(Basketball)

...The LA Clippers, stung last week by the Elton Brand defection, stunned the NBA last nite with their midnite trade to acquire 7-foot center Marcus Camby from the Denver Nuggets, giving up only a 2nd round draft pick to inherit his 8-million dollar a year deal. The trade now gives the Clippers 2-starting centers, Camby and Chris Kaman, but no legitimate power forward. He averaged 9-points, 13-rebounds and 3-blocked shots a game and is a former NBA-Defensive Player of the year. By taking on Camby, the Clippers took away their chance to sign a free-agent like Emekoa Okafor or Josh Smith.

...The New Orleans Hornets raided the champion Boston Celtics, signing defensive specialist James Posey to a 4-year deal worth 25-million; he rejected a 3-year deal in Boston-Cleveland and overtures from the Lakers.

...The Indiana Pacers, who traded 1-star Jermaine O'Neal last month to Toronto, today offered to deal unhappy guard Jamal Tinsley to Miami for Udonis Haslem.

...The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Daniel Gibson to a 5-year extension; he averaged l0-points a game.

...The New York Knicks have lost their top draft pick, Italian forward Danilio Gallinari, who injured his back in his 2nd NBA-Summer League game.

...Brandon Jennings, the Arizona Wildcats top recruit, who failed to get into school, has signed to play with the Virtus Roma team in Italy.

(Baseball)

...The Padres are headed to St-Louis where they open the 2nd half of the season tomorrow with what could be a painful 11-game road trip. San Diego is 21-games under .500 and poised to make more roster moves. GM-Kevin Towers in Oregon and Idaho, looking at centerfielder Will Venable and rookie league prospects.

...The Dodgers have lost relief ace Takashi Saito for 6-weeks with a sprained elbow ligament; he had 19-saves this year. The Blue opens a 6-game road trip in Arizona tomorrow.

...The Angels are refusing to talk to the agent of their top closer, and are refusing to pay 20-million dollars a year to relief ace Frankie Rodriguez, as they open the second half of the season The Halos host the Red Sox tomorrow nite, in a battle of the top two teams in the American League.

...Bad news for the Florida Marlins; starter Sergio Mitre underwent elbow ligament transplant surgery yesterday, will miss at least 12-months of action; he suffered a damaged forearm early in the season.

...Giants starter Tim Lincecum has flown home after missing the All-Star game after being hospitalized with a serious case of the flu last nite in New York.

...The New York Daily News is reporting that ex-Mets clubhouse attendant Brian Radomski, fingered for dealing HGH and Steroids, has given the FBI shipping receipts of HGH he sent to Roger Clemens home.

...Bud Selig says not 1-major league team has ever asked him about signing free-agent slugger Barry Bonds, dismissing reports clubs are blackballing the Giants slugger, who is still unsigned.

...They used 23-pitchers, 63-players and went 15-innings as the American League won the All-State game at Yankees Stadium last nite. The AL is now (11-0-1) against the NL dating back over a decade. The game was highlited by 3-big plays by catcher Russell Martin at the plate; gritty pitching from Aaron Cook, who pitched out of a bases loaded none-out jam, and Dan Uggla's 3-strikeout-3 error performance. The game ended at 1:40am-New York times.

...Commissioner Bud Selig caught more flack. Because the winner of the Game gets home field advantage in the World Series, and because both teams used all their pitchers, he could not call the game a tie, and could have been faced with the embarrassment of having Mets 3rd baseman David Wright have to com in and pitch if there had been a 16th inning. They may expand the 12-man pitching staffs.

...George Steinbrenner, the iconic Yankees owner, wept while being driven to home plate; unable to speak because of rumored strokes and Alzheimer's, he was kissed by Yankees legends Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford.

...San Diego State Aztecs ace Stephen Strasburg was the only college player named to the US Olympic team headed to Beijing; the rest of the roster is made up of 14Triple A and 7-Double A players.

 

(Football)

...The Brett Favre soap opera continued today amidst reports Favre will file a letter for reinstatement with Commissioner Roger Goodell, but could face a 15,000-dollar a day fine if he refuses to report because the Packers won't name him their starting quarterback.

...Green Bay offensive line coach James Campen is in hot water; a close friend of the quarterback, he met with Favre and told him to force the Packers hand, report to camp, and force his outright release.

...Eagles corner Lito Sheppard could be headed to a holdout, while trying to force a trade. He has just hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent.

...Big salary, no signing bonus, big risk. Nahmdi Asomugha, the Raiders Pro Bowl corner, will play out his option on a 9-million dollar one year deal. Tennessee nose-tackle Albert Haynesworth will play under a 1-year, 7-million deal. Baltimore pass rusher Terrell Suggs, also a franchise player, will play at 8-million a year.

..The NFL says it will investigate and likely fine players caught making 'gang signs' during television broadcasts of games. The league came down hard last year on players who gave the slit throat signs.

...The Chargers have promoted 30-year old AG Spanos to a top executive position in the organization; their veteran execs Jim Steeg, Jeannie Bonk and Ken Derritt will all have to report to the younger Spanos, who worked in marketing last year.

 

...A sad note in college football. Bruce Snyder, who spent 9-years as head coach at Arizona State, taking the Sun Devils to the Rose Bowl, is in serious condition with cancer.

...Oregon's football program is mourning the death of top recruit Todd Doxen, who drowned over the weekend, after jumping off a bridge in a swimming mishap outside of Eugene.

 

(Hockey)

...The LA Kings, in surprise move, will hire Terry Murray as head coach; He had been head coach with the Flyers-Washington and Florida Panthers. They bypassed highly regarded assistant Mike Johnson.

...Jeff Tambellini, a former lst round pick of the Kings, who scored 38-goals in 57-games in the AHL: last year, has signed 2-year guaranteed contract with the New York Islanders.

...The NHL's Winter Classic is coming to Wrigley Field, New Years Day in Chicago; the Blackhawks will face the Detroit Red Wings.

...The Colorado Avalanche have signed LA Kings veteran free-agent Brian Willsie, a forward.

(General)

...The British Open will tee off tomorrow morning in Pittsburgh like winter weather. Gray, cold with 23-mile an hour winds in the forecast for the lst round tomorrow at Southport, England. More than 250-thousand fans are expected over the next four days eventhough Tiger Woods will not play.

...Phil Mickelson will tee off at 10-30am-England time, 1-20am our time.

...Paddy Harrington says he will attempt to play tomorrow despite a sprained wrist.

...John Daley, smoking cigarettes and weighing 290-pounds, was cheered today during a practice round.

...Hitting coach Butch Harmon again criticized Daly, saying he fired him as a client, after Daly missed 4-practice sessions, and spent time drinking with Hooters Girls during a tournament. He was caught on video last month, hitting a ball off a beer can, and spraying beer on a tee. He also showed up a tourney without shoes-socks or a shirt. Daly told the London media to tell Harmon to mind his own business.

...Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho arrived in AC-Milan today after the Italian team paid a 33-million dollar transfer fee to acquire him from Barcelona.

...A 2nd rider in 2-days has been expelled from the Tour-de-France. Spanish star Moise Navado was arrested in possession of EPO-blood doping equipment.

...Cadel Evans of Australia still has the Yellow Jersey after 11-days of racing. Norway's Kurt Arvesen won today's downhill mountain sprint.

...US sprint star Tyson Gay arrived in Germany today but may not run in the 100-meter race at London's Crystal Palace on July 25th because of that hamstring injury. Asafa Powell said he would run the 100 and Usian Bolt says he will race in the 200, their last meet before the Beijing Olympics.

...Disgraced Trevor Graham, who got 9-of his sprinters involved in drug use, has been suspended for life by the IOC, the USOC and the International Track Federation.

...Sad notes in sports.

...NASCAR tech advisor Steve Peterson has died of a heart attack at 59. He devised the Safe Wall Barriers and helped with the design of the HANS neck device.

...Hungarian Olympic gold medal canoeist Gyorgy Kolonics died of a heart attack while training in Budapest today.

...Slob Ilijevski, a legendary goalie for the St-Louis Steamers in the Major Indoor Soccer League, has passed away of a ruptured aorta at the age of 58.