...6-races, 6-Gold Medals, 6-World records. Michael Phelps march towards Olympic history continued today, outgunning the field in the 200-meter IM medley race, but conserving energy for his final 2-races. Phelps swims in the 100-meter butterfly, his signature event, against Ian Crocker tomorrow, then goes for the 8th gold Sunday in the 400-relay.
...American Ryan Lochte had to swim 2-events in 29-minutes, unheard of. He won the Gold in the 200-meter backstroke, then 29-minutes later finished 3rd to Phelps in the medley race.
...In women's action, 41-year old Dara Torres finished 2nd to Aussie teen Cate Campbell to move onto the semifinals in the 50-meter freestyle.
...Track and field moved into the spotlite today. Tyson Gay, coming off hip and hamstring problems ran 2-qualifying races in the 100, without problems, qualifying at 10.09. . Usian Bolt survived a slow start to clock 10-flat in another 100-meter event. Asafa Powell coasted also to move to the semi-finals. Later tonite Gay and Powell will run in 1-heat; Bolt and American Walter Dix will go in another. Those races will go off around 9pm tonite with the finals in the 100-tomorrow.
...America's top 3-all got thru qualifying runs in the 1500-meter race. Bernard Lagat of Washington State, came from 11th place to finish 4th in a qualifying heat. Lopez Lomong, the Sudan child refugee, who wound up at Northern Arizona, qualified 5th.
...A disaster of a day for American shot putters. Reese Hoffa, the reigning world champ, fouled twice and failed to move on. And 2-time Olympian Adam Nelson hurt a rib and had to quit.
...A controversial day in baseball. The US fell to Cuba 5-4 in 11-innings, as the bullpen failed again. In addition, Jayson Nix, attempting to bunt, was hit in the face and suffered a bad injury and had surgery tonite in Beijing. Ex-major league manager Davey Johnson accused Cuban pitcher Pedro Lazo of throwing at Nix's head when he saw him square to bunt. The US is (1-2) in group play. The US is taking heat for bypassing all the top college pitchers in the nation outside of San Diego State star Stephen Strasburg, and using minor league pitchers.
...An upset in volleyball. The US stunned China , coming from 2-sets down, to win in 5-sets, moving to the quarterfinals.
...The IOC is being hammered with criticism from US and European journalists for saying they will not investigate age discrepancies in 3-Chinese gymnasts, who reportedly are 12-or-13, not the required age of 16.
...IOC officials are feeling pressure also to reconsider placing the 2014-Olympics in Sochi, Russia, because of the current Russian invasion of the state of Georgia.
...Controversy on the medal stand; Swedish heavyweight wrestler Ara Abrahamian refused to accept his bronze medal and did not stand on the podium after a judge's score gave a win to an Armenian wrestler in a disputed finish in Greco-Roman match.
(Baseball)
...10-first round draft picks remain unsigned approaching the 12-midnite deadline for clubs to sign the picks or lose them. 5-of the 10-are clients of militant agent Scott Boras, including Pirates 2nd pick Pedro Alvarez of Vanderbilt, Royals lst baseman Eric Hosmer, and Orioles 4th pick, USD pitcher Brian Matusz. Also unsigned is Padres 24th pick Allan Dykstra of Wake Forest.
...The Padres face the fading Phillies tonite at Petco Park. 42-year old Greg Maddux pitches against 45-year old Jamie Moyer; between them they have 593-career victories. A Maddux win gives him 354, tying him with Roger Clemens. Maddux will have to keep the ball in the park against Philadelphia's home run derby lineup of Ryan Howard-Chase Utley and Pat Burrell. The Phillies were swept 4-straight at Dodgers Stadium, and have lost 6-of-8.
...The Dodgers have Chad Billingsley on the mound tonite opening a weekend series against Milwaukee. Manny Ramirez's arrival has impacted 2nd baseman Jeff Kent, who is (14-30) batting infront of Man-Ram. Matt Kemp has an 11-game hitting streak, batting .353. The Dodgers, tied for lst place with Arizona, won't have to face either of the Brewers big aces, CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets.
...Don't screw with a streak; that came from the Kevin Costner movie 'Bull Durham'. Joe Torre made Manny Ramirez get his dreadlocks cut, and he went (0-4).
...Rumors continue to fly this afternoon, Maddux could be headed to the Dodgers this weekend; LA had to put pitchers Brad Penny and Corey Wade on the DL. Maddux has yet to clear waivers, but has a no-trade clause, and would accept a deal only to the Dodgers or Angels. The Padres might want young fielder Chin Hu or Double A-pitcher James McDonald.
...The Dodgers are also interested in Washington Nationals infielder Ronnie Belliard and put in a waiver claim for him last nite..
...The Angels face the hottest pitcher in the American League tonite in Cleveland; the Halos face (16-2) Cliff Lee. The Angels are (75-44).
...The shutout string is over; Oakland A's rookie Brad Ziegler, shifted to the closers role, gave up a run last nite after 39-straight shutout innings.
...The Florida Marlins, in need of a bat, are looking at former Angels slugger Dallas McPherson, who has 39-homers at Albuquerque.
...Arizona has traded .302-hitting catcher Wilkin Castillo to Cincinnati as partial payment for slugger Adam Dunn.
...Tampa Bay has lost closer Troy Percival with a sprained knee; earlier this week they had to put Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford on the DL.
...The Cubs have lost 3rd baseman Aramis Ramirez with a bruised hip.
...The Angels are putting infielder Maicier Izturis on the DL with a thumb injury.
(Football)
...The NFL is handing down a 4-game suspension to Minnesota Vikings left tackle Bryant McKinnie for an arrest for assaulting a man in a bar last February, his third off-field incident in 3-years.
...San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith left camp to come to San Diego for the funeral after his housemate, a 24-year old assistant principal at Helix High, committed suicide.
...A Philadelphia man has been charged with extortion for trying to blackmail Giants coach Tom Coughlin into giving him 30-thousand dollars. The man said he was going to release information to the media about sexual affairs Coughlin was having with 2-women. The women said it never happened, and said the man had written threatening letters about them in the past.
...The Green Bay Packers 20-million marketing deal for Brett Favre involved autographs, sports memorabilia, personal appearances and a blog in addition to a scouting job. The Packers say they offer will still exist after Favre retires.
...30-Miami Dolphins players were involved in a brawl last nite at practice after DB-Will Allen slugged receiver David Kircus.
...On the injury front:
...The New York Giants have put right tackle Shane Olivea on IR with a back injury.
...Giants receiver Plaxico Burress is being treated for a flat foot condition.
...Dallas linebacker Kevin Burnett is out 4-weeks with knee surgery.
...The Colts have lost corner Kelvin Hayden with a bruised heel; the Colts have 6-starters out with injuries.
...Saints running back Reggie Bush left workouts again with swelling in his left knee.
...Green Bay receiver Brett Swain, called timid by an assistant coach, has now gone out with a bruised thigh.
...Eagles wide receiver Reggie Brown went down last nite with a hamstring injury.
...Chargers pass rusher Shawne Merriman is out with a viral infection and hayfever problems.
...Jacksonville has released left tackle Leander Jordan.
...The Steelers have signed Redskins defensive end Kevin Huntley.
(College Football)
...UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft runs the lst team offense tomorrow nite in the Bruins lst preseason scrimmage. Craft, who graded out at 98-percent in practice, came back last nite and threw 2-picks.
...USC star running back Joe McKnight smashed two fingers in a dorm room door, but is still practicing.
...Trojans quarterback Mark Sanchez began drop back throwing workouts, recovering from last weekends kneecap injury.
...San Diego State's Ryan Lindley, who has been throwing Brett Favre-like fastballs in practice, leads the Aztecs lst scrimmage tomorrow at 2-30 at Quallcom Stadium. Freshman Ramon Judkins will get snaps and the kicking battle involving Utah State transfer Brian Shields will be the top issues of the day.
...The Aztecs have added 4-more walkons to their roster. Darias Jones, the JUCO-nose tackle from Butte College, went thru another conditioning workout today. Offensive tackle Travis Campbell, a transfer from Hawaii, arrived on campus today. San Diego State also added Long Beach City College field goal kicker and punter Dustin Abrams; and receivers Dante Daniels and Lucas Stafford and tight end Hunter Hewitt. They expect to add 10-more walkons on September lst.
...Colorado State named Billy Farris as starting quarterback for the season.
...Wyoming JUCO transfer Dax Morris has taken the starting QB-job for the Cowboys from Karsten Sween..
...1-NFL preseason game tonite. The Raiders face the Tennessee Titans in Nashville tonite.
...Brett Favre starts tomorrow for the Jets against the Redskins.
...The Chargers, without 6-starters, play the Rams in St-Louis tomorrow nite.
(Basketball)
...Vincent Askew, a former guard with the 76ers, has been arrested for having sex with a 16-year old hi-school girl.
...Shaunie O'Neal has dropped divorce proceedings against legendary center Shaquille O'Neal. She and 6-children had left a year ago over charges of infidelity and the disappearance of 31-million dollars of the bank accounts of the Lakers star.
...Portland star guard Brandon Roy will be out 6-weeks with knee scope surgery.
...The Phoenix Suns have signed free-agent 6-9 power forward Louis Amundsen, who spent last year with the 76ers.
...The Lakers have signed LA Clippers forward Josh Powell.
(Hockey)
...The Toronto Star is reporting the Maple Leafs have offered to trade star defenseman Bryan McCabe and 2-million dollars cash to the Florida Panthers for a lst round draft pick.
(General)
...Kyle Busch has 8-wins and heads the field for the Michigan 400-NASCAR race on Sunday. Jeff Gordon is winless in 22-races and Tony Stewart's winless drought has now stretched to 38-races.
...Ryan Newman has signed a 3-year contract to join Tony Stewart next year on the new Stewart-Haas-CNC Nascar team; Newman, who won the Daytona 500, is leaving Penske Racing.
...Marco Andretti, winless in 2-years, may leave Andretti-Green Racing to sign with a new team. He has struggled working under his father, team-owner Michael Andretti, and has had problems with teammates Tony Kanaan and Danica Patrick.
...Chris Russo, 1-of the hosts on the Mike and the Mad Dog show on WFAN-the all sports station in New York, has quit after 21-years on the air.
...Michael Phelps is the Olympic story, but NBC-says it will not change the way they cover it. NBC execs said today they will not televise Phelps attempt to win an 8th gold medal 'Live' on Sunday, because it would be in the middle of the night on Saturday. NBC has been feeding events live to the East Coast and Central Time zone, but delayed 3-hours to the West Coast. Phelps' final event will be the 400-Medley Relay, but it would run around 2am-US time.
...China's relentless drive to Gold Medals continued today, with the Chinese newspapers ignoring Phelps drive for 8-Gold Medals. His stories were buried on Page 30-and-32. The front page stories were on badminton and ping pong. The Chinese press also refused to cover the stabbing-murder of the relatives of the US volleyball coach, the beating of a Japanese journalist covering a Tibet protest, or the Chinese gymnast age controversy.
...The Associated Press has uncovered 3-newspaper stories on website that show 3-top Chinese gymnasts are actually 12 and 13-years old, not the minimum 16-years of age. Included is Gold Medal gymnast Je Kexin. The Chinese government shutdown the 3-websites that contained the stories. The IOC is refusing comment if they will investigate the stories.
...Spanish basketball star Pao Gasol said there was no malice intended when his basketball team took a team photo with players using a slant eye impression. He called it an ignorant joke.
...Michael Phelps is headed for a showdown with top challenger Ryan Lochte in the 200-IM race; they finished 1-2 in qualifying. The finals are late tonite.
...A big disappointment; top American female swimmer Katie Hoff is headed home without a Gold Medal in 5-events.
...An upset in the 100-freestyle; French star Alain Barnard came from behind to beat Eamon Sullivan of Australia.
...A tennis upset also; James Blake, who never had beaten Roger Federer, beat him in straight sets today. A bad day for Venus and Serena Williams, both lost.
...Kobe Bryant, who had been 1-for-15 shooting, went 7-for-14, and the US forced 13-turnovers early to bomb Greece 92-69, setting up a showdown with Spain.
...San Diego State pitching ace Stephen Strasburg threw 6-no hit innings as the US bombed the Netherlands (7-0) but the Aztecs ace won't be available to pitch Friday against Cuba.
...In Beach volleyball, the US team led by Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh moved to the Medal Round.
...And there was payback. The Beach volleyball team of the Republic of Georgia, being bombed and invaded by Russia, beat the Russian side in a huge upset today.
...Tomorrow nite, the showdown in track and field begins, with Tyson Gay, Usian Bolt and Asafa Powell ready to square off in the 100-meter race. Gay ran a wind-aided 9.68 earlier this summer; Bolt holds the world record at 9.72; Powell had the world mark at 9.74. Qualifying begins tomorrow
(Baseball)
...Hot hitting Jody Gerut drove in a key run, Chase Headley and Tad Iguchi scored runs, and the Padres broke up a 6-inning scoreless pitching duel between Jake Peavy and Ben Sheets. San Diego leads the Brewers 3-1. Peavy struck out 8-and was clocked at 94-96-98 miles an hour during 6-dominant innings.
...The Padres have lost pitcher Chris Young; placed back on the DL with a strained forearm. He missed 6-weeks with facial fractures after getting hit with a line drive earlier in the season.
...A 2nd doctor, who examined Padres lst round draft pick Alan Dykstra, has cleared him of any current problems with his hip. The Padres have till midnite tomorrow to sign him or lose him. They had offered him a 1.4-million dollar deal but withdrew it.
...The Dodgers go for their 4th win in a row tonite against the Phillies. The Blue came from a 6-1 deficit last nite, winning on a Nomar Garciaparra home run in the 9th. The Dodgers are tied with Arizona for lst place.
...Manny Ramirez continues to assault National League pitching; he is (21-45) with 5-homers-16 RBIs in 12-games, hitting .466.
...The Dodgers have fired minor league pitching coach Marty Reed, who developed pitchers Chad Billingsley, Jon Broxton, Hong Kwo and Clayton Kershaw.
...Angels manager Mike Scosia is getting hammered by the media for padding Frankie Rodriguez's save stats by using him. K-Rod has 55-appearances, 46-saves, but blew his 5th save last nite. Scosia is upset with the LA Times and Orange County Register for questioning his 'integrity'.
...The Angels bullpen ace says Umpire Gerry Davis mocked him last nite in the loss to Seattle. Frankie Rodriguez said he questioned a ball 4-call, and Davis responded shutup you gave up 6-hits..
...Signing bonus' continue to rocket. The Giants today signed their top pick power-hitter Buster Posey to a 7.5-million dollar bonus package. It tops what Tampa Bay's 6.5-million package to the top pick in the draft Tim Beckham. The White Sox gave the 8th pick, Georgia star Gordon Beckham 2.6-million.
...Washington lost lst round pick pitcher Aaron Crow, who signed a deal to pitch at Ft-Worth in Independent ball. He was (13-0) at Missouri and wanted a 5-million dollar deal as the 9th overall pick.
...The Arizona Diamondbacks are upset at Washington GM-Jim Bowden for putting in a waiver claim preventing pitcher Micah Owings from being traded to Cincinnati in the Aaron Dunn deal.
...Phillies star Jimmy Rollins has ripped the fans in that city, calling them 'frontrunners and not real fans, saying the players are tired of getting booed in the middle of the pennant race..
...The Giants have released starting 3rd baseman Jose Castillo. They've begun a youth movement bringing up .312-hitting Fresno lst baseman Travis Ishikawa, and outfielder Pablo Sandoval, hitting .339.
...Good news for A's 3rd baseman Eric Chavez; doctors repaired 2-labrum tears and a lesion in his shoulder, and say a bicep tendon transplant will get him on the field next year.
...Good news too in St-Louis; pitcher Chris Carpenter has a strain, but no bicep tear in his shoulder.
...Commissioner Bud Selig said today all 30-major league stadiums this week were wired for instant replay that will be put into operation on Labor Day weekend. The replay will be run out of a Central viewing headquarters in New York, and will be used for home run calls and fair or foul balls.
(Football)
...The New England Patriots have signed ex-Denver Broncos 9-time Pro Bowl safety John Lynch.
...The Raiders released veteran linebacker Ed Hartwell.
...The NFL moves into Canada tonite with a Thursday nite preseason game at the Skydome, the Bills hosting the Steelers.
...Carolina plays the Eagles in the other NFL game tonite.
...Pac Man Jones has written a one and a half page letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell asking for official full reinstatement. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones filed a separate letter detailing all the off the field things Jones has done according to NFL guidelines.
...Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna fired a punch at safety Buster Davis, after Davis took 2-cheapshots at Lions receivers in practice.
...New Orleans running back Reggie Bush is upset with the Saints beat-writers, who are calling him a 'bust'. He had just 998-all purpose yards last year.
...Denver quarterback Jay Cutler met for a hour with Cowboys quarterback Wade Wilson to discuss handling Diabetes. Wilson played 14-years in the NFL as a Type 1-diabetic.
...Raiders big money free-agent receiver Javon Walker has undergone counseling for depression; he says he is committed to playing for the NFL team this year.
...Eagles veteran tackle Shawn Andrews went thru his lst workouts in Philadelphia's camp, after missing 17-days with treatment for depression.
...Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rogers sounded off today, saying he is upset that Packers fans are booing him in workouts, still chanting Brett Favre's name.
...The Steelers demoted Denis Dixon, the rookie QB from Oregon, because of poor work habits and continued mechanical problems.
...A rocky outing for Chad Pennington in his lst Dolphins scrimmage; (6-21) with 2-interceptions.
...A tough day for Broncos lst round draft pick Ryan Clady; the Boise State left tackle gave up 3-sacks in a scrimmage.
...On the injury front:
...New Orleans has lost starting defensive tackle Hollis Thomas for 2-months with a torn tricep in practice today.
...Jets pass rusher Shaun Ellis has gone down with a broken hand.
...Tennessee right tackle David Stewart will miss 4-weeks with scope knee surgery.
...Redskins pass rusher Jason Taylor left workouts with an arch injury.
...Buffalo right tackle Matt Murphy is out 7-weeks with a rotator cuff injury.
(College Football)
...San Diego State has landed another offensive lineman. XTRA Sports has confirmed that 6-3, 290-pound offensive tackle Bryan Campbell has transferred from the University of Hawaii, and will be amongst 10-additional walkons who join workouts on September lst.
...San Diego State, downgrading its schedule, has signed contracts to host lowly New Mexico State, Southern Utah State and Nevada Reno in games in 2009-and-2010.
...Kevin Craft took all 55-snaps with the UCLA lst team offense today and has locked down the starting job for the opener with Tennessee.
...The Bruins lost 2-more players with injuries. Khalil Bell, the top running back, left workouts with a hip injury; linebacker Rod Carter has a concussion.
...USC starting guard Jeff Byers has been diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Fever, caused by a tick. He has been ill for 3-weeks.
...Trojans quarterback Mark Sanchez began knee flexing workouts with weights today, coming back from that kneecap injury.
...Ben Mauck, the University of Cincinnati quarterback, who threw for 3100-yards last year, filed suit against the NCAA, for refusing him a 6th year of eligibility, despite documentation he missed 2-years with a broken arm, broken ankle and a separated shoulder, while he was at Wake Forest. A judge issued an injunction allowing him to join the Bearcats in preseason camp.
...Legendary Chargers tight end-Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow, has been hired to become Athletic Director at Central State-Ohio, a former NAIA-football power. Central State, an all black school in Wilberforce, nearly shut down its university last summer with money problems.
(Basketball)
...The Cleveland Cavaliers believe the acquisition of 17-point a game guard Mo Williams, teaming with Lebron James will give them the firepower to become a top team in the NBA-East. Des Mason when to Oklahoma City and guard Luke Ridenour went to Milwaukee in the deal.
...The Atlanta Hawks have signed Indiana Pacers free-agent guard Flip Murray.
(Hockey)
...The Toronto Maple Leafs, who have lost Mats Sundin and Darcy Tucker, their top two scorers to free-agency, are now ready to trade 6-million dollar defenseman Brian McCable. The New York Islanders and Florida Panthers have made offers for him.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 03:48 PM PST [General]
(Olympics)
...Michael Phelps and everyone else. That's the story in Beijing. The question is now is Michael Phelps the greatest Olympic athlete of all-time. The American swimmer won 2-more gold medals today, but started to show signs of fatigue, halfway thru the 17-races he must swim this week. Phelps now has 5-Gold medals, setting another world record in the 200-butterfly with an explosive finish. An hour later however he showed fatigue qualifying just 6th fastest in the 200-medley race. Phelps has 2-more qualifying races later tonite.
Phelps dominance, he now has 11-career Gold Medals, led to the question is the greatest ever. Carl Lewis won 9-Golds over 4-different Olympics. Al Oerter won 4-Golds in the discus event over 4-Olympics. Of course the greatest event was Jessie Owens victories in Munich in 1936 when he ran down the Nazi Aryian race myth.
...It was a tough day elsewhere for the US thruout the day. Amanda Beard, the defending champ, failed to repeat, finishing 18th in the 200-breastroke.
...Swimmer Eric Shanteau's dream of beating cancer to get a medal faded in the mens 200-meter. He returns home for cancer surgery next week.
...US 18-year old wrestler Jake Deitchler, who beat 3-college wrestlers to make the Olympic Greco Roman team, lost his first two matches.
...A bad day in Gymnastics; Alicia Sacramone fell off the beam, and another fell on the uneven bars, a third fell in floor exercises costing the womens team a chance to beat China for the Gold.
...The US soccer team was eliminated, having to play 87-minutes shorthanded because of a red-card, losing 2-1 to Nigeria.
...The US baseball team blew 3-leads, losing 8-7 to South Korea in a lst round game. Relief ace Kevin Jepsen gave up 2-runs in the bottom of the 9th. San Diego State All-American Stephen Strasburg will have to move up a start in a must-win game late tonite against the Netherlands. Manager Davey Johnson wanted to hold Strasburg back for the showdown game with Cuba on Friday.
...American's Beach Volleyball team of Dalhausser and Rogers moved to the medal round with a win over Argentina.
...Lisa Leslie went 7-for-7 shooting to lead the US womens basketball team to a win over Mali.
...The US womens softball team got a no-hitter from Cat Osterman, beating Australia.
...Spain's Olympic basketball team is refusing to make an apology for making 'slant eye' gestures in a newspaper ad that ran in Spain newspapers. And now a 2nd photo has surfaced, taken a week ago, involving the Spanish women's basketball team making similar 'slant eye' signs in a team photo.
...Chinese officials defended their decision to have a 9-year old lip-synch an opening ceremony song, after pulling a 7-year old off the stage because she had bad teeth,. They used the voice of the 7-year old with the 9-year old faking the song on the stage.
(Baseball)
...The Dodgers and Red Sox are both refusing comment on an SI-report that Larry Lucchino is negotiating to leave Boston to become the President of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sources told SI-last nite that Lucchino is feuding with lead owner John Henry and General Manager Theo Epstien.
...The Padres face blazing hot lefthander CC-Sabathia tonite against the Milwaukee Brewers. Sabathia is (6-0) with a 1.58-ERA with 34-strikeouts with 38-innings since coming from the Cleveland Indians. The Brewers have now won 7-straight.
...Petco Park fans are still buzzing about last nite's 399-foot howitzer home run into the right field bleachers by Prince Fielder. And the odd-ball season continues for Chun Saeng Baek; the righthander is (0-6) with a 7.04-ERA at Petco Park.
...Despite an awful season, the Padres centerfield platoon of Jody Gerut and Scott Hairston has given the club 29-home runs at that position. Gerut is hitting .308.
...The Padres have signed 2nd round draft pick James Darnell, the 3rd baseman from South Carolina, but may not sign lst round pick Wake Forest slugger Allan Dykstra because of hip necrosis
...The Dodgers are 1-game back of lst place Arizona. Brad Penny starts against the Phillies Joe Blanton tonite. Manny Ramirez is (20-42) hitting .476 since coming to LA. And sine Man-Ram's arrival, Casey Blake is hitting .307 and Matt Kemp is batting .369.
...The Angels (75-43) host Seattle again tonite; Frankie Rodriguez recorded his 46th save last nite. Erwin Santana goes for his 14th win tonite.
...Some nite at Fenway Park; the Red Sox score 10-runs in the lst inning, then have to come from behind to beat Texas. David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis combined for 11-RBIs. The l9-17 Bosox win tied an American League record set in 1950 for most runs scored 36, in a game. The 2-starting pitchers Scott Feldman and Chris Zink combined to give up 20-runs and 21-hits.
...Bad news in Tampa Bay. Outfielder Carl Crawford will be out 8-weeks with fractured finger surgery. The Rays lose him after losing slugger Evan Longoria.
...The Giants ace Tim Lincecum may miss 1-start with a bruised knee after getting hit with a linedrive.
...The Red Sox put 3rd baseman Mike Lowell with a ribcage injury.
...Minnesota DH-Mike Cudduyer, recovering from a hand injury, broke his foot in his final minor league rehab at-bat and could be out 6-more weeks.
...Detroit has lost reliever Joel Zumaya with more shoulder problems.
...The Dodgers put slumping slugger Andru Jones back on the DL with more knee problems.
...The Arizona Diamondbacks will trade pitcher Micah Owings to Cincinnati as the 2nd payment for slugger Adam Dunn.
...Detroit has signed free-agent Freddie Garcia, a former 16-game winner with the White Sox and Seattle.
...Dontrelle Willis, who had a 10.71-ERA at Class A-Lakeland is headed back to Detroit to meet with club officials.
...A setback for Yankees pitcher Carl Pavano; 5-runs-7 hits in 4-innings in a Double A-game.
...Gary Sheffield, hitting .223, is on waivers; the Tigers slugger is owed 3-million this year and 14-million next season.
...The Cubs will meet tonite to discuss benching Kaz Fukudome, hitting .107 in August after batting .226 in July.
(Football)
...New York Jets QB-Brett Favre, who has thrown 160-passes in 3-days, has come down with a sore arm.
...Raiders corner D'Angelo Hall has suffered a broken hand in practice; fellow corner Namdi Asomugha is out with a strained foot.
...Minnesota has lost big money cornerback Madieu Williams for 6-weeks with a neck injury.
...Cleveland's 4th round draft pick Martin Rucker will be out 6-weeks with knee cartilage surgery.
...Arizona rookie corner Dominique Cromartie is out with a hi-ankle sprain.
...Seattle defensive tackle Rocky Bernard is out with a sprained ankle.
...Colts running back Kenton Keith is out of workouts with a hip injury.
...Denver, down 3-DBs, has signed ex-Colts corner Tyrone Poole. John Lynch left camp, and Champ Bailey and Hamza Abdullah are both hurt.
...The Arizona Cardinals have signed free-agent 49ers linebacker Brandon Moore.
...Baltimore has signed veteran tight end Keith Heinrichs.
...Kansas City is bringing in just released free-agent kicker Jay Feely.
...On the practice field:
...Raiders quarterbacks threw 4-interceptions and running back Darren McFadden fumbled 3-more times and dropped a pass.
...The Steelers are unhappy with their offensive line; QB-Ben Rothlisberger has been sacked 96-times in 2-years.
...Miami rookie Chad Hennie had another bad outing, (1-8) throwing the ball.
...The 49ers are giving up on big money QB-Alex Smith; JT O'Sullivan is taking the bulk of snaps with the lst team. O'Sullivan has been in 9-different camps over the course of his career.
...Green Bay moved rookie Jordy Nelson into the punt return unit, averaging 7-yards per return, and Will Blackmon to return kicks, dropping Brett Swain down the depth chart.
(Football)
...A bad nite for USC in its lst major scrimmage. Mitch Mustain and Aaron Carp went 57-plays, 11-possessions, failing to get the Trojans into the endzone. The running backs averaged 1.6-yards per carry.
...UCLA's quarterback woes continued. Ossar Rasshan left workouts with knee tendonitis, and freshman running back Derrick Coleman went down with a knee injury. The Bruins moved defensive tackle Jess Ward to offensive tackle, the 4th player to be switched to the OL line in a week.
...San Diego State's defensive front lost more players today; Ohio State transfer Ryan Williams hobbled off with a groin injury, Ernie Lawson is out with a high ankle sprain, freshman Henry Simon was hobbled with knee swelling, and kicker Brian Shields was out with a hip flexor.
...Aztecs coach Chuck Long said 6-4, 354-pound JUCO transfer Darias Jones will be on the practice field this weekend, and will play this year, rather than redshirt, after transferring from Butte JC..
...A ragged Aztecs practice today. 11-dropped passes, overthrows by Ryan Lindley and poor throws from Drew Westling.
...Justin Shaw caught a 70-yard TD from Lindley, Brandon Sullivan ripped off a 40-yard TD run, and Attiyah Henderson continued his explosive camp with a 25-yard TD run.
...The woeful field goal problems continued today; Aztecs kickers were 6-for-11, hitting only 2- beyond the 30-yardline.
...Arizona State lost 2-more receivers today, Chris McGaha with a sprained foot and Mike Jones with a concussion. They lost star receiver Kyle Williams with a concussion yesterday.
(Basketball)
...A huge NBA trade this afternoon, 3-teams, 6-players. The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired 17-point a game guard Mo Williams from Milwaukee in a deal that also involves Oklahoma City. The Bucks get guards Luke Ridnour and Damon Jones and journeyman forward Adrian Griffin. Oklahoma City acquired Bucks forward Desmond Mason and 3-point shooter Joe Smith.
...The Philadelphia 76ers have signed hi scoring forward Andre Iguodala to a 6-year 80-million extension, after signing Elton Brand to an 82-million dollar free-agent deal.
...Oklahoma City, the former Supersonics franchise, has lost 6-11 center DeVon Hardin, he is signing in Turkey.
...Greg Oden scored 17-points in his lst full scrimmage workout with Portland Trailblazer teammates, after sitting out last year with microfracture surgery.
...Houston Rockets guard Rafer Alston is in more trouble; a 2-30am drunk driving charge in Texas
...Herman Frazier, the former Athletic Director at Hawaii, has been hired as Assistant AD at Temple..
(Hockey)
...The New York Islanders have hired the top coach from the AHL to take over their head coaching post. Scott Gardner went (55-18-1) with the Providence Bruins. He replaces the fired Ted Nolan.
(General)
...Nebraska has expelled 2-wrestlers, including NCAA 125-pound champion Paul Donohoe for posing nude on a gay-porn website.
...The woeful LA Galaxy have named ex-star Cobi Jones as head coach for the rest of the season, after firing their Coach and GM. The Galaxy have the worst defense in MLS, despite having goal scoring stars David Beckham and Landon Donovan..
...UCLA quarterback Ben Olson was undergoing bone-graft surgery today on a broken toe, hoping the insertion of a sliver of hip bone plus a pin would allow quicker healing, that would allow him to play in October.
..UCLA changed its offense today, going to a shotgun spread formation to help ex-San Diego State transfer Kevin Craft find a comfort zone in Norm Chow's offense. Craft, the JUCO transfer, has been plagued by interceptions. Chris Forcier, the redshirt freshman, has struggled going thru progressions and scrambling too much.
...USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, the swelling gone in his kneecap, has begun intense rehab workouts without any setbacks. The Trojans lost 2-offensive lineman, when tackle Matt Meyer went down with foot surgery and guard Mike Reardon needs hip surgery.
...San Diego State landed a big JUCO lineman today. XTRA-Sports has confirmed Darias Jones, a 6-4, 354-pound offensive tackle, has transferred into the Aztecs program from Butte College. He chose SDSU over Boise State, and will move to nose-tackle, where he played as a freshman at Division III-Greensboro College.. Jones was all-conference as an offensive lineman, but has quick feet and a strong upper body. He has 2-years of eligibility left and took and passed 25-hours of courses his last 2-semesters at Butte to sign at State.
...The Aztecs offensive line woes continue. They moved nose tackle Peter Nelson to starting left tackle to compete with Mike Matamua. Yesterday, Lance Louis was moved to starting right tackle.
...Aztecs freshman running back Ramon Judkins, 6-1, 205-pounds, is being slotted to become the team's power back with Brandon Sullivan and Attiyah Henderson becoming scat backs. Coach Chuck Long says the Beverly Hills recruit will likely play and not redshirt.
...A tough day around the Pac-10 Conference.
...Washington has lost its top wide receiver, Curtis Shaw, who has left school with family problems.
...Washington State's top receiver, Jeshua Anderson, will miss half the season, with hernia surgery; the NCAA sprint champion averaged 31-yards a catch as a freshman last year.
...Arizona State running back Keegan Herring is ailing with shoulder problems, and receiver Kyle Williams has a concussion.
...The Cincinnati Bearcats, who lost starting quarterback Ben Mauck to an NCAA ruling last week, today lost their new starter, Dustin Gruztka with a broken rib.
...Colorado Buffs fans got a close up look at hot-shot recruit running back Darrell Scott from California, who had TD runs of 32-and-43 yards.
...Kansas has lost 3-running backs. The Jayhawks Donte Beau transferred to Washburn College; Carmon Anderson went to Southwest College in Texas and top recruit Sean Ransburgh was not cleared by the NCAA.
(NFL)
...Chargers GM-AJ Smith is catching heat around the NFL for bashing former coach Marty Schottenheimer. Smith said he was tired of Marty's philosophy 'I'll win enough games to keep my job', and felt Schottenheimer could never win a real game when it counted.
...A setback for Antonio Gates; the Pro Bowl tight end says he is having a hi-amount of daily pain in his surgically repaired toe, as his sideline workouts intensify.. He remains on the PUP list and cannot practice. The Chargers could keep him on that list for 9-more weeks before having to activate him for Week 7-of the season.
...The Baltimore Ravens have signed ex-Chargers fullback Lorenzo Neal, releasing veteran fullback Justin Green.
...The Raiders have signed free-agent safety Adam Archuleta and will convert him to linebacker; they released safety Greg Wesley.
...Miami has released kicker Jay Feely, despite going (21-23) on field goals last year; they signed Dan Carpenter, who kicked 75-field goals at Montana in his career. They also signed Arena League star linebacker Maurice Fountain.
...The Seattle Seahawks released former lst round draft pick Marcus Tubbs because of knee problems; they signed linebacker Dallas Sartz.
...On the injury front:
...Baltimore Ravens running back Willis McGahee had knee surgery for cartilage fragments.
...Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu has suffered another setback, tweaking his hamstring a 3rd time.
...Seattle has lost Bobby Engram for 8-weeks with a shoulder blade injury.
...Dallas Cowboys linebacker Anthony Spencer has a sprained knee.
...Atlanta has lost both its centers; Alex Stepanovich injured a back today; starter Todd McClure injured his back last week.
...Aaron Rogers is getting accolades; last nite he went (9-15) 117-yards and led the Packers on 2-scoring drives in their loss to Cincinnati.
...Brett Favre bounced back today, going (11-15) in a scrimmage, after going (6-16) yesterday.
...An angry Jeff Garcia left Tampa Bay's workouts today with dehydration problems; upset at the Bucs refusal to upgrade his contract, and then watching them try to deal for Brett Favre, called himself just a journeyman.
...A bad day in the 49ers camp; Alex Smith and JT O'Sullivan combined to throw 5-interceptions in practice.
...Kevin O'Connell struggled today in New England's camp. The ex-Aztecs QB threw 2-picks on 7-passes in 11-on-11 work.
...The Rams top 2-draft picks Chris Long and Adam Carreker are getting blasted for record no-tackles in 57-plays last weekend.
...Jacksonville tight end Matt Jones faces an October 10th trial date for possession of cocaine.
...The Eagles cancelled workouts today after 3-lighting strikes around the Lehigh University campus.
(Baseball)
...The Padres open a homestand with the Milwaukee Brewers tonite, with mounting criticism directed a the dugout and the front office. The Friars have won 2-of-3. Milwaukee rolls into town having won 8-of-10, having hit 157-homers this season, including 56-from Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.
...Manager Bud Black and pitcher Jake Peavy are taking heat, for the decision to move Peavy starts back a day, so he does not have to go against CC Sabathia; last week he was moved out of starts against Johan Santana of the Mets and the Giants Tim Lincecum. Black made the moves to give Peavy an extra day's rest after pitching outings of 127-and-120 pitches, not because the ace was begging out of starts. Peavy is (8-8) with no run support despite having the best ERA in baseball.
...Friday is the deadline for the Padres to sign lst round pick Alan Dykstra, the Wake Forest lst baseman, 2nd round pick-3rd baseman James Darnell and 4th round pick Jason Kipris of Arizona State. Dykstra's agent says the Padres have not talked to him in 30-days, asking the question how do you get better if you won't sign your draft picks and you don't sign quality free-agents. Baseball execs are describing the Padres front office as paralyzed, fraught with politics, and dysfunctional.
...The Dodgers are 1-game out of lst place, after hammering the Phillies last nite; Clayton Kershaw, who has a 0.47-ERA in his last 3-starts, goes against Philadelphia tonite. Despite pounding homers, Ryan Howard is batting .238, Pat Burrell .265 and Geoff Jenkins .244 for the Phillies. Cole Hamels starts for Philly.
...The Angels host Seattle tonite, taking a (71-43) record into action at the Big A.
...The Red Sox added a veteran are to their starting rotation today, acquiring righthander Paul Byrd from Cleveland for a player to be named later; Byrd was (****) with the Tribe.
...Adam Dunn reports to the Arizona Diamondbacks tonite. The Cincinnati Reds have cleared 25-million dollars in salary and gotten 5-young players by dealing away Ken Griffey and Dunn.
...The Yankees appear done; they have lost 10-of-15, are now 9-out of lst place, and 5-back of the Red Sox in the wildcard race.
...The Mets have blown 5-leads in their last 10-games, and 9-times the bullpen has blown a lead in the 8th or 9th inning.
...Gary Sheffield is fuming that he is a platoon player as a DH; Jim Leyland is upset Sheffield is popping off, hitting just .222.
...The Red Sox are yanking Clay Buckholz out of the rotation with an (0-6) record and a 8.19-ERA.
...Oakland is pulling closer Houston Street from that role with 6-blown saves.
...Washington is benching young 2nd baseman Emilio Bonifacio who is (0-14).
...Tampa Bay slugging 3rd baseman Evan Longoria is on the DL with a fractured wrist.
...St-Louis pitcher Chris Carpenter has left the team to go home to have an injured bicep examined.
...Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain begins a throwing program tomorrow; he has been on the DL with shoulder woes.
...The Pirates have lost both shortstop Fred Sanchez and 2nd baseman Jack Wilson with shoulder woes.
...Texas reliever CJ Wilson will have elbow bone spur surgery and is done for the year.
...Boston pitcher Tim Wakefield was given a cortisone injection in his shoulder.
(Basketball)
...Team USA ripped Angola today in the Olympics (97-76). Up next challenging games with Greece then Spain.
...The Charlotte Bobcats have traded guard Kyle Weaver to Oklahoma City for a 2nd round draft picks.
(Hockey)
...The Anaheim Ducks are paralyzed by the NHL-salary cap. They are at 56-million payroll and need to get to 51-million by September lst. They have not been able to re-sign free-agent Teemu Selanne because of the cap problems, and have been unable to sign 5.6-million defenseman Matthieu Schnieder.
(General)
...Michael Phelps broke another Olympic record today winning the 200-meter freestyle event, bashing the record by a full second. 3-races-3 records-3 Gold Medals. Phelps goes for 2-more golds tomorrow in the butterfly and 800-relay.
...An emotional day; cancer recovery swimmer Eric Shanteau qualified to get to the semi-finals in the 200-meter breaststroke.
...US star Aaron Piersol won the Gold in the 100-butterfly in record time.
...American Natalie Coughlin won the Gold in the womens 100-backstroke.
...The US mens gymnastics team won a bronze, despite not having stars Paul and Morgan Hamm.
...An awful day in boxing; top American Rau'Shee Warren was beaten in a flyweight bout; he thought he was winning on all scorecards and did not throw a punch in the final :35-seconds and lost.
...The disaster that is MLS-soccer's LA Galaxy will have a new Coach and new GM-after the firing of controversial coach Ruud Gullet and GM-Alexi Lalis. The :Galaxy are winless in 7-matches.
...NASCAR drivers David Gilliland and Bobby Labonte, involved in a violent 9-car crash Sunday at Watkins Glen, were both examined today for neck and back injuries.
...Dario Franchitti, bounced out of his NASCAR-ride by Chip Ganassi, may be looking to return to the IRL next year.
...Veteran golfer Luke Donald of England is done for the year with wrist surgery and will miss the Ryder Cup.
...A disastrous weekend for UCLA and a shocking weekend at USC. Both Pac-10 schools lost their quarterbacks. UCLA's Ben Olson will undergo surgery again tomorrow for a broken toe suffered on Saturday in a non-contact drills. He will be out 8-weeks, and likely miss at least 4-games. USC quarterback Mark Sanchez began rehab today after swelling went down, after suffering a dislocated kneecap on Friday nite in a non-contact passing drill. His MRI was clean and he could be back in time for the season opener at Virginia.
At UCLA, Kevin Craft, the San Diego State transfer, and redshirt Chris Forcier will compete for the starting QB job. For Olson, it is the 5th major injury he has had in 3-years, in which he has started just 10-games in that span.
At USC, Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain will take all the snaps at quarterback, leaving the Trojans dangerously thin at QB; they moved wide receiver Garrett Green into a backup quarterback role. 2-top USC recruits are missing; pass rusher Nick Perry and running back Curt McNeil are having issues with the NCAA-Clearinghouse.
...San Diego State opened full pad contact workouts this morning, with 9-players out with injuries, 2-players missing, and 1-changing position. Wide receiver Jon Toledo is undergoing X-rays for a turf toe injury; running back Davon Brown is out with a strained knee ligament; defensive tackle Neil Spencer will have an MRI-Thursday and is facing major shoulder surgery. Star receiver Vincent Brown came out with a hamstring problem, as did linebacker Zac Shapiro. Safety Corey Boudreau will be held out a week with shoulder problems.
...The Aztecs have lost JUCO-tackle Taylor Wallace with personal problems off the field, missing practice the second day in a row. DB-Brandon Vannoy has left the team with family issues.
...On the field, a shaky day on offense. Travis Crawford, Davion Mauldin and Vince Carmada all picked off passes today. Tight end Tony DeMartinis shined on offense, as did wide receiver Roberto Wallace. The Aztecs moved Lance Louis to a starting right tackle spot.
(NFL)
...The Chargers won their lst exhibition game against the Dallas, but their lst team offense and defense got pushed around. The Cowboys number 1-unit outgained the Bolts 102--11 yards over the first 3-possessions, before the Cowboys backups started making mistakes on special teams. A weak showing by both the offensive and defensive lines in the lst quarter. A strong nite for dart-and-dash back Darin Sproles, who had 78-all purpose yards; rookie fullback Jacob Hester had 49-yards on the ground, and Markus Thomas added 48.
...General Manager AJ Smith ripped Marty Schottenheimer publically. In an interview in the LA Times, Smith said he could not stand Marty's cautioness attitude, 'I will win enough games to keep my job." He also said he never felt Schottenheimer could win a game when it really counted.
...The Raiders believed their running game has arrived after a 248-yard rushing day against the 49ers. Darren McFadden-Michael Bush, and rookie Louis Rankin, who had 91-yards, all ripped off big runs. Johnny Lee Higgins had 37-and-53 yard punt returns and the Raiders defense had 4-takeaways.
...Around the NFL on the roster front:
...The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed ex-Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich and ex-Eagles punter Mitch Berger; they also brought in ex-Vikings QB-Duante Culpepper for a physical.
...The Raiders have signed ex-Rams safety and linebacker Adam Archuletta.
...The Giants signed ex-Raiders safety Stuart Schweigert.
...The 49ers have signed ex-Eagles and Bengals linebacker Takeo Spikes, releasing linebacker Brandon Moore.
...New.England signed ex-Denver corner Jeff Shoate.
...Detroit has signed kicker Dave Raymer and DB-Kiwaukee Thomas.
...Jacksonville has signed ex-Tennessee tight end Bo Schoebel.
...The Cleveland Browns have released veteran safety Gary Baxter.
...The Eagles have released veteran defensive end Kimo vonOehlhoffen.
...On the injury front:
...The Seattle Seahawks have lost star receiver Bobby Engram for 8-weeks with a shoulder blade injury.
...Cleveland receiver Braylon Edwards spent the nite in the Cleveland Clinic with deep cuts suffered when he was spiked running sprints.
...Green Bay has 12-players miss practice today with injuries including Ryan Grant with a hamstring problem.
...New England has put Tank Williams on IR with a knee injury.
...Pittsburgh quarterback Charlie Batch will have surgery tomorrow for a broken collarbone.
...Detroit has lost safety Stanley Wilson for the year with a torn Achilles.
...Minnesota linebacker and special teams star Heath Farwell, the ex-Aztec, is gone for the year with torn knee ligaments.
...Seattle rookie tackle Will Robinson is out with a high ankle sprain.
...Houston Texans left tackle Ephraim Salaam is out with knee scope surgery.
...Washington has 2-more receivers hurt; Antwan Randle-El with a wrist; Anthony Mix with a broken hand.
...Chicago's impressive rookie running back Garrett Wolfe is out with a hamstring problem.
...Jets rookie DB-Dwight Lowrey, who had a pick and 62-punt return, is out with a calf injury.
...Seattle had 20-players miss workouts today with injuries.
...Houston running back Ahman Green is ailing again, out with a hamstring.
...Tennessee safety Nick Harper missed workouts today with a concussion.
...Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith was held out of workouts with a concussion.
...Aaron Rogers debuts tonite when Green Bay hosts Cincinnati tonite in Monday Nite Football.
...Brett Favre was (6-16) passing with overthrows a fumble and an interception in his lst Jets scrimmage.
...Jacksonville Jaguars lst round pick Derrick Harvey' s holdout moved into its 19th day today.
...Baltimore benched starting tackle Mike Kracalik for lack of intensity.
...St-Louis' defense is in trouble. They gave up 340-yards rushing to Tennessee.
...Miami had 10-first downs in their opening day loss to Tampa Bay.
...Buffalo had problems with its lst team offense; 3-yards in 10-offensive plays.
...Matt Ryan threw for 113-in his lst appearance at quarterback for Atlanta.
...Dallas' number 1-offense had 102-yards in 3-series against San Diego.
...Ricky Williams is back-5 carries-31 yards for Miami.
...Tennessee's Chris Johnson had a 66-yard TD run and the Titans had 495-yards in offense.
...Buffalo rookie Leodis McKelvin had 30-and-45 yard kickoff return.
...Washington is (2-0) and their quarterbacks Jason Campbell and Todd Collins are (25-32) for 241-yards.
...Carolina's Julius Peppers, coming off a poor season, had a sack, forced fumble and interception in his lst game.
...Jacksonville tight end Matt Jones plead not-guilty to possession of 6-ounces of cocaine in his SUV.
(Baseball)
...A blockbuster trade today. The Cincinnati Reds shipped 32-home run hitting slugger Adam Dunn to Arizona today for 3-prospects. Rumors say top minor league pitcher Max Scherzger and hi-draft pick hurler Dallas Buck may be in the deal.
...San Diego Padres GM-Kevin Towers denies statements from agents that the Padres are going to slash their payroll to 40-million dollars next season. He accused agents of leaking information that Brian Giles was put on waivers and claimed by the Red Sox.
...Giles could face a chilly reception tomorrow nite when the Padres open a homestand with Milwaukee for refusing tor report to Boston. Ex-teammate Jim Edmonds said he was surprised, because the Padres are losing games, losing fans and have lost the town. Edmonds said the only thing good about San Diego right now is the weather.
...The Friars (46-72) host the Brewers tomorrow; they will face aces CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets on Wednesday-Thursday.
...The Dodgers, whose bullpen blew back-to-back games, open a 7-game homestand tonite with the big-hitting Phillies. LA, with Manny Ramirez hitting .459, are a game and a half back of Arizona. Derek Lowe faces Kyle Kendrick.
...The streaking Angels (74-43) are coming off a sweep of the battered Yankees. Off tonite, they host Seattle tomorrow.
...The Florida Marlins have signed veteran free-agent catcher Paul LoDuca.
...Cincinnati has released catcher Dave Ross and sent starter Homer Bailey back to Triple A-again.
...Colorado is releasing pitcher Kip Wells, who failed to comeback from blood clot surgery.
...Toronto has released outfielder Shannon Stewart.
...Arizona has lost .305-hitting second baseman Orlando Hudson for the year with a dislocated wrist.
...White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras is gone for the year with a ruptured Achilles.
...Houston slugger Carlos Lee could be out for 8-weeks with a fractured finger.
...Toronto has put Scott Rolen on the DL with more shoulder woes.
...St-Louis pitcher Chris Carpenter, coming off elbow surgery, injured his bicep last nite.
...Boston has put pitcher Tim Wakefield on the DL with shoulder woes.
...Phillies reliever Tom Gordon is facing season ending elbow surgery.
...Kansas City has lost 2nd baseman Mark Grudzielanek for the year with torn ankle ligaments.
...Tampa Bay outfielder Carl Crawford is on the DL with a finger injury.
....Seattle infielder Willie Bloomquist is on the DL with a torn hamstring.
...The Cubs may sit outfielder Kazu Fukudome; he hit .236 in July and .125 in August.
...The Yankees sent (0-4) starter Ian Kennedy to the minors.
...Brandon Webb is now (17-4) with Arizona.
...Red Sox ace Dice Matsuzaka is (13-2) with a 2.90-ERA.
...Indians lefthander Cliff Lee is now (16-2).
...Gary Sheffield has popped off, not wanting to DH-any longer
...The Yankees have now lost 9-of-14.
...Oakland is now (2-19) since their trading deadline deals.
(Basketball)
...Kobe Bryant reiterated today, any reasonable person would consider taking a job abroad for 50-million dollars. He stirred up a hornets nest over the weekend by saying he'd go to Italy to play for Team Milan if they offered him a David Beckham-marketing deal.
...Team USA faces Angola late tonite in Game 2-at the Olympics. They held Yao Ming to (3-10) shooting and Yi Jainlain (1-10) shooting in slam-dunking their way to a win over China yesterday morning; they had 21-slam dunks.
(Hockey)
...The NHL-LA Kings signed 18-year old defenseman, lst round draft pick Drew Doughty, to a 3-year contract today.
(General)
...NBC-TV is getting hammered by the media for the 12-hour delay of the sporting events and for what appears to be a staged-edited interview with President Bush last nite in the middle of the telecast.
...Michael Phelps continued his on-slaught towards 8-gold medals, after teammate Jason Lezak shattered a world record with the final leg time of :46-seconds, in the come-from-behind win over the French in the 4X100-event. Lezack came from 3-strokes behind to pass Alain Barnard of France to help the relay team get the gold. Phelps trailed in his 400-meter race before getting his lst gold. Phelps is in the 200-meter freestyle tonite.
...China piled up 9 gold medals after dominant displays by their very young gymnastics and floor exercise teams. The great performances were overshadowed by the sadness and lack of smiles by the young Chinese, who looked as if they were coming out of a forced labor
camp.
...The US boxing team had a bad weekend; lst Garry Russell, out top 199-pounder, was hospitalized with acute dehydration; then teammate Javier Molina lost and suffered a punctured lung.
...US soccer star Freddy Adu is out of the next game after 2-yellow cards in the 2-2 tie with the Dutch.
...The grieving US volleyball teams soldiered on after the horrors of the stabbing of 2-relatives of a coach by a crazed man Saturday.
...Tyson Gay worked out today, and says he is recovered for next weekends 100-meter showdown in track.
...The troubled LA Galaxy have fired GM-Alexi Lawlas and outspoken Dutch head-coach Ruud Gullett. The Galaxy, despite having David Beckham, are winless in 7-games.
...Kyle Busch has now won 16-races this year after claiming the NASCAR-race at Watkins Glen.
...Scott Dixon won his 6th race of the year after Helio Castroneves ran out of fuel in the Kentucky 300. Danica Patrick's problems continue; she clashed wheels with Sarah Fisher, and Mika Dunno crashed also.
