Saturday, July 31, 2010

Mason Raymond's Contract Increases Cap Crunch for Canucks

Filed under: Canucks, Western, NHL EconomicsAhead of their scheduled salary arbitration hearing, the Vancouver Canucks and forward Mason Raymond agreed to a two-year deal Monday. General manager Mike Gillis and J.P. Barry -- Raymond's agent -- negotiated a $5.1 million pact that will keep Raymond, 24, in Vancouver.

Salary arbitration could have been a loss for Raymond, but after a career-high 25 goals and 53 points in 2009-10, the talented winger was more likely to deal Vancouver a blow had the sides gone to a hearing.

By avoiding arbitration, the Canucks limited the cap hit they must absorb for Raymond, but they haven't changed the future. In order to become cap compliant, Gillis has one or more tough decisions ahead of him. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentsfishing lures riddell boat names

The Long, Dark Winding Road of Charlie Wysocki, Former Maryland Star

Filed under: Maryland

Dozens of youngsters had shown up at an indoor sports complex in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on a muggy June day to participate in the Fourth Charlie Wysocki Football Camp. The camp's namesake didn't take part in many of the activities, watching from the metal bleachers nearby, or a table during lunch break and, when the drills moved outdoors, from under a tree.

The former Maryland running back and star eagerly signed autographs and posed for pictures with the campers and their parents, but never talked to them at length -- nor did he say much to a reporter chronicling it all. He spoke slowly, deliberately, often with one-word or one-phrase answers, and seemed distracted or disinterested much of the time.

"It's really not Charlie,'' Daniel LaMagna said later that day. LaMagna owns a semipro football team in the area, the Northeast Pennsylvania Miners, and organized the camp in honor of his friend of the last six years. LaMagna said that Wysocki also had a radio interview scheduled for the weekend to publicize the camp, but Wysocki's mood had darkened enough in recent days to convince him to call it off.

Most of the time, LaMagna said, "Charlie will talk your ear off. He will talk your ear off. There were times where he would call you every day -- he's like a second wife.'' LaMagna laughed, then added, "Now that he doesn't call, I say, 'Wow, why is he not calling?' "

He generally knew why, though, and a month later Wysocki was, indeed, calling and talking and laughing and, most significantly, recalling details from more than three decades earlier. The variations in mood, temperament and communication are symptoms of what has been described as a severe form of bipolar disorder. Wysocki, 50, has suffered from it for nearly his entire adult life, along with between five million and six million other Americans, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentsk2 snowboards swimshop golf instruction

Sources: Rays Chasing Luke Scott

Filed under: Dodgers, Orioles, Rays, MLB Rumors, MLB Inside Scoop, MLB Trade DeadlineThe Rays are in discussions about Orioles left-handed hitter Luke Scott, FanHouse has learned.

FanHouse's Tom Krasovic previously reported that the Dodgers were also involved in negotiations for Scott, but a team source has since told him that the first baseman/outfielder is not a fit in Los Angeles.

Scott, 32, has a .556 slugging percentage, with 17 homers, 20 doubles and 42 RBI in 268 at-bats. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentsequestrian clearance stress balls ghillie

Ryan and Greenberg Enhance Bid for Rangers; Mark Cuban Still in Picture

by Jon WeinbachFiled under: AL West, MLB Rumors, MLB Transactions, Sports Business and MediaAnother day, another surprise in the battle to buy the Texas Rangers.

The latest twist: The group led by Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg and Rangers president Nolan Ryan has now sweetened its bid to purchase the club, altering the terms of its offer to include more cash, according to William Snyder, who was appointed by a federal bankruptcy judge to resolve the long-running dispute over the Rangers' future ownership. The Greenberg-Ryan group originally reached an agreement in January to purchase the Rangers for $575 million, but it has been held up for months because the club's numerous creditors object to the terms of the deal.

The creditors, a diverse group that includes a Manhattan hedge fund, New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, and Texas state tax authorities, believe the sale process was rigged by Major League Baseball in order to steer the club toward Greenberg, who owns several minor-league baseball franchises, and Ryan, a Hall of Fame pitcher and Texas icon. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentscruiser bikes football jerseys snowboard gear

Stan Bowman Addresses Antti Niemi's Arbitration Situation

Filed under: Blackhawks, NHL Free Agency, NHL EconomicsThe Blackhawks will find out on Saturday what kind of salary bump that goaltender Antti Niemi (right) will be awarded, but after Niemi's arbitration hearing on Thursday, Chicago general manager Stan Bowman said that the team is planning for all sorts of scenarios.

"I wouldn't be doing my job if we weren't," Bowman said of potentially moving on from the goalie who led the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup championship in 49 years.

The NHL arbitration is unlike some sports in that the arbitrator does not have to choose one side's number or the other's. Otherwise, the Blackhawks already would have a good idea what they're looking at and they'd know whether they could afford Niemi if they lose the decision. Bowman explained that any number may be awarded between the two numbers.

After Saturday's ruling, Bowman said, the Blackhawks will have 48 hours to accept the awarded salary figure, trade the award number, or just let Niemi go entirely as a free agent, which might not be to Niemi's benefit, considering the glut of goalies this offseason.

There have been numerous estimates about how much the salary-cap challenged Blackhawks might be able to afford for Niemi, and it's largely considered that if he gets much more than double his $800,000 salary of last year, things might get tricky for Chicago, especially after Bowman said last week that Patrick Sharp is definitely staying. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentscruiser bikes football jerseys snowboard gear

Miss Iowa Throws Out First Pitch in Washington After Miguel Batista Flap

Filed under: Nationals, MLB Fans, MLB Media Watch, Sports Business and MediaWASHINGTON -- Wearing a red No. 10 Nationals jersey and her Miss Iowa USA sash, beauty queen Katherine Connors arrived at Nationals Park and threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Friday night's Phillies-Nationals game to bring her faux feud with Washington pitcher Miguel Batista full circle.

Connors, throwing from in front of the mound, tossed her pitch high and outside to Batista.

Batista set off an amusing back-and-forth between him and Connors on Tuesday when he compared himself to Miss Iowa and Stephen Strasburg to Miss Universe after starting in place of the injured phenom.

"I know I can throw a pitch or two, the question is, can Miguel Batista walk the runway in a swimsuit?" Connors fired back after Batista's comment made national headlines. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentsski equipment pellet gun aquabot

Maurice Clarett Re-Enrolls at Ohio State

Filed under: Ohio State, Big 10, Police BlotterMaurice Clarett has enrolled at Ohio State University after serving three-and-a-half years of a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon. Clarett, who was released from custody in April, began class Monday.

Clarett's sentence stemmed from two separate incidents in 2006. He was accused of robbing two people in an alley behind a Columbus night club, while the concealed weapons charge came after a bizarre police chase months later while he was awaiting trial for the robbery. It was a sad but predictable end to a story of too much, too soon.

Clarett starred during the Buckeyes national championship run in 2002, his freshman season. During the ensuing offseason, he was accused of academic misconduct and charged with filing a false police report. The Buckeyes announced he would be suspended for the entire 2003 season. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentssoftball equipment andysautosport footjoy golf shoes

Marshall Carlson, From Floor Sweeper to New Hendrick Motorsports President

Filed under: Hendrick Motorsports, NASCARAfter starting his career sweeping floors at Hendrick Motorsports during a college internship 14 years ago, Marshall Carlson moved up the ranks to become president and chief operating officer (COO) of the 13-time NASCAR championship Hendrick organization, which fields cars for Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Carlson, 37, was promoted Tuesday during the organization's quarterly employee meeting. The position has remained open for the past six years. It was previously held by the late John Hendrick, brother of team owner Rick Hendrick (pictured at right). John Hendrick was killed along with nine other people -- including John's twin daughters, Rick Hendrick's son Ricky, and other Hendrick Motorsports executives -- in an airplane crash near Martinsville, Va., on October 24, 2004.

"Hendrick Motorsports is a family and it's been one of the great privileges of my life to work with these amazing people,'' said Carlson, who has helped guide the company to four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships since he assumed the role of executive vice president and general manager in January, 2005.

After his college internship in the chassis department, Carlson worked as an engineer on the team's Camping World Truck Series team that won a title in 1997. He's worked in the company's marketing and sponsorship department and oversaw more than $200 million in real estate projects working with Hendrick Automotive Group, one of the largest auto dealership conglomerates in the country before taking his most recent position. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentsbaseball gear maternity swimsuits goalie equipment

Friday, July 30, 2010

Ryan Newman Says He Was Secretly Fined by NASCAR

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Sprint Cup, NASCARLONG POND, Pa. (AP) -- Ryan Newman says he was one of the drivers fined by NASCAR for making critical comments about the racing series and hinted that Denny Hamlin was another.

Newman refused to disclose on Friday the amount of the fine or what he said. He implied that it was for comments he made after he crashed at Talladega Superspeedway.

People familiar with the penalties told the AP this week fines were levied because the comments were considered disparaging to the sport. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because NASCAR was not publicly identifying the topflight drivers it fined.

Newman says the penalties are "behind me. It's behind Denny right now." Hamlin was scheduled to meet the media later Friday at Pocono Raceway.

Newman says he was frustrated about the fine "because I didn't understand what it was or why it was."

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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A Line in the Ice: The Kovalchuk Contract and the NHL's Financial Future

Filed under: Devils, NHL Free Agency, NHL Economics, Sports Business and MediaIt's summer in the National Hockey League -- the perfect time to prepare fans for another labor war. Who cares that the Chicago Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup in 50 years? "Salary cap circumvention" is a much more appealing topic.

And make no mistake: by rejecting Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102 million contract with the New Jersey Devils last week, the NHL has drawn a line in the sand -- er, ice -- for another legal battle against its players. The league's action is really a preview of upcoming -- and likely difficult -- negotiations on the league's collective bargaining agreement, which expires after the 2011-12 season. The NHL wants to close a loophole in the CBA that permits ultra-long, "front-loaded" deals, and it's going to the mat on the issue by taking on Kovalchuk, one of the league's brightest stars, and the Devils, arguably the league's model franchise.

Earlier Monday, the NHL players' union responded by filing a grievance on behalf of Kovalachuk, the 27-year-old Russian sniper who has averaged more than 40 goals per season during his eight-year career. Now the league and union must agree on an arbitrator, who will then issue a final decision on the contract's validity. The Devils and Kovalchuk's agent could re-work the contract to the satisfaction of the NHL but that appears unlikely, at least in the short term. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentscontact juggling 10 minute workout pool cleaners

Stan Bowman Addresses Antti Niemi's Arbitration Situation

Filed under: Blackhawks, NHL Free Agency, NHL EconomicsThe Blackhawks will find out on Saturday what kind of salary bump that goaltender Antti Niemi (right) will be awarded, but after Niemi's arbitration hearing on Thursday, Chicago general manager Stan Bowman said that the team is planning for all sorts of scenarios.

"I wouldn't be doing my job if we weren't," Bowman said of potentially moving on from the goalie who led the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup championship in 49 years.

The NHL arbitration is unlike some sports in that the arbitrator does not have to choose one side's number or the other's. Otherwise, the Blackhawks already would have a good idea what they're looking at and they'd know whether they could afford Niemi if they lose the decision. Bowman explained that any number may be awarded between the two numbers.

After Saturday's ruling, Bowman said, the Blackhawks will have 48 hours to accept the awarded salary figure, trade the award number, or just let Niemi go entirely as a free agent, which might not be to Niemi's benefit, considering the glut of goalies this offseason.

There have been numerous estimates about how much the salary-cap challenged Blackhawks might be able to afford for Niemi, and it's largely considered that if he gets much more than double his $800,000 salary of last year, things might get tricky for Chicago, especially after Bowman said last week that Patrick Sharp is definitely staying.paintball gear cross trainer 125cc

A Look at Alexander Frolov's Declining Value and Production

Filed under: Kings, Rangers, NHL Free AgencyIn a free agent class that is short on difference-makers and impact players, Alexander Frolov's name is an intriguing -- and curious -- one. He is an undeniably talented player and a smooth puck handler, has twice scored 30 goals (including just two years ago) and averages more than 50 points per season in the NHL. And he's still seen his value on the open market plummet.

He's coming off a season that saw his production (raw numbers: goals, points) decline for the third consecutive year, while his per-game averages were among the worst of his career. The low point of his season was probably in mid-October when Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray publicly criticized him and made him a healthy scratch against the Dallas Stars, saying to Rich Hammond at the time: "I haven't been happy with Fro's game for several games. The game the other night is the straw that broke the camel's back, in my opinion. The turnovers, the careless play... It has to be better, and you have to come out with that high level of intensity, with smart work, hard work, and you've got to love the game. You've got to love the game in order to be a player. The talent is there, but it always is the work that brings out talent. And I need more."

Even with all of that, his resume is probably the best one remaining on the free agent market (well, not counting Ilya Kovalchuk). The Rangers were willing to take a swing for the fences, signing the young player. But what will they be getting, and what was behind Frolov's disappointing 2009-10 campaign? Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentswomen\\\'s board shorts tickets now coleman tents

No Ruling on Helio's Tantrum Until Next Week, IRL Says

Filed under: IRLAfter making a split-second decision to black flag leader Helio Castroneves for blocking at the end of the IndyCar race at Edmonton Sunday, Indy Racing League officials are taking their time deciding what to do about his post-race outburst -- a temper tantrum that included grabbing an IRL official with both hands and shaking him.

"IZOD IndyCar Series officials will meet with driver Helio Castroneves next week to further review his actions following the July 25 race in Edmonton," said a news release issued by the sanctioning body Thursday. "Any penalties will be announced after that meeting."

Brian Barnhardt, the IRL's president of competition and racing operations, vigorously defended the sanctioning body's snap decision to black flag Castroneves for blocking teammate Will Power as Power tried to pass on the outside going into and through the first turn after a restart with two laps to go.

But the IRL is obviously taking its time on deliberating and ruling about Castroneves' explosive reaction. In other major sports, such as baseball, simply touching an umpire or referee during an argument brings a swift, automatic suspension.

Castroneves ignored the black flag, which is an order to the pits for consultation, so he did not receive the checkered flag as race leader at the end of the final lap. Scott Dixon, in second behind Castroneves at the end, received the checkers and the victory. Castroneves was docked 20 seconds, a penalty that dropped him to 10th place. Power, who was third in line, was awarded second.

Castroneves stormed over to the flag stand and was gesturing and shouting up at the flagman when IRL security chief Charles Burns approached to try to settle him down. Castroneves grabbed the front of Burns' shirt with both hands and shook him for a moment as Penske Racing team director Tim Cindric intervened. The fiery Brazilian almost instantly regretted his actions and has apologized for his outburst while remaining firm that the blocking penalty was out of line and "absurd." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentsandysautosport footjoy golf shoes ski helmets

ESPN Says Story on LeBron James' Las Vegas Exploits Will Not Run

Filed under: Heat, NBA Free AgentsA story on the doings of LeBron James while he and other NBA players were in Las Vegas last weekend will not run on ESPN.com because the reporter did not identify himself as a reporter, an ESPN executive said Thursday.

Rob King, vice president and editor in chief of ESPN Digital Media, said in a statement issued by the company that Arash Markazi, a Los Angeles-based columnist, did not "properly identify himself as a reporter or clearly state his intentions to write a story."

"As a result, we are not comfortable with the content, even in an edited version, because of the manner in which the story was reported," King said in the statement.

King stressed that the piece, which detailed a weekend where James, his personal friends and marketing partners, as well as Nike employees and other NBA players, were served champagne by flying waiters and partied around go-go dancers and scantily clad women, was not quashed at the behest of James or other outside sources.

"To be clear, the decisions to pull the prematurely published story and then not to run it were made completely by ESPN editorial staff without influence from any outside party," King said. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentsgolf cart parts scottish tourist board zodiac boats

FanHouse TV: Buck Showalter's Experience Will Serve Orioles Well

Filed under: Orioles, MLB Video, Executive TakeThe tumultuous Baltimore Orioles season took another turn on Thursday as veteran big league manager Buck Showalter was hired to take over for the interim Juan Samuel.

FanHouse TV's Steve Phillips reports that Showalter is the right guy at the right time to end the instability in Baltimore.

Click to watch: Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentsbig east tournament nhl live snugpak

Twelve Thoughts: Strasburg's Shoulder, Torre and Bochy, DiPoto's Future

Filed under: Angels, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Padres, Yankeeso. Stephen Strasburg has a clean health record going for him as he attempts to rebound from a shoulder ailment. (He will miss his next start, scheduled for Sunday, and could be shut down for up to 10 days.)

In his three years at San Diego State, Strasburg reported no arm problems. "None. Zero. Nothing," Aztecs coach Tony Gwynn told FanHouse on Wednesday. Gwynn said that adjusting to pitching every fifth day, rather than every sixth or seventh day, is part of the rookie's current challenge.

o. Dodgers manager Joe Torre told me something I never heard from San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner over the past 12 months, even after the Bolts' mistake-riddled 17-14 playoff lost to the underdog Jets last January.

"I screwed up," Torre told West Coast Bias this week, saying he was wrong to remove pitcher Vicente Padilla from a recent game. Turner needs to read from Torre's playbook. If the Bolts play as if poorly prepared, he'd do himself a favor by taking some of the blame, instead of putting it all on the players like he did after the loss to the Jets. Torre has four World Series rings that speak to his humble leadership.

o. Talking to Torre on Tuesday, I kept thinking of cooking oil.

A baseball man close to the Dodgers said Torre, 70, is exhausted this summer to the point of being "fried." Torre's response?

"Fried is not on my diet. You could say broiled. Or grilled." He added, "I get weary at times, yeah, but it's not that I get weary of baseball."

A hard day in Los Angeles, he added, is easier than an easy day in the Bronx Zoo. "Those last three years there were brutal -- it was everything other than managing the game," he said. "It's been fun here." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentswilson tennis cbg.ie la police gear

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Deanna Favre Prepares to Return to Minnesota, Report Says

Filed under: Vikings, NFC NorthIt's the same thing every offseason: Brett Favre can't just tell us whether he's coming back or not. The news has to trickle out in fits and starts, with little hints coming from Favre, his agent and his family. And Thursday we have an example of the kind of hint coming from Favre's family that shows just how ridiculous all the Favre offseason drama can get.

Patrick Reusse of 1500 ESPN in Minnesota is reporting that "inside sources at Lifetime Fitness" have informed him that Deanna Favre, Brett's wife, has renewed her membership at a Twin Cities-area gym to cover the 2010 football season.

Yes, we've reached the point where we're not just talking about Brett Favre's offseason workouts. We're also talking about Deanna Favre's in-season workouts. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentsactivewear swim shop weight vest

TaylorMade Tip: Sean O'Hair's Secret to Putting Success

Filed under: PGA, Golf Odds and Ends, Golf TipsIt has been said that the biggest thing that separates the pro golfers from the amateurs is putting. A well played hole can blow up into a round wrecker if your putting game is off.

PGA Tour pro Sean O'Hair stops by with this week's Taylor Made Tip, specially designed to keep you from tossing that putter into the lake.

Click below to watch: Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentstippmann 98 custom 6 week body makeover swiss ball

A Line in the Ice: The Kovalchuk Contract and the NHL's Financial Future

by Jon WeinbachFiled under: Devils, NHL Free Agency, NHL Economics, Sports Business and MediaIt's summer in the National Hockey League -- the perfect time to prepare fans for another labor war. Who cares that the Chicago Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup in 50 years? "Salary cap circumvention" is a much more appealing topic.

And make no mistake: by rejecting Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102 million contract with the New Jersey Devils last week, the NHL has drawn a line in the sand -- er, ice -- for another legal battle against its players. The league's action is really a preview of upcoming -- and likely difficult -- negotiations on the league's collective bargaining agreement, which expires after the 2011-12 season. The NHL wants to close a loophole in the CBA that permits ultra-long, "front-loaded" deals, and it's going to the mat on the issue by taking on Kovalchuk, one of the league's brightest stars, and the Devils, arguably the league's model franchise.

Earlier Monday, the NHL players' union responded by filing a grievance on behalf of Kovalachuk, the 27-year-old Russian sniper who has averaged more than 40 goals per season during his eight-year career. Now the league and union must agree on an arbitrator, who will then issue a final decision on the contract's validity. The Devils and Kovalchuk's agent could re-work the contract to the satisfaction of the NHL but that appears unlikely, at least in the short term. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Commentsschwinn bicycles activewear swim shop