!

Carlos Lee Traded

In a shocking move, the Astros traded Carlos Lee to the Miami Marlins for two minor league players. The Astros acquired third baseman Matt Dominguez and left-handed pitcher Rob Rasmussen in the deal. Marlins general manager Michael Hill said the club also received cash considerations from Houston in the deal.


The 36-year-old Lee spent five-plus seasons with the Astros and is hitting .287 with five homers and 29 RBI this year.

Houston manager Brad Mills removed Lee in the seventh inning of a 6-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. Lee's locker was already empty by the time the clubhouse opened after the game.

Hill said Lee did not have to approve the trade because the Marlins were not listed on his limited no-trade clause. He is expected to join the team in Milwaukee on Thursday.

Ben Sheets signs with Braves

Ben Sheets came to Thursday's Braves game against the Diamondbacks as a fan. He was in town with his 9-year-old son's baseball team, which had played a tournament in a suburb of Atlanta earlier in the week.

Before he took the team to Turner Field, however, Sheets threw a five-inning simulated game at Georgia Tech. Five major league teams had scouts in attendance, including the Braves, whose contingent included general manager Frank Wren, assistant general manager Bruce Manno and director of professional scouting John Coppolella.

Sheets had been impressive on the mound, and the Braves were very interested in signing him. So Sheets spent a few innings with his agent in Wren's suite and they began negotiating. The two sides happily agreed to terms Saturday night and, after a physical in Atlanta on Sunday morning, Sheets signed a Minor League contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Sheets has not pitched since the 2010 season and has missed two of the last three years due to arm injuries. But he will be returning to the mound Wednesday at Double-A Mississippi, where he is scheduled to throw for five innings and 75 pitches. After another start for Mississippi, general manager,Wren said that the Braves will reevaluate Sheets' progress. However, they expect him to be pitching in Atlanta quite soon.


Sheets has not, however, pitched a full season since 2008. That year, he was named to be on the National League All-Star team and went 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA for the Brewers. But since then, Sheets has twice injured his right elbow and has undergone Tommy John surgery. In between the two injuries, Sheets pitched for 119 1/3 innings for the Athletics in 2010. He went 4-9 with an ERA of 4.53.

Wren said Sheets' injuries does not concern the Braves. He also noted that Sheets' last surgery was 22 months ago, which has given him plenty of time to be able to recover.

All Star Voting not over yet!!!

Ballot voting began immediately following the MLB All-Star Game Selection Show and will continue until Thursday, July 5 at 4 p.m. ET. The winners will then be announced shortly afterwards.

This year's Final Vote candidates for the National League are Atlanta teammates Outfielder Michael Bourn and third baseman Chipper Jones, St. Louis' third baseman David Freese, Washington's outfielder Bryce Harper and Arizona's second baseman Aaron Hill.

In the American League, the Final Vote will come down to Kansas City's Jonathan Broxton, Texas' Yu Darvish, Baltimore's Jason Hammel, Chicago's Jake Peavy and Los Angeles' Ernesto Frieri, all of them are pitchers.

Good luck on Final Vote choices showing up in the All Star Game. If you are wanting to vote go to http://www.mlb.com/ and good voting everyone!

83rd All star game roster

       Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton received a 11,073,744 votes, shattering the previous record of 7,454,753 set last season by Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista. Hamilton is the third Ranger to finish as the top overall vote-getter in the Majors, following Ivan Rodriguez (2,808,456 in 2000) and Alfonso Soriano (3,466,447 in 2004).
        In the National League, Giants catcher Buster Posey, who tallied 7,621,370 votes, set the NL balloting record, surpassing Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun's 5,928,004 votes in 2011.

Here's a rundown of the AL starting lineup:
Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder making his fourth appearance. This is his first appearance in the american league.
Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano also making his fourth All Star appearance.
Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is making his 13th career appearance in an All-Star Game.
 Two-time defending American League champions the Texas Rangers will be very well represented in this year's All Star Game. Third baseman Adrian Beltre who is starting for the second consecutive year. However, Beltre is back for the third time in a row. Catcher Mike Napoli is in the All-Star Game for the first time. Outfielder Josh Hamilton is now a five-time All-Star.
Boston designated hitter David Ortiz is an eight time All Star.
Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson and Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista are both three-time All-Stars and also are in the starting lineup for the second consecutive year.


Visiting NL starting lineup will look like this:
Giants catcher Buster Posey who was the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year. Joining Posey in the NL's starting lineup are fellow teammates Pablo Sandoval at third base and fellow first-time All-Star Melky Cabrera in the outfield.
Reds first baseman Joey Votto is going to make his third appearance in the All-Star Game, but this is his first start.
Atlanta second baseman Dan Uggla and St. Louis shortstop Rafael Furcal, who have both been part of two All-Star teams but will both be making their first starts.
St. Louis veteran Carlos Beltran will be making his seventh All-Star Game appearance and the injured Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp, who was voted in as a starter for the second consecutive year, round out the outfield for the NL.

In addition to the starters, who are elected by us, the fans, pitchers and reserve players were named for the All-Star Game rosters by the Player Ballot -- a vote of the players, managers and coaches -- and by All-Star Game managers Ron Washington (AL) and Tony La Russa (NL).

AL pitching staff consists of Rays starter David Price, Yankees starter CC Sabathia, White Sox starter Chris Sale, Tigers starter Justin Verlander and Angels starter Jered Weaver. Sabathia, who is currently on the disabled list, will be recognized as an All-Star and has been invited to Kansas City with full All-Star honors, but will be replaced by C.J. Wilson of the Angels, per the request of Washington. The relievers are Jim Johnson of the Orioles, Chris Perez of the Indians and Fernando Rodney of the Rays.

Named to the AL bench are Orioles catcher Matt Wieters, White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler, Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera, Orioles outfielder Adam Jones, Angels outfielders Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo and designated hitter Adam Dunn of the White Sox.

Washington's seven selections, in conjunction with MLB, included Twins catcher Joe Mauer, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus and designated hitter Billy Butler of the Royals. Washington's pitching selections are A's reliever Ryan Cook, Rangers starter Matt Harrison, Mariners starter Felix Hernandez and Rangers reliever Joe Nathan.

National League reserve position players are Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, Cubs first baseman Bryan LaHair, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro, Mets third baseman David Wright and outfielders Braun of the Brewers, Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies and Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates.

NL pitchers include Giants starter Matt Cain, Mets starter R.A. Dickey, Cardinals starter Lance Lynn and Nationals teammates Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg. The relievers are the Reds' Aroldis Chapman, the Pirates' Joel Hanrahan and Atlanta's Craig Kimbrel.

La Russa made nine selections in conjunction with MLB to fill  the remainder of the NL roster. The position players chosen by the manager are catcher Carlos Ruiz of the Phillies, shortstop Ian Desmond of the Nationals and outfielders Jay Bruce of the Reds and Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins. The five pitchers chosen are Phillies teammates Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon, Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw, D-backs starter Wade Miley and Huston Street of the Padres.

MLB All Stars

I hope all MLB fans remembered to vote for the All Star game. If not it is not too late. Voting ends tonight at 11:59 pm est. Therefore everyone get your votes in. You can go to mlb.com to cast your votes for the AL and NL All Star Teams. The All Star game is set for July 10, 2012 and will be on Fox. Good luck to all who voted. Maybe we just may see our picks out there on the field during the game.

Oswalt good news in Arlington

Former Philles P Roy Oswalt has signed a one year contract with the Texas Rangers. The 3 time All Star P went 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA last year with the Phillies. In his first two starts with the Rangers he is 2-0. Roy Oswalt's  debut as a Ranger was back on June 22. He took on the Colorado Rockies that night. Oswalt pitched for 6.2 innings allowed 9 hits and 1 earned run. This gave Oswalt a impressive season ERA of 1.35. However, it was a completely different deal yesterday as he took on the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers got 13 hits and 5 earned runs off of Oswalt last night. Oswalt pitched for 6 innings. After the Tigers were done with Oswalt his ERA is now currently sitting at 4.26 for the season. However, the Rangers went on to win the game 13-9 last night.

Brewers C out

Jonathan Lucroy is the C for the Milwakee Brewers. He was place on the disabled List. He will be out 4-6 weeks with a fractured right hand. Lucroy currently has a .345 Ba with 5 HRs and 30 RBI for the season. Hope he has a speedy recovery.

OF Magglio Ordonez retiring

OF Magglio Ordonez is retiring. The RF played with the Detroit Tigers last year. He is a 6 time All Star OF. Ordonez has a lifetime batting average of .309 with a total of 294 career home runs. Magglio Ordonez's retirement is set to be announced on Sunday the third of June.

Halladay on DL

The Philles had to place the 8 time All Star P Roy Halladay on the disabled list today. This was due to a strained lat muscle in Halladay's right shoulder area. However, upon father review the Phillies are now saying that Halladay will be shut down for at least a minimum of 3 weeks but it could be longer.  So what does that mean as to the rest of the season for Roy? It will just depend on how that shoulder is doing in my opinion.

Good news & Bad news for the Angels

The Angels had to place P Jered Weaver, who is 6-1, on the 15 day disabled list. Weaver was diagnosed with a lower back injury after he left during the first inning Monday against the Yankees. He is listed on the DL due to  a lower back strain and spasms as it was put. This could be very bad news for the Angels.
However, good news came today for the Angels as well. OF Torii Hunter was finally activated from the restricted list. Hunter will be in the lineup tonight as the Angels are set to take on the Yankees.

New winner at Nationwide series race

Today was the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Iowa Speedway Race track. I was surprised by the winner. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the race in Iowa. He is definitely a name you do not hear about to often. Elliot Sadler finished second. Kurt Busch finished fifth. Sam Hornish Jr came in 12th. Travis Pastrana finished 26th and was 22 laps behind the lead car. That is not bad for a rookie who made his debut not that long ago at Richmond. Danika Patrick came in 30th today. Danika's car was having some major issues today though.

Spurs advance to finals

The San Antonio Spurs have been hot in the playoffs going 8-0 with their win tonight. The Spurs completed their sweep of the Los Angeles Clippers with a 102-99 win. Therefore, the Spurs now advance to Western Conference Finals. They will take on the winner of the Lakers and Thunder match up in the Western Conference Finals.

Spurs v Clippers Game 2

The San Antonio Spurs dominated the Los Angeles Clippers tonight. The final score ended being Spurs 105 and the Clippers 88. The Spurs now have a 2-0 lead in the West semifinals. Tony Parker had 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. It was a good game. After the 1st the score was 29-21 in favor of San Antonio. At the end of the second the Clippers closed that gap some to make the score 46-42 with the Spurs having a 4 point lead. Therefore I figured Clippers will take the lead in the 3rd. However, after the 3rd quarter ended Spurs still lead 78-67. But the Clippers definitely made the boys work for number 2 tonight.

Rays' lose Longoria to injury

Many people that are Rays' fans will remember Monday when Evan Longoria was pulled from the game after suffering an injury. It has been confirmed that Longoria will reportedly miss six to eight weeks after injuring his hamstring in the Monday's win over the Seattle Mariners. No team can afford to lose its best hitter for long right now. The race for the AL East is proving to be a close one. Two games can make or break a divison win, wild card spot, or enven missing the playoffs all together. However, the Rays always seem to find a way. After all, Longoria ended up missing a month last season and during his absence the Rays went 15-11.

However, The Rays have several options but they haven't announced a roster move yet. Jeff Keppinger could end up playing third on a regular basis. The backup infielder Elliot Johnson could also play there, or Johnson could play shortstop with Sean Rodriguez being moved over to third. Or the Rays' could recall Reid Brignac from Triple-A to play some shortstop, with Rodriguez, Brignac, Johnson and Keppinger playing in a sort of four-man platoon of sorts. Therefore, with Joe Maddon managing, expect the Rays to survive by moving players around on a daily basis.

Stoudemire to miss rest of playoffs

Knicks PF Amare Stoudemire will be out for the playoffs after he cut his left hand when he punched the glass case that encloses a fire extinguisher.  Stoudemire did tweet afterwards "I am so mad at myself right now. I want to apologize to the fans and my team." This injury comes after the Knicks lost to the  Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference opening round playoffs. This caused lacerations on his left hand which required stitches. He is listed as day to day but realisticly it will take a little while for the wounds on his hand to heal.

The Knick's chances might not be as damaged by Stoudemire's absence as everyone might think. Stoudemire missed a total of 19 games during the regular season, and the team still went 14-5 during that stretch. This was due to both Carmelo Anthony's numbers and the team's performance as a whole. Both of which were noticably better when Amare Stoudemire was not in the lineup for the Knicks.

Hometown boys undrafted still with NFL contracts

Despite not being selected in the 2012 NFL Draft, here are several hometown East Texans that have inked deals with some NFL teams. Those players that have come to deals so far are as follows:

Derrick Choice (JT/SFA) - St. Louis Rams
G.J. Kinne (Gilmer/Canton) - NY Jets
George Bias (SFA) - Tennessee Titans
Lennon Creer (Tatum) - Washington Redskins
Marcus Jackson (Tyler Lee) - Atlanta Falcons
Bryce Beall (Tatum) - Dallas Cowboys
D.J. Hall (Palestine) - Jacksonville Jaguars
Chase Ford (Corrigan/Kilgore College) - Philadelphia Eagles
Ben Wells (SFA) - Washington Redskins
David Snow (Gilmer) - Buffalo Bills

I wish all the best to these hometown boys in the big leagues. Although it isn't like they will need it.

Deion Sanders' wife arrested for domestic violence charges

Police arrested Deion Sanders' estranged wife, Pilar Sanders, on domestic violence charges the Monday night of April 23rd. In a series of tweets, Deion Sanders, a former Dallas Cowboy, said his children watched as their mother and a friend of her's jumped him in their home. Deion also tweeted a photo in which he says shows him filling out the police complaints, along with their kids. Pilar Sanders' bond was only set at $264. This comes in the middle of The Sanders' high dramatic divorce after they have had 12 years of marriage.

I was personally both surprised and like "You go, Deion!" when I read this.I hope for the kids sake that they are able to get their affairs in order.

Cardinals Holliday in a funk

Matt Holliday has been struggling at the plate so far this year. However, Holliday had a very solid day against the Brewers Friday. He went 3 for 3 with a run scored and two RBIs. This raised Holliday's batting average to .233.  Holliday has now started to hit safely in four of his last five games. This streak involves two multi-hit games. It may be too early but at this rate I would say that Matt Holliday is back and out of the funk he has been in.

Chipper Jones makes history

3B Chipper Jones made Braves franchise history. How you may ask did Chipper do that? Today Chipper appeared in his 2,400th major league game. This puts Jones as second on the franchise list behind only Hank Aaron. Aaron has 3,076 major league games for the Braves franchise.

Bulls Ross injuried

Chicago Bulls  PG Ross left game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs after having pain in his left knee. He was  However, upon having an MRI done Ross discovered that he tore his ACL. This however will hinder the Bulls' chances of making a run at the NBA Finals. However, Rose will be out the rest of the season.
The interesting thing was Rose did not have any player contact on the play. His knee appeared to have given out on him after he performed a jump shot in the lane.

Humber throws perfect game

Philip Humber did something few current pitchers have been able to do in their careers. In Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners Humber had 9 strikeouts in a total of 96 pitches in a game that has  left him among an elite club that includes Cy Young, Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson, Catfish Hunter and Roy Halladay. So at the age of 29 he is now the 21st pitcher in major league history to have thrown a perfect game and he is the fourth one since 2009 and the fifth one since 2004. His perfect game lead to the Chicago White Sox defeating the Seattle Mariners 4-0. This was the third perfect game for the team and the first since Mark Buehrle had his back in 2009. Humber had never thrown a complete game, let alone a perfect game in 29 previous career starts. Humber said that his first phone call after the game was to his wife, who is nine months pregnant and due to deliver their son in just two weeks. He said he just wanted to make sure she didn't go into labor from excitement.

Resources:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7841218/mlb-humber-perfect-surprise

Marc Colombo to retire a Cowboy

    Colombo signed a ceremonial one-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys on Friday to make sure that his NFL career would came to a close with the team in which he had the most success with. The move will be official come Monday.
    In 2005, the Cowboys took a major chance on Colombo, who was a first-round pick by Chicago in 2002 after the Bears released him in part because of a serious knee injury he sustained. However, the gamble paid off in 2006 and he started every game (72) in which he was healthy. He missed seven games in 2009 with an ankle injury and one game in 2010 with a knee injury.
    The Cowboys released Colombo after the lockout ended in 2011 to give the starting job to Tyron Smith. Colombo, 33, signed with Miami and played every snap for the Dolphins last season.
Sources:
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4691923/marc-colombo-to-retire-a-cowboy

Pudge to retire as a Ranger

    Former Texas Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez will announce his retirement on Monday at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, after 21 major league seasons. Pudge will also be retiring as a Texas Ranger on Monday.

   Rodriguez and the Ranger Ball Club confirmed these plans Thursday. The Rangers plan to honor the All-Star catcher with an on-field ceremony before they face the New York Yankees. Rodriguez will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

    Rodriguez won the 1999 American League MVP and also went to 10 straight All-Star Games with the Rangers. He was not able to find a job this spring. The 40-year-old who is affectionately known as "Pudge" began his two-decade-plus major league career with the Rangers back in 1991.

    Rodriguez was also a four-time All-Star with the Detroit Tigers and he won a World Series as a member of the 2003 Florida Marlins.

    Rodriguez signed with the Marlins after spending all or parts of 12 seasons with the Rangers. He then returned back to Texas in 2009 when the Rangers acquired him after their catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was injured late in the season.

    Rodriguez was part of three AL West champion teams in Texas in 1996, 1998 and 1999. He hit .332 with 35 homers and 113 RBIs and stole 25 bases during his MVP season.
    Rodriguez becomes the third longtime catcher to retire since last season ended, joining Jorge Posada and Jason Varitek.
    Rodriguez finishes his career with a .296 batting average, 2,884 hits, 311 home runs and 1,332 RBIs. He broke the record of 10 Gold Gloves at catcher that had been held by Johnny Bench and hit .300 or better 10 times.

Adrian Beltre injuried

      Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre left Saturday's game in Detroit with a strained left hamstring.

Beltre hit a double in the second inning and was grabbing the hamstring just after reaching the base. Alberto Gonzalez replaced him.

      Beltre is listed as day to day. But the 33-year-old missed 37 games in late July through August last season with a left hamstring strain, when Michael Young filled in as the primary third baseman.

      He had a single and a double in Saturday's first game of a double hitter and is hitting .303 with two homers and seven RBIs. Beltre is hot on this road trip, going 11-for-30 (.366) with three doubles, a homer and five RBIs.

Allmendinger takes Kansas pole

Allmendinger captured his second career Sprint Cup pole Saturday, turning a lap of 175.993 mph in his Penske Racing Dodge to knock Kevin Harvick off the top spot.

Joey Logano had the third fastest time but will start at the rear after changing engines during practice Friday.

It was the first pole for Allmendinger since 2010 at Phoenix.

He nearly had the pole last month at Bristol but was edged out by Greg Biffle by a thousandth of a second.

Logano went off first in qualifying and posted a lap of 175.724 mph, then watched as car after car failed to touch his time. It wasn't until Harvick turned a lap of 175.747 that Logano was finally bumped.

Denny Hamlin posted the fourth-fastest lap, followed by Mark Martin and Martin Truex Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified seventh for Hendrick Motorsports, which is trying to end a 13-race drought and reach milestone win No. 200. The team hasn't reached Victory Lane since Jimmie Johnson's win at Kansas last October, the longest winless stretch since the 2002 and '03 seasons.Local favorite Clint Bowyer -- who is from Emporia, Kan., and raced on the dirt track at nearby Lakeside Speedway -- qualified eighth. Kasey Kahne was ninth and Sam Hornish Jr. was 10th.

resource:

http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/7839752/aj-allmendinger-fastest-kansas-speedway-second-career-pole

Jason Hammel Makes Memorable Debut with Baltimore

     Jason Hammel just wanted one more chance to prove that he could be an effective Major League starter. He was traded away by the Tampa Bay Rays for an almost shamefully after the 2008 season. Hammel was then moved to the Rockies' bullpen in mid-August before he was dealt to the Orioles this winter as part of the trade for right-hander Jeremy Guthrie.
     Following his first start of this spring, Hammel talked about  his time in the bullpen -- where he made seven appearances for the entire rest of 2011 -- and how it allowed him to reflect on his career. He since vowed to become a more aggressive pitcher this season by relying on his strengths rather than each hitter's weakness.
     The newly found confidence -- along with a muched  improved two-seam fastball -- was on full display as Hammel dominated the Minnesota Twins, allowing just one run over eight innings in the Orioles' 3-1 win.
      Hammel entered the game with a career 6.28 ERA in three starts at Camden Yards -- followed up impressive starts by Jake Arrieta and Tommy Hunteras well by holding the Twins completely hitless through the first seven innings. Working off fastballs, Hammel faced the minimum number of batters til two doubles in the eighth inning cost him a no-hit and a shutout.
     The possibility of a no-hitter creeped into Hammel's mind after he got through the sixth inning. He took the mound in the eighth inning after having thrown just 77 pitches. The no-hitter ended when Justin Morneau delivered a double to right field, and the shutout up to that point was lost when Morneau scored on Josh Willingham's double.
     After allowing the Twins to get a run, Hammel didn't give up, but finished the inning and picked up two more strikeouts. He become the third consecutive Orioles pitcher to go seven or more innings to start the season. Baltimore last accomplished that feat back in 2001.
     Hammel exited to a standing ovation from a crowd of 14,738 in favor of closer Jim Johnson, who recorded his second save of this season.
    

Picture from http://www.chron.com/
http://www.mlb.com/