Reds drop finale with Yanks 4-1 Enquirer.com Andy Pettitte put the Yankees back on track, running his shutout streak to 19 innings and helping New York avoid a three-game sweep with a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 601st home run, but the Reds are still looking for their first three-game road sweep since last July at Atlanta. Jason Giambi had a two-run double and Robinson Cano snapped a scoreless tie with a sacrifice fly in the fifth, sending the Yankees to their 13th win in 18 games. They lost reliever Kyle Farnsworth to injury, however, when he tried to barehand Brandon Phillips' infield single in the eighth.
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Pettite masterful against the Reds Sporting News During his 11 years in pinstripes, Andy Pettitte has always been at his best when the New York Yankees need to stop a losing streak. Pettitte put the Yankees back on track again Sunday, running his shutout stretch to 19 consecutive innings and helping New York avoid a three-game sweep with a 4-1 victory over the last-place Cincinnati Reds.
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Cronin emphathizes with Crean Enquirer.com After Marquette beat the University of Cincinnati in February at Fifth Third Arena, Tom Crean took a few seconds to offer some words of encouragement to UC basketball coach Mick Cronin. "One thing I said to him was stick with what you're doing," Crean said. At the time, Crean was in his ninth year at Marquette. His teams had competed against UC when the Bearcats were among the top teams in the country. Now he saw a program that was starting over and he felt a measure of sympathy as he watched from afar what Cronin was going through.
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A look behind the scenes: Joey Votto Enquirer.com Joey Votto was, by his own admission, an average high school student. Not because he didn't care about academics, but because he already knew what he wanted to be: a professional baseball player. Votto's mom, Wendy, said his bookshelf at home in Canada is crammed with books on his favorite subject. There are volumes about the art of batting, muscle strength and hand strength. There are books about how to improve momentum and speed. There are even psychology analyses on how to put mind over matter in the ballpark.
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Time Warner shows no inclination of backing down to Big Ten Dayton Daily News Time Warner Cable is still resisting the BTN, not wanting to make similar compromises on placement to expanded basic cable and the rate (Comcast is paying a monthly fee of 70 cents per subscriber; the BTN was reportedly asking $1.10). Even though Comcast has ended its struggle, Time Warner is moving on strong.
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Pacman going to drop nickname SI.com No more "Pacman"? That would be the preference of Adam Jones, the suspended Dallas Cowboys cornerback who has been known by the nickname throughout his life. He'd like to be called by his given name and make "Pacman" a thing of the past.
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Pat Summerall recovering from emergency surgery SI.com Sports broadcaster Pat Summerall was recovering Friday from emergency surgery to stop internal bleeding, his wife said. Cheri Summerall said her 78-year-old husband was resting comfortably Friday in a Dallas-area hospital. Doctors told her that a new medicine he had recently started taking caused a reaction that induced the bleeding.
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Hoosiers begin rebuiling process on flood-ravaged stadium SI.com Crews started pulling up the turf Thursday at Indiana's Memorial Stadium, the first step in replacing the flood-damaged field. Heavy rain that caused flooding across much of central and southern Indiana on June 7 washed out the gravel foundation underneath the football field, leaving a sinkhole in the south end zone and lumps throughout the south side of the field.
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Ron Artest freestyles Yahoo Sports Ron Artest might have officialy given up his rap career back in January — side note: don't you actually need to have a "rap career" before you can give it up? — but that hasn't stopped him from jumping in the booth to record a few new tracks.
An inside look at the Bengals linebakers Bengals.com The biggest name, first-round pick Keith Rivers, and the oldest, nine-year veteran Dhani Jones, are the most solid at a position fraught with youth and inexperience. Rivers starts at WILL and Jones in the middle, Marvin Lewis' sixth different Opening Day middle backer in his six seasons. After that, it's eight guys jockeying for the last four or five spots depending if the Bengals keep seven or eight backers. One certainty? At some point out of a base 4-3 defense, Zimmer hopes to confuse offenses with various three-man and four-man looks. So versatility and brains will be scoring. With the first practice of training camp 38 days away, Bengals.com wraps up its look at each position:
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Chris Perry's last chance? Dayton Daily News - Chick Ludwig I cringe every time I think of Chris Perry. He set a University of Michigan record with 51 carries (for 219 yards) in a 27-20 victory over Michigan State on Nov. 1, 2003. In four injury-plagued seasons in the NFL, Perry has carried the ball 73 times for 337 yards and ZERO touchdowns. But he’s caught 63 passes for 403 yards and two TDs.
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The most unfortunate news of the day Yahoo Maria Sharapova, who once wore diamond-encrusted shoes at Wimbledon, is keeping her style simple at this year's championships - she'll be wearing shorts. "I'm going with the traditional shorts, believe it or not," said Sharapova, the 2004 champion.
Thompson impressive in debut Doesn't get much better than what he brought to the mound at Yankee Stadium. 5.0 innings of shutout, 4 hit baseball. He also recorded a pair of punchouts before being sat down. I found it really interesting that when he first started to get flustered, it was Dusty Baker...not Dick Pole...that went to the mound. Could mean nothing....but I found it funny.
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Reds bomb Yankees 6-0, bid for sweep tomorrow Enquirer.com Daryl Thompson's major league debut was even more impressive than the surroundings in which he made it. Thompson quieted the Yankee Stadium crowd -- and the home team's bats -- by pitching five scoreless innings and giving up just four hits in the Reds' 6-0 win over the Yankees this afternoon. The Reds had two hits against Dan Giese, a 31-year-old right-hander making his first big league start, through six innings.
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Volquez makes All-Star Case Enquirer.com Edinson Volquez went a long way toward earning a return trip to Yankee Stadium Friday night. Volquez went seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, to beat the New York Yankees 4-2 before 53,421 at Yankee Stadium to help the Reds snap a five-game losing streak. "Edinson was outstanding," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "It was one of his best games. He threw strikes. He didn't let the crowd bother him."
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Muskies molding new leaders Enquirer.com The days of late June for a college basketball coach usually revolve around recruiting, whether hosting on-campus visits or preparing for the travel-centric month of July. Xavier's Sean Miller is no different - though he does not expect to receive any 2009 commitments until August - but he has plenty of reason this June to focus on his current roster as well. In October, Xavier will begin practicing with seven new players on its roster.
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Not buying it Enquirer.com J.P. Ricciardi on Friday apologized to Adam Dunn through Reds general manager Walt Jocketty for comments the Toronto GM made on a radio show. "He apologized to me, the organization," Jocketty said. "He wanted to talk to Dunn. I don't think Dunn wanted to talk to him." "I'll probably see him in Toronto (next week)," Dunn said. "Sorry doesn't fix it. He wasn't talking about baseball. Say I stink all you want. I'm OK with that. He was criticizing me as a person."
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Mauk's fate soon to be revealed Enquirer.com By this time next week, the University of Cincinnati should know once and for all if Ben Mauk will return to play quarterback for the Bearcats this season. UC coach Brian Kelly said Friday that Mauk is expected to have his final appeal hearing via teleconference possibly Tuesday and no later than Thursday. Mauk's request for a medical hardship waiver that would provide him a sixth year to complete his four years of eligibility was turned down by the NCAA on April 30 for the second time in 21/2 months. The NCAA said in that ruling that Mauk lacked contemporaneous documentation from his former school, Wake Forest, to support his claim that an injury prevented him from competing during his freshman year in 2003.
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Shortstop curse continues as Cabrera goes down Dayton Daily News Soon the Reds will have to pay double indemnity to find somebody willing to play shortstop. Cabrera, 36, and a brother to major-league shortstop Orlando Cabrera, hadn't played in the majors since 2004 when the Reds summoned him from Louisville when Jerry Hairston Jr. fractured his left thumb - uh, sliding head first into second base.
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NFL Network, ESPN in talks The NFL Network and Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN are in talks about a partnership, a person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press. The person requested anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing. A deal could end a long standoff between the league and cable carriers, some of whom said the NFL was asking them to pay too much for its programming. The prospective deal first was reported by The Wall Street Journal on Friday.
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Krivsky hired by Mets Fox Sports The Mets have hired former Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky as a special assistant to GM Omar Minaya. Krivsky, who was fired April 23 by the Reds and replaced by replaced Walt Jocketty, will help the Mets with scouting in both the minors and majors. Krivsky is signed through Oct. 31. The move comes just days after the Mets fired manager Willie Randolph as well as pitching coach Rick Peterson and first-base coach Tom Nieto.
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NBA to Donaghy: Give us back our shoes Fox Sports The NBA is so angry at disgraced referee Tim Donaghy that it wants him to reimburse the league for the cost of his basketball shoes. The NBA said in a court filing it spent $750 over three seasons to buy sneakers for Donaghy, who pleaded guilty last year to taking payoffs from gamblers. Now, the league wants its money back. It also wants a court to force the referee to repay his salary, his airfare expenses and meal allowances, and cough up at least $4,500 for complimentary tickets he received over the years. All told, the league is seeking $1.4 million from Donaghy.
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10 Greatest Athletes of All-Time Wall Street Journal We gave the performance stats and achievement records of 79 male athletes to a panel of 5 judges, and asked them to rank the competitors based on six criteria: speed; vision and reflex; stamina and recovery; coordination and flexibility; power, strength and size; and success and competitiveness. The final category examined success-records held and victories-as well as competitiveness, based on the sport's popularity.
Thompson to make his debut Saturday The Reds are expected to recall from Class AAA Louisville RHP Daryl Thompson (#53) to start
tomorrow's game...he will make his Major League debut...Thompson, 22, began the season in the minor
leagues and in 14 starts at Class AA Chattanooga and Class AAA Louisville
combined to go 6-2, 2.22...prior to this season he never had pitched above Class
A...he will join a starting rotation that already includes 24-year-old RHP Edinson Volquez and 22-year-old
Johnny Cueto...he replaces in the
rotation 22-year-old RHP Homer
Bailey.
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Jays GM Apologizes Enquirer.com Toronto Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi apologized to Cincinnati counterpart Walt Jocketty over critical comments he made on a Toronto radio station about Reds outfielder Adam Dunn. "It's my fault, I take full responsibility for it," Ricciardi told The Globe and Mail newspaper of Toronto on Thursday. "I tried to get Adam's phone number from the Reds ... and if he wants to talk to me, I'll talk to him and apologize personally. But I apologize to him and the Reds. I need to be better than that. I let my guard down".
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Chad scopes out '08 Bengals.com - Geoff Hobson Johnson reiterated, "I love you, Cincinnati," and said he realizes there are fans that have turned against him while recalling Kobe Bryant got booed in the first game of what turned out to be a NBA MVP season following his trade demands of last summer. But Johnson said Thursday that he hopes his fans here understand the trade tirades had nothing to do with his feelings for them and it was venting from a 7-9 season and what he felt was a lack of attention to upgrading the defense. What he called "in-house" criticism also set him off. He doesn't think he had a good year ("I set a high standard"), but he also knows he's not the only one.
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NFL defenses adjusting to in-helmet communication Fox Sports After long making rules changes designed to increase scoring, NFL owners reversed course this off-season by allowing the use of defensive helmet transmitters. Teams like the Texans recently began experimenting with the new technology during minicamps and OTA (organized team activity) sessions. Rather than have to worry about reading signals from the sideline, Ryans is told the play through the transmitter. Ryans then conveys the information to his teammates just like the quarterback does on offense when receiving calls in his helmet.
Big Movie Weekend Should be a good movie weekend if you're into comedy. Everything from Steve Carrell Mike Myers
Get Smart
The Love Guru
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Volquez among NL's most surprising players USA Today The Cincinnati Reds knew they were getting a high-quality arm when they dealt power-hitting outfielder Josh Hamilton to the Texas Rangers in the offseason. They knew Edinson Volquez, acquired in the deal along with left-hander Danny Herrera, had a mid-90s fastball and a changeup, delivered with the same arm action, that made batters look silly. But no one could have anticipated the level of performance Volquez has delivered this season. When he beat the Florida Marlins on June 9, the game marked the first time the 24-year-old right-hander had allowed more than two earned runs in a start this season. Entering the week, Volquez (9-2) led the major leagues with a 1.64 ERA and 105 strikeouts and had held opponents to a .190 average, second-best in the majors.
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Irish, NBC strike extension Sporting News NBC renewed its television contract with Notre Dame football through the 2015 season on Thursday despite the Fighting Irish last year drawing their lowest ratings since the network began broadcasting their games in 1991. NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said the network doesn't look at year-to-year results when it comes to Notre Dame, calling the football program a premier brand that defines the network as much as the Olympics, the NFL and the U.S. Open golf championship.
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Big Ten Network, Time Warner still negotiating Dayton Daily News Millions more fans will have greater access to Big Ten Conference football games this fall, but local Ohio State supporters are still waiting. The Big Ten Network and Comcast on today, June 19, announced a deal to place the all-day, year-round channel devoted to the Big Ten on expanded basic cable at least through the upcoming basketball season beginning Aug. 15. The deal was seen a major step for the network, which will complete its first broadcast year in late August.
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Pair of local products commit to UC Enquirer.com Austen Bujnoch, a 6-5, 265-pound offensive tackle entering his senior year at Elder, has given an oral commitment to the University of Cincinnati football program. Bujnoch's older brother, Digger, played offensive line at Elder and UC. He completed his UC career in the fall of 2007. Moeller defensive end Sean McClellan also has given an oral commitment to the University of Cincinnati football proram. McClellan, 6-feet-4 and 245 pounds, will be entering his senior year at Moeller this fall.
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Dunn's response to Blue Jays GM “I don’t know the clown. You can use the word clown.”
“I’ve seen it, I haven’t heard it. I really don’t care what one guy thinks, to be honest with you. If I’m a GM, I don’t know that I’d go out of my way to discredit a player.”
“The players didn’t say it. It’s just some clown sitting in a front office pushing paper. I don’t play for any other reason than the guys (this clubhouse). I’ve said it all along, it doesn’t bother me what people say or think, especially someone outside of the organization who has no idea of anything that goes on here. He’s not even in our country.”
“He felt like he needed to say it for some reason, I have no idea why and I don’t care. He could be in this clubhouse right now, I wouldn’t know. I couldn’t tell you his name, what he looks like – he’s got a big mouth, that’s all I know about him.”
“I’m not going to sit here and defend someone who’s going to sit there and say I don’t care about baseball. It pisses me off, to be honest with you. He doesn’t even know me. If he knew me, fine. Say what you want. But this guy doesn’t know anything about me other than what he sees on whatever SportsCenter they have on up there.”
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Dodgers sweep Reds, Bruce ejected Enquirer.com Matt Kemp emerged from his slump by hitting a homer and a two-run double, and Eric Stults pitched into the seventh inning in his season debut today, leading the Dodgers to a 7-4 victory and a three-game sweep of the Reds at Great American Ball Park. The Reds finished a disappointing homestand with a 2-7 record.
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Dusty speaks, postgame reaction C. Trent On Saturday's starter: "Yes (a decision has been made) but I don't know if we can say it or not. So we'll see." That would lead me to believe it's Thompson. "We didn't have Junior today, Junior's still ill. Hopefully he'll feel better tomorrow."
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Bat problems SI.com There is a scourge upon the otherwise robust game that commissioner Bud Selig must do something about quickly. No, it's not the Seattle Mariners, the most wasteful $110 million ever spent in baseball. It is the daily danger caused by broken maple bats. Baseball has a full-blown safety threat on its hands and the commissioner, who needs the cooperation of the players association to address it, is confronted with an historically important decision.
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Wii causes 20 million in damage Yahoo News If you're one of the millions already shedding pounds with the latest Nintendo hit, Wii Fit, you might want to make sure your treasured trinkets, photos of your sadly-missed granny, and priceless Ming vases are out of reach. British newspaper The Telegraph reports this week that a new study commissioned by an insurance company indicates 20% of women admitted "having accidents" while using living room exercise equipment. Presumably, they're talking accidents of the "breakages and minor injuries" type rather than the naughty-puppy variety. Nationwide, the damage amounts to the equivalent of nearly $40 million.
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Baseball should implement instant replay now Sporting News Instant replay has gained momentum the point of inevitability in Major League Baseball. To heck, the league is saying, with purists, curmudgeons and that old fogey of a commissioner, Bud Selig. MLB wants replay implemented before the postseason and wants to give it some time before October rolls around to make sure all systems are operational. Thus it was revealed last week that we could be seeing replay -- limited to "boundary calls" -- by August 1.
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Hank Steinbrenner pissed at the National League Sporting News "My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. "They need to grow up and join the 21st century. "Am I (mad) about it? Yes," Steinbrenner added. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."
Toronto GM Rips Dunn National Post Ricciardi slammed Dunn on his Wednesday night phone-in show on The Fan 590, a Toronto radio station. His comments came after a caller suggested the Jays acquire Dunn, who is hitting .227 with 18 homers and 43 RBIs with the Reds. "Do you know the guy doesn't really like baseball that much?" Ricciardi said to the caller. "Do you know the guy doesn't have a passion to play the game that much? How much do you know about the player? "There's a reason why you're attracted to some players and there's a reason why you're not attracted to some players. I don't think you'd be very happy if we brought Adam Dunn here.
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Bailey back toLouisville Prior to tonight's game, the Reds returned from a rehabilitation assignment and reinstated from the 15-day disabled list OF Norris Hopper and optioned to Class AAA Louisville RHP Homer Bailey. Hopper has been on the 15-day DL since 4/23 with a nerve irritation in his right elbow...in 6 rehab apps at Louisville and Sarasota he is hitting .292 (7-24). Bailey went 0-3, 8.76 in 3 starts during his 2 stints with the Reds.
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Reds still struggling at the plate C. Trent Contrary to popular belief, removing Corey Patterson from the leadoff spot of the Reds lineup was not a cure for the team's offensive woes. With Patterson batting seventh -- and making just two plate appearances -- the Reds lost 6-1 to the Dodgers in front of 20,055 at Great American Ball Park. "We're making everyone look like Cy Young out there," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "And everybody's not, you know?" Derek Lowe was Wednesday's version of Cy Young -- allowing just three hits and a run in 5.1 innings.
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Reds drop another yawner Enquirer.com The Reds not only are losing, they're doing it in boring fashion. The only excitement at Great American Ball Park Wednesday night mostly was limited to a couple of failed attempts by fans to do The Wave in the eighth inning. That's the way it goes when you lose 6-1 on seven hits, as the Reds did Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers before a crowd of 20,055 at Great American.
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Chad Johnson surgery a success Enquirer.com Chad Johnson underwent successful arthroscopic surgery this morning on his right ankle and is expected to be ready to participate in training camp July 28, the Bengals announced this afternoon. The procedure was performed by Bengals orthopedic surgeon Angelo Colosimo and was completed without complication, according to the Bengals.
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Bengals extend contract with Georgetown Dayton Daily News The Cincinnati Bengals and Georgetown (Ky.) College have decided to remain summertime partners through 2009. The club and college reached agreement Wednesday on a one-year contract extension to hold Bengals training camp at Georgetown's East Campus Athletic Complex for a 13th straight season. "We're happy to announce an agreement to extend our relationship with Georgetown College," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. "We like the traditional setup of conducting training camp away from our in-season facility, and, really, the setup at Georgetown's athletic complex is perfect for all of our camp needs.
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It's too late now, Chadly Dayton Daily News - Chick Ludwig But the reality is ... the arthroscopic surgery is coming much too late in the offseason. The Bengals wanted Johnson to have a tender ankle cleaned out as soon as possible after the 2007 season ended. But you know and I know where Johnson was during the Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.
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Still think Tiger was faking? Golf.com Tiger Woods will miss the remainder of 2008 after a planned reconstructive surgery on his left knee, the golfer's management company said Wednesday, confirming rumors that Woods was significantly more injured than he let on while winning the 108th U.S. Open. IMG released a statement saying the world No. 1 played at Torrey Pines with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a double stress fracture of the left tibia.
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New Yankee Stadium to have Hard Rock Cafe SI.com A Hard Rock Cafe will open in the new Yankee Stadium. The 7,000-square-foot restaurant will operate year-round in right field when the park makes its debut next season, the two organizations announced Wednesday. Above it will be a restaurant called NYY Steak, a joint venture by the Yankees' parent company and Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment. Other NYY Steak branches could also be opened in other parts of the country.
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Bat problems SI.com There is a scourge upon the otherwise robust game that commissioner Bud Selig must do something about quickly. No, it's not the Seattle Mariners, the most wasteful $110 million ever spent in baseball. It is the daily danger caused by broken maple bats. Baseball has a full-blown safety threat on its hands and the commissioner, who needs the cooperation of the players association to address it, is confronted with an historically important decision.
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ESPN tops "Who's Now" with this disaster To commemorate the 100-year anniversary of baseball's most famous tune ["Take Me Out to the Ballgame"], "Baseball Tonight" has asked nine popular musical artists to record a rendition of the song and engage in a battle of the bands.
Ohio State gets snubbed by Victoria Secret SI.com Here's one more reason Ohio State fans can hate their Michigan counterparts: Victoria's Secret (a Columbus, Ohio, based company) is coming out with logoed sweat pants, tank tops and panties for Michigan and other schools, but not Ohio State. OSU fans, blame Leslie H. Wexner (who is both the leader of Limited Brands and a member of OSU's board of trustees and feared a conflict of interest) for the fact that you won't be able to watch Victoria's Secret's sexy models sporting your school's logo.
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Volquez, Hamilton top MLB Power Rankings USA Today The repercussions of an offseason trade by the Rangers and Reds continue to be felt, especially in light of the latest edition of the USA TODAY Sports Weekly Power Rankings. Swapped for each other, Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton has blossomed into the American League's top MVP candidate, while Cincinnati right-hander Edinson Volquez leads this week's balloting for the National League's top pitcher.
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Katie Holmes to make Broadway debut USA Today Curtain up Sept. 18 for Katie Holmes' Broadway debut. That's the date the former Dawson's Creek star and wife of Tom Cruise, begins preview performances in a revival of Arthur Miller's All My Sons, producer Eric Falkenstein announced Tuesday.
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Wii causes 20 million in damage Yahoo News If you're one of the millions already shedding pounds with the latest Nintendo hit, Wii Fit, you might want to make sure your treasured trinkets, photos of your sadly-missed granny, and priceless Ming vases are out of reach. British newspaper The Telegraph reports this week that a new study commissioned by an insurance company indicates 20% of women admitted "having accidents" while using living room exercise equipment. Presumably, they're talking accidents of the "breakages and minor injuries" type rather than the naughty-puppy variety. Nationwide, the damage amounts to the equivalent of nearly $40 million.
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Baseball should implement instant replay now Sporting News Instant replay has gained momentum the point of inevitability in Major League Baseball. To heck, the league is saying, with purists, curmudgeons and that old fogey of a commissioner, Bud Selig. MLB wants replay implemented before the postseason and wants to give it some time before October rolls around to make sure all systems are operational. Thus it was revealed last week that we could be seeing replay -- limited to "boundary calls" -- by August 1.
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Hank Steinbrenner pissed at the National League Sporting News "My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. "They need to grow up and join the 21st century. "Am I (mad) about it? Yes," Steinbrenner added. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."
Junior hints at future Enquirer.com Was it a subtle plea to stay? Ken Griffey Jr. had this to say Tuesday night, in thanking the Reds when they honored him for hitting his 600th career home run last week: "This is my ninth year here. This is the best team we've had," Griffey said. "My dad won three world championships. With a little luck, we can win one. I'd like to be part of that."
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Reds fall to Dodgers in series opener C. Trent Reds rookie starter Johnny Cueto was good Tuesday night, but the Dodgers' Chad Billingsley was better. Billingsley struck out nine Reds in 6.1 innings, leading Los Angeles to a 3-1 victory over the Reds at Great American Ball Park, snapping the Dodgers' five-game losing streak.
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Chad Johnson to have surgery NFL.com Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson is scheduled to undergo ankle surgery Wednesday, reports NFL Network's Adam Schefter. Johnson is expected to be ready for training camp. Last week, Johnson and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, pointed out that the receiver had bone chips in his ankle that required surgery. Now Johnson is scheduled to have it.
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Keith Rivers getting into a little blogging Fox Sports What's up Yardbarkers, checking in from Cincinnati, where we just finished up our mandatory mini-camp. Everyone was here and we were all focused on getting better as a team. I know there's been some stuff out there about Chad Johnson, but this was all about football and putting things together so that we can take the next step. It was a great experience.
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Celtics win 17th NBA Title ESPN It's the reason Paul Pierce stuck around when the losses mounted and the solution was far from clear. The reason Ray Allen was acquired as a draft-day consolation prize. And the reason Kevin Garnett agreed to leave the only pro team he'd ever known. The Big Three has won the Big One.
(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
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Weak, just weak Fox Sports Once he decided to fire Willie Randolph, New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya caught a flight to the West Coast, went to the team hotel and waited to deliver the news in person. "Eye to eye," Minaya said Tuesday. "It was done quick."
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Players feeling the pressure in '08? Sporting News Every NFL season, several high-profile players enter training camp with a heavy burden on their padded shoulders. Whether the pressure comes from the team, the fans, the media or the player himself, the pressure is real, and the chances of it affecting performance are significant.
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Dropping spygate Sporting News Sen. Arlen Specter says he won't ask Congress to pursue the New England Patriots Spygate scandal any further, but he would like to look at public financing of stadiums, the Philadelphia Daily News reports. The Pennsylvania Republican told the newspaper's editorial board, "I've gone as far as I can" in looking into the Patriots' taping of opponents' signals. Specter said he would not put the matter before the Senate Judiciary Committee because it already has "too much to do."
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A quick look at the enemy Sporting News For too many years, the guys in the plain orange helmets were just plain pathetic. In 2007, though, the Browns played as if they'd seized on the classic line from The Doors: "Break on through to the other side." However tepid a 10-6, non-playoff season might be in some towns, it drove Browns general manager Phil Savage to glowing talk about windows.
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Dexter Jackson speaks about CJ Sporting News "People think that if you sign a contract, you should honor your contract," said Bengals safety Dexter Jackson, who has had a bird's-eye view of the Chad Johnson saga playing out in Cincinnati. "But the team can release you anytime."
Name: Amy Hellkamp School: Xavier University Birth Date: March 23, 1986 Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio Year: Senior, Class of 2008 Major: Electronic media
1. I love Xavier, but I almost went to: I never even questioned it! I have wanted to go to Xavier my entire life. A part of the reason is because I was always such a big Xavier basketball fan that I knew I would never be able to cheer on another school's team!
2. My favorite class is: I took a history of rock 'n roll class last semester which was definitely my favorite. But in general, I enjoy my television studio classes and psychology.
3. Movies I can't live without:Dumb and Dumber, Forrest Gump, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Old School, and Across the Universe.
4. Music I can't live without: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix....Pretty much anything that's classic rock. Also newer bands like The Academy Is. . .
5. TV shows I can't live without:SportsCenter, Project Runway, Friends.
6. What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you during a game?: I can't really think of anything that was too embarrassing in college, but in high school I completely wiped out once my freshman year. We were running onto the football field to do a homecoming pep rally performance and my friend in front of me kicked her legs back too high, tripped me a little bit and I fell flat on my face, my pom poms went like 20 feet in the air....it was embarrassing but I just laughed it off.
7. My favorite sport is: I love football, basketball and baseball, but ultimately baseball is my favorite sport.
8. My favorite professional sports teams are: Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals. WHO DEY!
9. My one Guilty Pleasure is: Papa John's Pizza. I've been known to eat whole large boxes by myself sometimes.
10. My best physical feature: Probably my height.
11. Strange and unusual fact about me: Ever since I was little, I've put ketchup on pretty much everything...and a lot of it.
12. My friends would be surprised to know that I: I don't think anything would surprise them at this point.
14. Five People I'd Like To Have Dinner With (Living or Dead): Tom Petty, Jim Morrison, Damian Kulash, Christian Siriano and my grandpa who passed away last summer.
15. Three People who annoy me: Liars, pessimists and people who are mean/rude.
16. Next Risk I Want To Take: To start a career in sports broadcasting.
17. If your life had a theme song, what would it be?:With A Little Help From My Friends by The Beatles.
18. What reality show would you do best on and why?: Probably The Real World simply because I could most likely live with six strangers and still manage to get along with them. But then again that show loves drama, so I probably wouldn't be their best choice.
19. If I won the lottery, the first thing I'd buy is: I'd probably just go on a huge shopping spree.
20. Describe the worst date you ever went on: I've never really been on a bad date.
Like coffee? That's good for you Yahoo News Long-term coffee drinking does not appear to increase a person's risk of early death and may cut a person's chances of dying from heart disease, according to a study published on Monday. Previous studies have given a mixed picture of health effects from coffee, finding a variety of benefits and some drawbacks from the popular drink. The new study looked at people who drank caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee.
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Ravens new head man cut teeth at UC Enquirer.com John Harbaugh, who coached as an assistant at the University of Cincinnati from 1989 to 1996 - first under Tim Murphy and then under Rick Minter - twice applied for the Bearcats' head coaching job and twice landed an interview, but lost out both times. Then-athletic director Bob Goin chose Ohio State defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio over Harbaugh in 2003. When Dantonio left after three years, current UC athletic director Mike Thomas hired Central Michigan head coach Brian Kelly. Both turned out to be good hires and the Bearcats have ascended into college football's top 25, no one questions the results.
