The first significant move of the MLB off-season went down yesterday, with the Florida Marlins Dan Uggla dealing 2B - sorry Toronto Blue Jays Fan, he's not coming to T.O. - for a surprisingly small package of Omar Infante and Mike Dunn, considering it was an intra division deal with the Atlanta Braves, whose offence looks decidedly better today for the cost of a utility man and a reliever.  As for the Marlins, they've added four solid relief options in the last week to a pen that struggled badly last year.  Things should pick up with the first batch of GM meetings on the go in Orlando.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, never short on opinion, is openly delighting in the Miami Heat's early season struggles.  While most are no doubt enjoying it, the key here is it is early.  Don't be writing them off just yet.

Had it nor aired on Monday Night Football, I'd swear this video of Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid in the punt, pass and kick competition was doctored.  Let's just say that Reid was a little bit bigger than the rest of the 13-year olds.

How very progressive of the President of the Croatian national soccer federation to declare that homosexual players will not be allowed to play for the national team and that "luckily, only normal people play football".  Am sure he thinks there's a test for that, too.

The most surprising thing about talk of an expanded playoffs in baseball is that MLB has had to say it seems unlikely to happen for next year.  That the question exists is an improvement.

Speaking of structural change, the NFL Players Union has offered its take on the proposed move to an 18-game schedule.  They want a dramatic cut in off-season workouts, two in-season bye weeks, and an increase in rosters from 53 to 56 or 57, a reduction in games needed to qualify for medical benefits and  pension.  Oh, and more money, of course.  All seems pretty reasonable to me.

Pitcher Brad Penny is engaged to Karina Smirnoff, WAG extraordinaire.  Nice work, BP.  You wrapped up a solid free agent, now to get yourself a job.

Here's a look at a bunch of sports conspiracy theories, and how believable they are, including the "Michael Jordan was suspended by the NBA for gambling when he went to play baseball."

If you're a Twitter fan, here's a list of MLBers confirmed as legit accounts on Twitter.  Not surprisingly, Vernon Wells is as electric on Twitter as he is in regular TV interviews, which is to say, he's not.

Starting tomorrow, I'll be including video of the FIFA Goal of the Year nominees each day until the entire short list is covered.  Some real gems in the mix.

Carmelo Anthony took a swipe at Chris Bosh - which is turning into its own sport of late - in saying he wouldn't leave the Denver Nuggets hanging when it came to his free agency.

Courtesy of GBVH, a fantastic little ditty called "F**k You, Hipsters".  Great stuff, though I'm all in favor or Hipster Hitler, as you know.

Mega 90210 entry...

Here's the Florida Marlins situation, in short (as possible).  For years, the Marlins have cried poor - bad stadium, bad part of town, bad lease agreement that saw them get no parking revenue for example.  They claimed to be a money losing operation and kept squeezing Miami for a new stadium, a squeeze that ultimately worked and a new stadium is being built.  Recently, financial documents leaked that show they're not only nicely profitable and pocketing revenue sharing dollars rather than spending them to improve the team, but they've also collected millions in parking.  Buster Olney (ESPN Insider required) says the government should investigate.  And where is Bud Selig in all this?  He had to have known about this deception.  Guess he's and the feds are more worried about  PED investigations for guys out of the game that used in a time where there was no rule against it than protecting the people who support the team and are taxpayers.  Slimy, real slimy stuff, especially when your read the Marlins are among the most profitable teams in baseball.

For a purported "world championship", the World Basketball Championships sure doesn't have a big feel to it, does it?  Little coverage on TV and in papers, and no buzz at all. I'd wager if you asked 10 general sports fans, 3 max would know where the tourney is (Turkey, by the way).   Of all the team sports, only soccer gets it right on its own. The rest have their biggest stages at the Olympics.

Not sure why SportsNet stays with New York Yankee broadcasts through "God Bless America" in the 7th inning. Less sure why that and anthems remain part of domestic sports.

The European transfer window for its soccer clubs that just closed saw teams spend a combined £325,000, or $526,000,000 (Cdn). Crazy money.

I don't think the NFL going to 18 games will ultimately prove to be backbreaking for players bodies.  If anything, the lack of rest they get in the off season and with two-a-day camps has to do as much damage as anything.  But to hear Jerry Jones talk of how there are provisions in the CBA to go all the way to 22 games seems excessive.  Word is the move to 18 games will see each team play at least a game in a non-NFL market - think London, Barcelona, etc. - and add a second bye week.  The Super Bowl would push to mid-February and coincide with Ontario's Family Day weekend, which I'm all for.  What says "family" more than "daddy's hungover"?

Trademark looks in the NFL.  Yes, of course Wade Phillips blank stare when something goes afoul made the mix.  Not sure how "The Manning Look" didn't make it.  You know that one, the utterly stunned look when something goes wrong.

Almost a quarter of Toronto Raptors games this year will appear on SportsNet One, which isn't available to about half of Ontario homes right now, and more than half of Canadian homes.  This is what is known as providing a public service.  For me, SportsNet One has resulted in Yankee games on TV almost nightly, so am pretty happy with its arrival.

Cliff Lee has an ERA of 8.35 his last five starts for the Texas Rangers.  This is only slightly above his career average ERA pitching in Arlington, Texas.  For those thinking he'd resign in Texas: no chance.

A couple people of former New York Yankees - unnamed - say Derek Jeter's pride will make him insist he get A-Rod money in his next contract with the Yankees.  I know it is only money, and the Yankees could probably triple their payroll comfortably, but that's a mistake waiting to happen.  Jeter's defence his slipping, and so is his offence.  You want pride, DJ?  Sign for two more years, get your 3,000th hit sometime next year, maybe win another ring or two, retire.

Pitch F/X, which among other things, tracks pitchers speeds and locations, only has data dating back to the 2008 for regular season. But, Cincinnati Red Aroldis Chapman's 103.9mph fastball in his debut on Tuesday night was the fastest regular season pitch ever recorded. 103.9? Wow.

Audrina Patridge on Dancing With The Stars?  Interesting.

A whole heap of video here today, and all good stuff.

Up first, check out what Arizona Diamondback Adam LaRoche had played for teammate Kelly Johnson for his first two at-bats.  That's what you do when your team sucks, I guess.  Funny stuff.


A real baseball brawl last night.  Check this out.  Washington National Nyjer Morgan charges the mound, misses with a punch, and gets on the wrong end of a beautiful clothesline.


Another angle here, and Nyjer Morgan F-bombing the fans (not seen) and pounding his chest after getting tossed during a brawl.  Classy.  That said, throwing at the guy for doing something perfectly legal and not dirty is bush.


Oh I like the sounds of this!

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

In case you missed Roger Federer's "tweener" a couple days back, check it out.

American Idle Returns

Yanks starter Chien-Ming Wang is having a rougher start to 2009 than Natasha Richardson, and ran the opening leg in a total curb stomping at the hands of the Cleveland Indians yesterday. Memo to Phil Hughes: get to the Scranton airport...good friends and one-time teammates starting against each other on the bump is interesting enough, but when one is former New York Yankee Carl Pavano ("American Idle"), pitching at Yankee Stadium against the team he fleeced for $40 million over four years, it gets that much more interesting. Of course, the other is AJ Burnett. If this were 2008 at this time, there would have to be a line on whether both get hurt, but Burnett's working a second calendar year without a drip to the DL, knock on wood...RM reader TS passes on the 16 Greatest TV Catchphrases. What, no "If you smell what The Rock is cookin'"?...Arizona Diamondbacks starter Dan Haren is 0-3 this year despite a 1.50 ERA. The D-Backs have scored a single run - total - in his three starts...as broadcasting trainwrecks go, Brad May working for TSN is certainly the most recent. Poor guy sounds like he's going to have a nervous breakdown. Far more impressive is The Little Ball of Hate Ray Ferarro...good-bye, Chuck Lidell, nice knowing you...Derrick Rose dropped 36 points for the Chicago Bulls in an overtime win over the Boston Celtics. Way to clutch up, Paul Pierce, and rim the potential game winning free throw in the dying seconds of regulation...a group of Italian ladies have a pool going that will see the winner net $30,000 if they can sleep with David Beckham. It is not tough being DB...the Florida Marlins are now 10-1 to start the year. Anybody saw that coming?...playing Manchester United in the FA Cup at -.5 +127, enjoy.

A 4,800 calorie burger?

Check out this 4,800 calorie beast a minor league baseball team in Michigan is conjuring up: 1 pound of bread, five patties totally nearly two pounds, five slices of cheese, and a dollop of salsa, nacho cheese and Fritos. God bless America. Please, watch this video to see how it is made...either the entirety of the United States is terrified of the power of Barack Obama, or he's playing people to see if they take a joke seriously. After all, he couldn't have been serious about Congress looking at the Bowl Championship Series. What's next, have them tackle the NFL's overtime rules? The NHL shootout? I'm continually amazed at what is seen as a valuable use of time in an environment where the economy is crumbling globally...not only could the NFL move to 17 or 18 games, they might do it as soon as the 2011 season with the season starting in August. Now if only the NHL and NBA could trim their pre-season's to get things under way sooner and ending sooner. The world doesn't need NHL playoff hockey in June...it only took about a decade, and enough votes that it could've funded at least the lower bowl, but the Florida Marlins are finally getting their stadium, and it'll sit at the site of the now-imploded Orange Bowl...now that he's been accused of being a deadbeat dad, wonder if Toronto Raptor Chris Bosh is thinking of skipping town? Or maybe he's just looking for a disguise. I suggest he go under cover as RuPaul...so Cleveland Brown Donte Stallworth had enough time to flash his headlights at the man he ran down and killed last week, but not hit the brakes. Talk about a guy committed to running his routes...Stephen Brunt of the Globe & Mail told Prime Time Sports that Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett was in Waterloo recently, the same place a certain Jim Balsillie resides. Very interesting...further proof that fools never learn and that Isaiah Thomas can always fool somebody, he's being looked at for a front office job in the NBA. With the LA Clippers. Right, because that'll change things...next up in the "People I Hate" series: People Who Say "I could care less." Listen closely: if you're saying that without obvious sarcasm, that means YOU DO IN FACT CARE because it is possible for you to care less than you do. I'm continually amazed how often perfectly intelligent people get that one wrong in everyday life, on TV, in movies - wherever. Write that down, clown, does it look like that means you don't care?...March Madness resumes tonight and you can look forward to Duke going out to Villanova...have a great Thursday, back with your PTP later.

Eduardo!

It is a shame that in sport, you so often get hammered with stories of drug use, off-field issues and bad personalities but when a great story comes around, it gets the short end of the stick. Not today. Eduardo Da Silva, who on February 23rd of last year nearly had his foot amputated so severely was his ankle and leg broken in a vicious tackle, returned less than a year later to play two games for club - Arsenal - and country - Croatia - in the space of six days. He set up the winner for Croatia over Romania Wednesday, and yesterday returned in incredible form for Arsenal, scoring a pair, as the Gunners hammered Cardiff City 4-0 in FA Cup play. Goosebumps... now back to the usual, Florida Marlins star shortstop Hanley Ramirez added 25 pounds of muscle this off-season. That is normal, after all...A-Rod's circus of a presser goes this afternoon and his Yankees teammates are expected to back him fully, and literally. Go figure that it might have taken the performance enhancing drug usage of years back to have his teammates finally embrace him. Again, if he's wise, more detail is preferable to less...if Brett Favre is still holding out hope of playing for Minnesota to get over on the Green Bay Packers, he can forget it: the Vikes aren't interested...Roy Halladay could be dealt this season. As hard as it is to imagine the Toronto Blue Jays without their stud chucker, dealing Halladay makes too much sense, no? Memo to Yankees GM Brian Cashman: he's worth Phil Hughes. Plant the seed...Station Casinos is one company that made a list of 15 Companies That Might Not Survive 2009. This might not seem significant on the face of it, aside from it being shocking casinos could lose money, until you realize they're owned by the Fertitta brothers, who own 90% of UFC. Somewhere, Dana White is sweating bullets...one other sign the economy is an issue in sports: the Dallas Cowboys don't have a deal for naming rights to their new billion dollar home, and will likely wait out the economic crisis to get top dollar later...have a great Tuesday, back later with your PTP.

3:56PM UPDATE: Playing Orlando -8.5 tonight over Charlotte. Liking the under there as well.