Friday, October 1, 2010

Ted Leonsis Fined $100K by NBA for Talk of Hard Salary Cap

Filed under: , , ,

Ted LeonsisTed Leonsis, majority owner of the Washington Wizards and owner of the Washington Capitals, said on Wednesday that he expects the NBA to soon possess a hard salary cap model similar to the NHL's.

The league's collective bargaining agreement will expire after the season, and many owners are looking at the NHL and their hard salary cap for direction. This summer, FanHouse's Sam Amick reported that if owners are successful in creating a hard cap similar to the NHL's in the neighborhood of $45 million, high-salaried teams like the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers may be forced to release star players to fit the cap number.

The NBA currently employs a soft salary cap, which allows teams to circumvent certain rules and exceed the league's "cap number" in order to build winning teams.

Leonsis, who is well-versed with both the workings of the NBA and NHL salary cap models, spoke to a group of Northern Virginia business leaders before the Wizards training camp session on Wednesday.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Carla Campbell Carla Gugino Carmen Electra Carol Grow Carrie Underwood

OJ Simpson Trial, 15 Years Later: Forgetting the Unforgettable

Filed under: ,



This wasn't supposed to happen: I forgot about O.J.

I hadn't thought about him since he was convicted two years ago of a comical Las Vegas robbery and kidnapping caper, something straight out of a Guy Ritchie movie, and hauled off to prison, where he is today. He got nine years.

Before that, I hadn't thought of him in who knows how long since his acquittal 15 years ago on Sunday -- it's been that long -- on charges that he murdered his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her acquaintance Ronald Goldman.

I remember the entire hullabaloo. Who of at least an impressionable age in 1995 doesn't?

Ivana Bozilovic Ivanka Trump Izabella Miko Izabella Scorupco Jaime King

Matt Moulson on Mark Streit Injury: 'I've Tried Not to Blame Myself'

Filed under: ,

Matt MoulsonUNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Matt Moulson (right) knows he isn't responsible for the major shoulder injury suffered by Mark Streit. The Islanders right wing has been reassured by teammates, coaches, fans and even reporters that he is not to blame. But more than 48 hours after the incident that may have sidelined the Islanders' best defenseman for the entire season, it was easy to see Moulson was struggling with the ability to move on.

"I've had a bit of a hard time with it," Moulson told a small crowd of reporters, in what felt like a therapy session after practice on Monday at the Nassau Coliseum. "I've tried not to blame myself. It's hockey. But any time you're involved in something with a teammate, or any player in a situation of that severity, it's hard."

Moulson was one of the happiest stories on the Islanders and throughout the NHL last season, a Los Angeles Kings farmhand who scored 30 goals in the NHL after signing a two-way contract in search of an opportunity. Now, through no real fault of his own, his name is attached to a potentially devastating storyline involving his team.

During the third period of an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday at the Coliseum, Moulson gently pushed Streit in the back as the All-Star defenseman was facing the boards. Although Moulson was given a penalty for cross-checking, he didn't have both hands on his stick. Streit fell awkwardly into the boards, trying to catch his fall by extending his left arm. He skated off to the trainer's room in obvious pain.

As soon as the public event was over, Moulson checked on the status of his friend and teammate whom he calls, "Our MVP."

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Adrianne Curry Adrianne Palicki Aisha Tyler Aki Ross Alecia Elliott

Bob Dupuy, MLB President, Resigns

by Andrew Johnson

Filed under: ,

Bob DupuyMajor League Baseball president and chief operating officer Bob Dupuy will resign from his post, effective Oct. 31, the league announced in a press release.

Dupuy, at the request of commissioner Bud Selig, will continue working on special projects for the league, including the Oakland Athletics' quest for a new stadium.

"It has been a great privilege to serve the commissioner and the 30 clubs for more than 20 years in my various positions and I greatly appreciate the confidence they have shown me throughout," Dupuy said in a statment. "I am very grateful to the entire MLB and MLBAM staff for their tireless energy and devotion to the game. I look forward to continuing to serve in my new role."

Dupuy has served in his current role since March 2002, spearheading among other things the formation of Major League Baseball Advanced Media, which has become a major cash cow for the league.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Amy Smart Ana Beatriz Barros Ana Hickmann Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes

Dwayne De Rosario's Stock Plummets as He Demands Raise

Filed under: ,

One of the best things about covering the World Cup was being in South Africa during the buildup, broadcast and aftermath of LeBron James' ridiculous The Decision ESPN special. It was a pleasure and relief to miss it.

Those who did watch -- and there were millions -- generally were disgusted by the display. According to The Q Scores Co., which conducts public opinion surveys about certain celebrities, the number of people with a negative view of James soared 77% after the player turned his back on his hometown team and joined up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. It seems that some people still demand more from their athletes than simply on-field/court excellence.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Amy Cobb Amy Smart Ana Beatriz Barros Ana Hickmann Ana Ivanovi

Inside the NHL's Facebook News Feed

Filed under:

Social media is all the rage these days and the hockey world is no exception. Players, media members and fans are all very active on sites such as Twitter and Facebook. That activity has helped fans get closer to players, media to break stories as they happen and given us all another reason to goof off at work. But there's a social media inner circle of the NHL that those of us on the outside still don't get to see all that often despite the inside views social media has given us. Today, we have obtained a screenshot of the Facebook News Feed of that inner circle.

(Note: This is entirely satire.)

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Amber Arbucci Amber Brkich Amber Heard Amber Valletta America Ferrera

Pierre Thomas May Miss Sunday vs. Panthers With Ankle Injury

Filed under: ,

Sean Payton, the New Orleans Saints coach, will have two important game-time decisions to make Sunday before the Saints (2-1) play Carolina (0-3).

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Olivia Wilde Padma Lakshmi Paige Butcher Pamela Anderson Paris Hilton