My Blog!: January 2011

Monday, January 31, 2011

FanHouse TV: Steve Phillips on Mets, Bernie Madoff Scandal

Filed under: Mets, MLB Video, FanHouse Exclusive, MLB Inside Scoop, Sports Business and Media, Executive Take

The Wilpon family announced this week that they were looking to sell a portion of the Mets, citing uncertainty in the wake of the Bernie Madoff scandal. While the parties on the other side of any potential lawsuit against the Wilpons may believe that the family was guilty in some part of Madoff's scheme, not all agree.

Steve Phillips may know the Wilpon family better than anyone after a 20-year association with the team, and he isn't buying it.

Phillips explains why he knows Fred and Jeff Wilpon are victims, not villains in this FanHouse TV Exclusive.

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/29/fanhouse-tv-steve-phillips-on-mets-bernie-madoff-scandal/

Majandra Delfino Malia Jones Malin Akerman Mandy Moore Maria Bello

Former Kicker Goes Behind the Scenes for Auburn Football Documentary

Filed under: Auburn, BCS Championship Game

Ten years ago, when his career as a sportscaster was at a crossroads, Jess Atkinson got his hands on a copy of an MIT-published magazine, which led him to think cosmically about how he could carve out a future for himself.

A decade later, Atkinson's star is on the rise as a sports documentarian by going basic with the thought, "If you have a story to tell, why not tell it yourself?"

That philosophy has paid off handsomely for Atkinson's 3 Penny Films. He just wrapped two years embedded with the Auburn football team, which captured the BCS national title earlier this month.

Atkinson and his crew were contracted by the school to follow coach Gene Chizik and the Auburn team for weekly behind-the-scenes shows that would certainly raise the program's visibility.

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/26/former-kicker-goes-behind-the-scenes-for-auburn-football-documen/

Kristin Cavallari Kristin Kreuk Kristy Swanson Kylie Bax Lacey Chabert

Johnson heading to Preston North End on loan

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoccerByIves/~3/f0nrbe2naLs/johnson-heading-to-.html

Donna Feldman Drea de Matteo Drew Barrymore Ehrinn Cummings Elena Lyons

Five Things to Watch for On National Signing Day

Filed under: Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, USC, Recruiting, Prospects

While the mail service may run and banks are still open, Wednesday for many around the country has been circled on the calendar for months as a virtual national holiday.

And inside athletic departments nationwide, Wednesday's National Signing Day is a 24-hour period that means almost as much to football coaches' futures as on-field success.

Every year, there are a few twists and turns that come with National Signing Day as a five-star recruit may suddenly switch teams and turn a "solid verbal commitment" to one team into a "signing day coup" for that team's rival. And while most programs enter Wednesday feeling like their recruiting classes are locked down for 2011, no one truly knows until ink meets paper and 18-year-old athletes back those commitments with signed national letters-of-intent.

As a prelude to Wednesday's full-on finale to recruiting season, here are FanHouse's Top Five Things to Expect On National Signing Day:

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/31/five-things-to-watch-for-on-national-signing-day/

Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne Bali Rodriguez Bar Refaeli Beyoncé

Accidental Collisions Cause Major Rise in NHL Concussions

Filed under: Blues, Coyotes, Sabres, Stars, Thrashers, NHL All Star Game, NHL Injuries

RALEIGH, N.C. -- There has been a threefold increase in games lost due to concussions suffered through accidental collisions in the NHL this season, an alarming trend commissioner Gary Bettman noted before the NHL SuperSkills competition at RBC Center on Saturday.

"The ideal number of concussions would be zero," Bettman said. "Our objective would be to come as close as possible to get that result without changing the fundamentals of our game. We are doing whatever possible to limit the amount of concussions."

Concussions suffered in fights and through hits delivered to the body where a player's head then strikes the glass, boards or ice have also increased this season. Bettman refused to disclose the specific numbers.

He added that the number of concussions from blindside hits to the head was down, largely due to the rule implemented last March that barred such collisions. Hits to the head deemed legal under NHL rules have also resulted in fewer man games lost, according to Bettman.

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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2011/01/29/accidental-collisions-cause-major-rise-in-nhl-concussions/

Natassia Malthe Nelly Furtado Nichole Robinson Nicky Hilton Nicole Richie

All That and a Bag of Mail: The Greatest Collection of Steeler Hate, Ever

Filed under: Packers, Steelers, AFC North, NFC North, Super Bowl, Sports Business and Media

By now you've probably read my incredibly serious column arguing that the Terrible Towel is stupid. Evidently the entire city of Pittsburgh has.

And the city of Pittsburgh was more offended by my opinion of their towel than they are by having a twice-accused rapist at quarterback. That makes perfect sense. In the wake of that column local Pittsburgh news led their telecast with the column -- this is not a joke -- and I was deluged with email from Steeler fans, most of whom were incapable of forming a coherent thought.

I've been writing online for seven years now so I thought I'd seen everything. Then over 20 Pittsburgh Steeler fans threatened to kill me via email. Seriously. I've made fun of other fan bases before, but never have I received a collection of emails that are more terrifying for the future of the country. At this point, I have no doubt that Pittsburgh Steeler fans are the dumbest, vilest, most unintentionally funny emailers in the entire country.

That's why I've turned All That and a Bag of Mail into the most entertaining and terrifying collection of emails I've received. How crazy are Steeler fans? Some sought out my wife to send her hate email. You can't even make that up. (All of the following emails appear exactly as they were received except the curse words have been edited).

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/01/31/all-that-and-a-bag-of-mail-the-greatest-collection-of-steeler-h/

Isla Fisher Ivana Bozilovic Ivanka Trump Izabella Miko Izabella Scorupco

European Weekend Rewind: Real Madrid shocked, Inter improving and more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoccerByIves/~3/vi3ZeTPpBQ0/european-weekend-rewind-real-madrid-shocked-inter-improving-and-more.html

FSU Cowgirls Gabrielle Union Garcelle Beauvais Genelle Frenoy Georgianna Robertson

Vladimir Guerrero Reportedly Gets Offer From Orioles

Filed under: Orioles, MLB Rumors, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency

Vladimir Guerrero is running out of places to ply his trade in 2011.

Teams in need of a full-time designated hitter (and Vlad's one trip to the outfield in the World Series proved he is nothing more than that) are few and far between, which could mean that the first team to make an offer will win his services. If that's the case, the Baltimore Orioles have to be considered the front-runner.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Orioles have made an offer to Guerrero. He doesn't have any specific financial terms, but does say that it reflects the current market for designated hitters. That means it is almost certainly a one-year deal, as opposed to the two years Guerrero was seeking earlier this offseason, and that it is for relatively little guaranteed money.

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/vladimir-guerrero-reportedly-gets-offer-from-orioles/

Amanda Peet Amanda Righetti Amanda Swisten Amber Arbucci Amber Brkich

Stafon Johnson Suing USC Over Weightlifting Incident

Stafon Johnson is taking his alma mater to court over a year after a weightlifting incident at USC could have taken his life.

Johnson filed a lawsuit Monday in L.A. County Superior Court against USC, alleging that weightlifting coach Jamie Yanchar recklessly struck the bench press bar Johnson was lifting, causing it to go off balance and fall on Johnson's neck.

According to Johnson, he was lifting 270 pounds in Sep. 2009 when Yanchar's "negligent, careless and reckless" action "substantially increased the risk inherent in Mr. Johnson's bench pressing." The exercise was part of a mandatory regimen.

Johnson underwent complicated surgery after the incident, ending his college career. It was believed his football career as a whole was done, but Johnson recovered and opted for the NFL draft. The Titans signed Johnson as an undrafted free agent, but a severe leg injury ended his rookie campaign in the preseason.

Johnson is suing for unspecified damages, including loss of future earnings.

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/24/stafon-johnson-suing-usc-over-weightlifting-incident/

Rose McGowan Roselyn Sanchez Rozonda Thomas Saira Mohan Salma Hayek

Mariners Expect David Aardsma By April; Chris Ray Might Help Close Early in Year

Filed under: Mariners

The Seattle Mariners are hoping that they can get closer David Aardsma back by the middle of April.

Mariners trainer Rick Griffin said Thursday that Aardsma, who had hip surgery just after the new year, is on crutches and is likely to be there for a total of 8-10 weeks.

That would mean he wouldn't be ready to walk on his own until about the first of March, one-third of the way through spring training.

"He's doing a lot of therapy work," Griffin said. "And he is doing shoulder exercises. The doctors are saying that he should be ready the second week of the season."

That would mean that Aardsma would have about six weeks from the time he gets off the crutches until the time he's pitching in games. While he's out, setup man Brandon League, who was 6-for-12 in save chances when Aardsma was unavailable last season, will take over.

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/mariners-expect-david-aardsma-by-april-chris-ray-might-help-clo/

Elisabeth Röhm Elisha Cuthbert Eliza Dushku Emilie de Ravin Emma Heming

Shifting Golf Markets: Kaymer, Vegas Stocks Soar

Filed under: PGA, Golf Odds and Ends

FanHouse golf writer B.J. George breaks down the week's winners and losers in this special Tuesday edition of Monday Movers.

Stock Up

Martin Kaymer -- The German dominated a strong field in Abu Dhabi by shooting a new record low. Kaymer topped last year's record-tying 21-under by three strokes. The 26-year-old torched his self-proclaimed "home course" to the tune of 25 birdies and only one bogey. With the 8-stroke victory over Rory McIlroy, Kaymer passes Tiger Woods and now finds himself No. 2 in the world. You should expect last year's PGA Champion to reach No. 1 at some point this season, likely before the year's first major.

Jhonattan Vegas -- Another 26-year-old picked up the win at the Bob Hope Classic but this one was much more improbable. Just three weeks into the new PGA season, the rookie picked up his first tournament victory and made history by becoming the first Venezuelan to win on Tour. Vegas' final-round 69 was his worst of the week but good enough to land him in a playoff with Gary Woodland and Bill Haas, where a second hole par secured the win. The former Texas Longhorn jumped 101 spots to 86th in the world rankings in just his fourth year as a professional golfer.

European Tour -- This week showed us again that the gap between the top two golf tours in the world continues to close. The European Tour hosted the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship while the PGA Tour set up in California for the Bob Hope Classic. While the PGA had a prize pool twice that of the European tour, the field of players didn't reflect the payout. With Phil Mickelson making his 2011 debut at Abu Dhabi, that tournament boasted all four current major winners as well as four of the world's top five.

Consistency -- What do Matt Kuchar and Charles Schwartzel have in common? If you answered future major winners, you might be proven correct soon, but for now, neither has finished outside of the top 10 this season. Kuchar finished T7 at the Bob Hope Classic for his third straight top 10 and currently sits 7th in the FedEx Cup Standings. Schwartzel, who will be debuting on the PGA Tour this season, leads the European Tour's Race to Dubai after his 5th top 10 in five events in 2011.

Ryder Cup Captains -- The American and European Ryder Cup teams both officially named their team captains this week. Davis Love III will lead the U.S. while Jose Maria Olazabal will try to keep the Cup in Europe for a seventh time in nine matchups. Both men have a Ryder Cup history already. Love's first three career matches in the Ryder Cup took place against Olazabal and Seve Ballesteros. Love won the first but never beat Olazabal again. Vice Captains won't be named for a while but Fred Couples and Sergio Garcia are two favorites.

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/25/shifting-golf-markets-kaymer-vegas-stocks-soar/

Summer Altice Summer Glau Sunny Mabrey Susan Ward Susie Castillo

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Christian Ponder Leads South Past North in Senior Bowl

Filed under: Prospects

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- Florida State's Christian Ponder threw two touchdown passes, including a clinching 23-yarder to TCU's Jeremy Kerley in the South's 24-10 Senior Bowl victory over the North on Saturday.

Ponder completed 7 of 13 passes for 132 yards, including several big ones to a onetime rival Leonard Hankerson of Miami.

Ponder was looking for a happier transition to an NFL career after missing the ACC championship with an elbow injury and most of the Seminoles' bowl game thanks to a concussion. Ponder led scoring drives on the South's first two possessions and put on the finishing touches after the North rallied from a 17-0 deficit.

Hankerson had 100 yards on five catches, including an 18-yard touchdown and a 48-yarder to set up another score - both from Ponder.

Washington quarterback Jake Locker led a touchdown drive but also had offensive linemen save him on two fumbles for the North.

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/29/christian-ponder-leads-south-past-north-in-senior-bowl/

Sanaa Lathan Sara Foster Sara Spraker Sarah Gellman Sarah Michelle Gellar

Albert Pujols Will Reject Any Trade Proposals if No Extension Is Reached

Filed under: Cardinals, MLB Rumors

Albert Pujols has already said he wants to end his career as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, stipulating, however, that any long-term contract must be completed by Feb. 19, the first day he will report to spring training because he doesn't want the negotiations to be a distraction during the season.

Regardless of what transpires over the next three weeks of negotiations, the All-Star first baseman will not be traded anywhere -- because he would veto any proposal -- according to a report from Buster Olney of ESPN.

Since Pujols has spent 10 years in the majors and five with the same team, he has the right to veto any trade and will exercise that right if a trade possibility for the Cardinals surfaces moving forward.

For the most part, the negotiations between the first baseman and the Cardinals have been kept under wraps, as both parties have sought to keep it away from the media. If no deal is agreed to by spring training, it is very likely -- based on Pujols' demands -- that he ends up exploring free agency next fall.

Pujols is in his last year of a seven-year, $100 million contract and his next pact will undoubtedly rival the 10-year, $275 million deal Alex Rodriguez received with the New York Yankees in 2007.

If the Cardinals cannot reach an agreement with Pujols and he leaves as a free agent, they will receive two draft picks as compensation.

The slugging first baseman finished last season with a .312 batting average, 42 home runs and 118 RBI. For his career, he's been selected to nine All-Star games, earned three NL MVP awards and six Silver Slugger awards. He's also a two-time Gold Glove Award winner.

Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/29/albert-pujols-will-reject-any-trade-proposals-if-no-extension-is/

Coco Lee Connie Nielsen Cristina Dumitru Daisy Fuentes Dania Ramirez

Awakened Vince Carter Taking His New Role in Stride

Filed under: Suns, FanHouse Exclusive

PHOENIX -- Vince Carter celebrated his 34th birthday on Wednesday by breaking out of a four-game shooting slump, and by moving past Tom Chambers into 36th on the NBA's career-scoring list. His performance was more than solid, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Suns from losing 114-107 to the Bobcats.

After averaging a little more than eight points while shooting a dismal 10 of 40 from the field over the team's last four games, Carter bounced back with 22 points and six rebounds in this one, on eight of 17 from the field, including five of eight from three-point land.

Still, the team lost for the third straight game. So while it was obviously nice for him to get back on track personally, Carter was more focused on the bigger picture, and the fact that personal success doesn't necessarily translate into team victories.

In an interview with FanHouse afterward, Carter talked about how the mental approach to his game has changed, and how he still believes the Suns have time to get things right and make a run at the playoffs.

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/awakened-vince-carter-taking-his-new-role-in-stride/

Sophia Bush Stacy Keibler Summer Altice Summer Glau Sunny Mabrey

Mark Martin to Race in All Three NASCAR Series in 2011

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, Nationwide Series, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports, Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR

Just when we thought Mark Martin might be winding up his long and storied career as a NASCAR driver, he's decided to jump back in with both feet in 2011 by running races in all three of NASCAR's national touring series.

In his final, lame-duck year with Hendrick Motorsports in the Sprint Cup series, Martin has decided to also run selected Nationwide series and Camping World Truck series events for Turner Motorsports.

Martin will drive the No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet in Nationwide races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Ca., Michigan International Speedway and Kentucky Speedway, with Trent Owens serving as his crew chief, the team announced Wednesday.

Martin will also drive the No. 32 Chevy Silverado truck in NASCAR Truck series races at Michigan as well as Pocono Raceway.

"I'm excited to be running back in the Nationwide and Truck Series again," said Martin. "Everyone at Dollar General and Turner Motorsports has been great and I'm looking forward to hitting the track with them next year. Working with Turner, I get to extend my relationship with Chevrolet and continue to have Hendrick horsepower under the hood, which is really, really good."

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2011/01/12/mark-martin-to-race-in-all-three-nascar-series-in-2011/

Asia Argento Aubrey ODay Audrina Patridge Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne

Source: Bulls to Assign James Johnson to D-League

Filed under: Bulls, NBA D-League, Iowa Energy

James Johnson, selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 16th overall pick in last year's NBA Draft, is expected to be assigned to the NBA D-League's Iowa Energy on Thursday, according to a source close to the situation.

Johnson, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Wake Forest, has played in 12 games for the Bulls this season with his last being a Jan. 4 contest against the Toronto Raptors in which he played three minutes and recorded no statistics. In 71 career NBA regular season games -- including 11 starts -- Johnson's averaging 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in just over 11 minutes per game.

Johnson has been consistently rumored to be on the Bulls' trading block but has yet to produce enough as a pro to justify to another team that he's worth taking a chance on. Even at the Vegas Summer League, a setting in which a first-round pick should typically excel, Johnson averaged just 8.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 6.4 personal fouls in 28 minutes per game (players are allowed 10 fouls in the Summer League). Even worse, Johnson made less than 33 percent of his attempts from the field, most of which came in a game against the Sacramento Kings in which he made just two of his 14 shot attempts.

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/source-bulls-to-assign-james-johnson-to-d-league/

Anna Friel Anna Kournikova Anna Paquin AnnaLynne McCord Anne Marie Kortright

Capital Construction: Stepping up in DC

WASHINGTON ? From field level to mezzanine and upper deck, tears were flowing in every sector of RFK Stadium as Jaime Moreno concluded his D.C. United career last weekend. The raw heartache surprised even the man at the center of the action.?I never thought it was going to be this hard,? a gutted...

Source: http://dcunited.com/node/13931

Jamie Chung Jamie Gunns Jamie Lynn Sigler Janet Jackson January Jones

What's next for Jaime?

Now that his playing days with D.C. United are over, everybody is looking for the answer to the important question, ?What will Jaime do now?? To shed some light on the subject, we asked Jaime and Louise that very question.

Source: http://dcunited.com/node/13491

Cindy Taylor Cinthia Moura Claudette Ortiz Coco Lee Connie Nielsen

PGA Tour Rookies Hoping to Shake Jitters at Sony Open

Filed under: PGA

There are 26 rookies, 11 of them playing in their career first PGA Tour event, teeing off Thursday the Sony Open in Hawaii, the year's first full-field event.

In a related story, drug stores in the Honolulu area reported a recent spike in antacid sales.

Anybody's first step is usually the toughest. In addition to playing the Waialae CC for the first time, the season's newcomers arrive at their new work place carrying a live well of human emotions that certainly include doubt, raw nerves and a degree of insecurity.

That's OK. Eighteen years ago, Jim Furyk made his rookie debut on the very same course and now has 16 career PGA Tour wins, a U.S. Open title and is the reigning Player of the Year.

That does not mean he hit the ground running. Actually, far from it.

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/13/pga-tour-rookies-hoping-to-shake-jitters-at-sony-open/

Melissa Joan Hart Melissa Rycroft Melissa Sagemiller Mena Suvari Mia Kirshner

Rays Sign Casey Kotchman, Claim Rob Delaney From Twins

Filed under: Rays, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency

The Rays shored up at first base and in the bullpen Friday by signing Casey Kotchman to a minor league deal and claiming right-hander Rob Delaney off waivers from the Twins.

Kotchman will make $750,000 plus the possibility of incentives if he's in the majors the entire season, according to SI.com. Though Kotchman has bounced around and seen his performance lag quite a bit the last couple of seasons, he should have a real chance to earn a job in Tampa Bay.

The Rays enter spring training with Dan Johnson atop their depth chart at first base after seeing Carlos Pena leave as a free agent and non-tendering Willy Aybar. Ben Zobrist can also play first, but he figures to see the bulk of his time at second base and in the outfield.

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/rays-sign-casey-kotchman-claim-rob-delaney-from-twins/

Zhang Ziyi Zoe Saldana

Twins to Retire Bert Blyleven's No. 28

Filed under: Twins, MLB Hall of Fame

The honors keep rolling in for Bert Blyleven.

The Twins announced Thursday night that they will retire the newly minted Hall of Famer's No. 28 jersey. The ceremony will take place before the Twins' July 16 game against the Rangers -- eight days before the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Blyleven spent 11 of his 22 big-league seasons with the Twins, but was traded from Minnesota to Texas in June 1976 and spent the balance of that season and all of the following year with the Rangers. He eventually returned for a second stint in Minnesota toward the end of his career.

"2011 is going to be a special year for the Blyleven family, the Twins organization and millions of fans across Twins Territory," Twins CEO Jim Pohlad said in a statement. "As excitement builds for Bert's induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Twins organization is proud to bestow our highest honor with the retirement of his jersey -- number 28. Bert Blyleven Day is aimed at celebrating Bert's incredible contributions on and off the field, while also providing he and his family a proper send-off to Cooperstown."

Blyleven will be the sixth Twin to have his number retired, joining Harmon Killebrew (3), Tony Oliva (6), Kent Hrbek (14), Rod Carew (29) and Kirby Puckett (34).

Puckett's number was the most recent to be retired, in 1997.

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/twins-to-retire-bert-blylevens-no-28/

Cat Power Catherine Bell Chandra West Charisma Carpenter Charli Baltimore

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Phillies to Add New $10 Million Video Board

by FanHouse Staff

Filed under: Phillies, Sports Business and Media

Phillies fans might be able to pick out individual pores on the faces of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley from even the farthest reaches of the upper deck in right field thanks to the new $10 million scoreboard being installed at Citizens Bank Park.

Construction is under way at the ballpark, with the stadium's original left field video board -- all of seven seasons old -- already relocated to the Phillies' spring training facility in Clearwater, Fla. The new HD board will be nearly triple the size of the old one, with a display measuring 76 feet by 97 feet that will make it the largest in the National League.

That size is equivalent to about 1,380 42-inch flat screens, and the new board will weigh in at 84,420 pounds, according to the team.

"We're truly excited to bring the HD experience to our fans," Mark DiNardo, the Phillies' director of broadcasting and video services, said in a statement. "The new technology and dramatically larger image will bring our fans closer to the action than ever. Our unique partnership with Sony and Daktronics gives us the opportunity to transition the in-house broadcast, production and entertainment systems to high-definition in one step."

In addition to the new board, all 800 televisions throughout the stadium will be upgraded to HD.

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/19/phillies-to-add-new-10-million-video-board/

Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne Bali Rodriguez Bar Refaeli Beyoncé

Accidental Collisions Cause Major Rise in NHL Concussions

Filed under: Blues, Coyotes, Sabres, Stars, Thrashers, NHL All Star Game, NHL Injuries

Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2011/01/29/accidental-collisions-cause-major-rise-in-nhl-concussions/

Vanessa Marcil Vanessa Minnillo Vanessa Simmons Veronica Kay Veronika Vaeková

X Years After, Memories of the XFL

Filed under: Sports Business, Pro Wrestling, Sports Business and Media

If you haven't already done so, get a calendar and circle Feb. 3. It's the 10th anniversary of a sports breakthrough that should not pass unnoticed.

The XFL sprang to life Feb. 3, 2001, with its first game. I know, most of you think that's like commemorating the birth of New Coke or "Rosemary's Baby" -- assuming Rosemary had a girl and dressed her in a G-string.

Sure, the brainchild of rasslin' king Vince McMahon had its flaws. But history shows it deserves some due. For one not-so-glorious spring, the XFL gave us a partial glimpse where football was heading.

It was eavesdropping on locker rooms long before "Hard Knocks." He Hate Me would have been a Twitter god. The league was heavy on sex, violence and personality. You know, all the things NFL fans love.

If only the football and its image hadn't stunk, the XFL might have had a chance.

"The quality of play wasn't the best by any stretch of the imagination, but that shouldn't have been a surprise to any football people out there or any writers," Jim Ross said. "It was like every team was an expansion team."

Ross was the TV voice of the XFL. He came over from the WWE Empire to lend some wrestling zest.

McMahon and NBC figured football and pro wrestling would make a nice mix. It turned too cheesy for football fans. There wasn't enough schmaltz for the Jesse Ventura crowd. If it had been a loser-leave-town match, the XFL would have been banished to Pluto.

"I think people expected somebody to jump out of the stands, get out on the field, grab the football and score a touchdown," LA Extreme punter Noel Prefontaine said this week. "They expected something pretty crazy."

Source: http://www.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/x-years-after-memories-of-the-xfl/

Nicollette Sheridan Nikki Cox Nikki Reed Norah Jones Noureen DeWulf

Mark Wilson Survives Marathon Day to Win Sony Open

Filed under: PGA

HONOLULU (AP) -- Mark Wilson made it through a 36-hole marathon Sunday without a bogey and held on for a two-shot victory in the Sony Open that will take him to the Masters for the first time.

Wilson shot a 5-under 65 in the morning to take a one-shot lead into the afternoon round. He stretched his lead to four shots at the turn, then had to hang on when Tim Clark and Steve Marino made late runs on different sides of Waialae.

Clark, who started the final round five shots behind, birdied three of his last four holes. He narrowly missed an eagle putt on the ninth hole and settled for a 64. Then came Marino with two late birdies and one incredible shot that at least gave him hope.

Two shots behind on the par-5 18th, with his feet in the bunker and his ball about chest-high on the side of a hill, Marino blasted a fairway metal from 234 yards away that landed on the front of the green and rolled 40 feet away. His eagle putt narrowly missed, giving him a 68.

Wilson made one last birdie he didn't need, giving him a 67 for his third career victory.

"It was nice to go right to the tee and not have to think about it," Wilson said of having only a few minutes before the third and fourth rounds. "I'm thankful it's over now."

Wilson, who finished at 16-under 264, played his final 40 holes without a bogey. That proved significant at a couple of points in the final round. He got into trouble on the eighth hole and was 150 yards out in the fairway playing his third shot, sure to lose some of his two-shot lead. But he stuffed it to 7 feet for par, then birdied the ninth to expand his lead to four.

Even bigger was his par on the 17th, even though Wilson didn't realize it.

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/16/mark-wilson-takes-sony-open-by-two-shots/

Mila Kunis Milla Jovovich Minka Kelly Minki van der Westhuizen Miranda Kerr

Arte Moreno, Angels Owner, Has 'Nothing Nice to Say' About Scott Boras

Filed under: Angels

The Angels have publicly admitted that they have begun discussing a long-term deal with staff ace Jered Weaver, but based on the owner Arte Moreno's comments negotiations may not go all that smoothly.

Weaver, who led the American League in strikeouts last year, is two years away from free agency and is represented by Scott Boras.

The superagent hardly ever has his clients take hometown discounts, so its easy to envision things getting contentious between Boras and the Angels, especially given that there are already seems to be bad blood between the two parties.

"My mother told me when you have nothing nice to say about a person, you shouldn't say anything at all," Moreno told the Orange County Register when asked about dealing with Boras.

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/arte-moreno-angels-owner-has-nothing-nice-to-say-about-scott/

Marley Shelton Mary Elizabeth Winstead Megan Ewing Megan Fox Melania Trump

Tracy Morgan Brings TNT Pregame Show to Halt With 'Salute' to Sarah Palin

Filed under: NBA Media Watch, NBA Videos

Someone said something shocking on a TNT NBA studio show Thursday night. No shock there, not with Charles Barkley as one of the analysts.

Except, the stunning statement didn't happen in a studio, but rather on the floor of Madison Square Garden. And it wasn't said by Barkley, but by comedian Tracy Morgan, who made the startling declaration that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was attractive.

Really, really attractive.

Here's the set-up: Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson were conducting business at MSG in advance of the Miami Heat-New York Knicks game, which TNT televised. The trio were discussing the pending NBA All-Star Game and Thursday's announcement of the Eastern and Western Conference starters, when Morgan, who stars in the NBC sitcom "30 Rock" happened by their makeshift set.

Barkley and Smith asked Morgan whom he thought merited inclusion on the All-Star roster. Then Morgan was asked to choose between Palin and Tina Fey, who created "30 Rock," and has impersonated Palin on "SNL."

That's when Morgan said that Palin, the former Republican vice presidential nominee was "good masturbation material." It may have marked one of the few times that the normally loquacious Barkley has ever been speechless.

TNT, however, recovered quickly, issuing a statement from spokesman Jeff Pomeroy that read: "It's unfortunate Mr. Morgan showed a lack of judgment on our air with his inappropriate comments."

Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/27/tracy-morgan-brings-tnt-pregame-show-to-halt-with-salute-to-sa/

Isla Fisher Ivana Bozilovic Ivanka Trump Izabella Miko Izabella Scorupco

NASCAR to Use Smaller Restrictor Plate at Next Week's Daytona Test

Filed under: Crew Chiefs, NASCAR Testing, NASCAR

Teams will be issued smaller restrictor plates for NASCAR's upcoming Jan. 20-22 Goodyear Tire Test at Daytona International Speedway. And at least one Sprint Cup Series crew chief thinks it's a good idea to slow the cars on the newly paved 2.5-mile superspeedway.

"I think the decision was made to slow down the speeds because the speeds were too high at the first test,'' said Pat Tryson, veteran crew chief of the Michael Waltrip Racing No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota.

"It's a good move on the side of safety because no one wants to see a car go airborne at the potential speeds that could be generated with the plate they had last month. It will be better for the driver and better for the fans in the stands. Safety always comes first.''

The new carburetor restrictor plate will have a 29/32-inch hole compared to the 30/32-inch hole the cars used last month in the first major test session on the fresh pavement. Speeds reached 197 mph in December with 17-car drafts.

"By slowing down the cars, it will make the draft bigger and tighter,'' Tryson said. " Before with a little more power, the cars would spread out a little bit. I think now, we can expect to see the cars a lot closer together and more in one pack versus two, three or four.

"It's going to make for some great racing for sure because I expect to see more three, maybe four-wide racing at Daytona which is exactly what we saw at Talladega Superspeedway. It's going to be a lot of fun for everyone to watch."

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2011/01/13/nascar-to-use-smaller-restrictor-plate-at-next-weeks-daytona-te/

Amanda Bynes Amanda Detmer Amanda Marcum Amanda Peet Amanda Righetti

Andy Reid Should Take Keen Notice of Suddenly Available Jeff Fisher

Filed under: Eagles, NFC East

How lucky would the Eagles be if Jeff Fisher just landed in their laps?

Still without a defensive coordinator two weeks after firing Sean McDermott and having seen both top in-house candidate Dick Jauron and the only coach to interview for the position, Dennis Allen, both take coordinator jobs elsewhere, Philadelphia seemed to be waiting to hire a position coach from one of the two Super Bowl teams. Of those men, only Green Bay defensive line coach Mike Trgovac has ever been an NFL coordinator.

But now former Titans coach Fisher is available in the wake of his stunning ouster in Tennessee on Thursday more than 16 years after he was hired and three weeks after he won a power struggle with since-released/troubled quarterback Vince Young and was told he was would be back In the interim. Fisher's longtime defensive line coach Jim Washburn left for the Eagles and defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil was fired.

Not only does Fisher's firing make Philadelphia's Andy Reid -- hired in 1999 -- the league's senior coach, but now the 52-year-old is clearly the top former coordinator on the market. Ironically, Fisher's first job as a coordinator was with the Eagles under Buddy Ryan in 1990 when he was just 30. In his second season, Philadelphia led the NFL in interceptions and sacks. The next season, the Eagles led the league in rushing defense and was second in sacks.

After a 5-2 start in 2010, Tennessee finished 6-10. This after winning eight of its final 10 games following an 0-6 start in 2009. The Titans went 13-3 in 2008 but lost their playoff opener at home to Baltimore. So Fisher, whose Titans came within a yard of forcing overtime in Super Bowl XXXIV against St. Louis 11 years ago, departed having not won a playoff game during his final seven seasons.

Fisher, who was 142-120 with the Houston/Tennessee franchise, is 20th all-time in victories. His 16-plus seasons with the franchise were more than anyone has been a head coach except Hall of Famers George Halas, Tom Landry, Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Curly Lambeau and Bud Grant.

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/andy-reid-should-take-keen-notice-of-suddenly-available-jeff-fis/

Emma Watson Emmanuelle Chriqui Emmanuelle Vaugier Emmy Rossum Erica Leerhsen

Special1 TV: Sven gets the sack

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoccerByIves/~3/REJ1CvceS3A/special1-tv-sven-gets-the-sack.html

Bianca Kajlich Bijou Phillips Blake Lively Blu Cantrell Bonnie Jill Laflin

NFL Should Look To Hockey, Soccer on Flagrant Fouls

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Packers, NFC North, NFL Injuries

If the National Football League is serious about reducing vicious blows to the head, it can add a new rule that borrows a little from hockey and a little from soccer.

In addition to walking off yardage against the transgressing team, football could establish a virtual penalty box that forces a team to use 10 men instead of the usual 11 for one or more plays after a dangerous foul.

An example of the need for such a rule came Sunday in the NFC Championship Game when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears, 21-14, for the right to play Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl.

In the fourth quarter, defensive end Julius Peppers of the Bears was penalized 15 yards for delivering a blind-side hit to the head of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has already suffered two concussions this season.

"He lowers his head, leads with the crown and it's helmet-to-helmet,'' FOX announcer Troy Aikman said while watching the replay. "It's a wonder there that Rodgers (was) even able to get up.''

The screen showed Rodgers rising slowly and with difficulty to his feet with blood on his tongue while Peppers argued with the officials. In addition to the Bears losing 15 yards, Peppers was fined $10,000, it was reported a few days later.

Despite the league's crackdown on such hits, the risk/reward ratio of these fouls still makes it tempting for tacklers to hit quarterbacks this way.

Even a loss of 15 yards is worth the risk if such a collision puts a star quarterback out of a game or leaves him at less than his best. So why not do it? Even a fine of $10,000 is a small deterrent, especially if a player earning millions of dollars has bonus money in a contract related to overall team success.

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/01/28/nfl-should-look-to-hockey-soccer-on-flagrant-fouls/

Dido Diora Baird Dita Von Teese Dominique Swain Donna Feldman

Iowa Hospitalizations Caused by Exertional Rhabdomyolysis

Filed under: Iowa

Twelve Iowa football players have been hospitalized for what appears to be exertional rhabdomyolysis, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The university has not officially confirmed that the players are suffering from this ailment. Federal privacy regulations prohibit the release of certain health care information without the patient's consent.

Exertional rhabdomyolysis is a common consequence of intense strength training. This past fall, two dozen high school football players in Oregon were treated for it after intense workouts under extreme conditions with limited access to drinking water. It doesn't take conditions straight out of The Junction Boys to bring on rhabdomyolysis, however. A British medical journal reported on a case where more than 100 Taiwanese high school students developed the condition after a teacher forced them to do 120 pushups in five minutes on a cold day.

The common thread in exertional rhabdomyolysis is working muscles beyond the point of fatigue. If you've ever done any strength training at all, you've likely reached the point in a workout where your muscles simply can't lift weights any more. At that point, your muscle fibers have ripped and begun spilling their contents into your bloodstream.

AOL Health: Rhabdomyolysis

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Source: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/26/iowa-hospitalizations-reportedly-caused-by-exertional-rhabdomyol/

Sarah Silverman Sarah Wynter Scarlett Chorvat Scarlett Johansson Selita Ebanks

Sources: Javaris Crittenton Signs With NBA D-League

Filed under: Grizzlies, Wizards, NBA Rumors, NBA D-League, Dakota Wizards

Javaris Crittenton has had a pretty interesting career since being selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft.

During his rookie season, Crittenton was one of the centerpieces of one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history when the Memphis Grizzlies acquired him -- and a couple of other pieces, one turning out to be Marc Gasol -- for Pau Gasol. Last season, he pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firerarm following his infamous locker room confrontation with Washington Wizards teammate Gilbert Arenas.

After being suspended for the rest of 2009-10, he failed to make good on a training camp invitation with the Charlotte Bobcats this fall. He briefly played for a professional team in China but was released on Christmas Eve, despite averaging 25.8 points per game.

But despite the rocky start to his career, sources close to the situation have confirmed to FanHouse that Crittenton will attempt to get his NBA career back on track after recently signing a contract to play in the NBA D-League. The 6-foot-5 guard won't clear waivers until Thursday, only then learning where he'll be playing the rest of this season.

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Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/26/sources-javaris-crittenton-signs-with-nba-d-league/

Emma Stone Emma Watson Emmanuelle Chriqui Emmanuelle Vaugier Emmy Rossum