The Los Angeles Daily News is reporting that the Dodgers’ second basemen Jeff Kent’s career might be over because of torn cartilage in one of his knees.

Kent was sent back to Los Angeles for an MRI exam after leaving Friday night’s game at Arizona with pain in his left knee. Although that exam hadn’t taken place as of game time Saturday night, club officials had a strong suspicion as to what it likely would show.

Kent, 40, has been playing through pain from slightly torn cartilage in his knee for about a month, fully aware that the continued grind of playing baseball on an everyday basis meant there was a strong risk of additional, more painful tearing.

That additional tearing is believed to be what took place during Friday’s game. Kent was said to be in “excruciating pain” after leaving the game, and club officials were holding out slim hope of getting him back in what is widely expected to be his final season.

Kent has yet to announce his plans following this final season of his two-year, $18 million contract with the Dodgers. But even without the injury, it would have seemed like the perfect time to walk away. Given the injury is of the “wear-and-tear” variety and not unexpected for a man of Kent’s age playing such a demanding sport, it is difficult to imagine him playing another year.

The guy has proved to be an asshole during his career, but there’s no doubt Kent has been one of the best hitters over the last decade. He’s never won a ring, but he’s accomplished a lot with the bat. (Of course, some will note that Kent greatly benefited from having Barry Bonds protect him in the lineup for so many seasons.)

Perhaps the biggest upset in college football’s opening weekend came Saturday when East Carolina shocked No. 17 Virginia Tech 27-22. The Pirates returned a blocked punt for a touchdown with just under two minutes left to play to pull off the upset.

It was over when… T.J. Lee blocked a punt for ECU and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown with 1:52 left to give the Pirates the 27-22. lead.
Gameball goes to… Patrick Pinkney, who threw for 211 yards and 1 TD and ran for another score for ECU — and more importantly threw zero INTs.
Stat of the game… 17. The Hokies had their 17-game winning streak broken in games in which they blocked a kick.

Amazing. Frank Beamer’s special teams units are always some of the best in the nation, so it was a surprise to see VA Tech lose this way. Parity has slowly crept its way into college football and it has made the games more meaningful and exciting.

No. 25 Pittsburgh lost its home opener on Saturday, as Bowling Green pulled off a 27-17 upset over the Panthers.

It was over when… Tyler Sheehan ran 11 yards for a TD on a QB draw early in the fourth quarter to give BG a 27-17 lead.
Gameball goes to… Sheenan, who threw for 163 yards and had one TD pass to go along with his big scoring run.
Stat of the game… 24-1. Pitt lost a home game for the first time in school history against a MAC school.

So much for PITT being everyone’s sleeper in the Big East. This is yet another game that proves the MAC is only getting stronger. The conference’s talent level continues to rise and no longer can top programs get away with scheduling a MAC school in the first two weeks and assuming it will be a cakewalk.

Utah also ruined Rich Rodriguez’s Michigan debut by knocking off the Wolverines 25-23 at the Big House in Ann Arbor.

A lot of pundits figured Utah would challenge the Wolverines so this upse wasn’t a total shocker, but man, how far has Michigan fallen? Just two years ago they were one win over Ohio State in the final game of the year from appearing in a national championship game. Now they’re starting a walk on at quarterback and getting beat by Mountain West program.

Losing top recruit Terrelle Pryor (who scored a touchdown for the Buckeyes on Saturday) to Ohio State this year was a killer for UM. It might have set the program back two to three years because Rich Rod doesn’t have the quarterback he wants to run his offense effectively.

Jeremy Maclin helped No. 6 Missouri beat No. 20 Illinois 52-42 in a thriller Saturday night at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

It was over when… Missouri LB Sean Weatherspoon picked off Juice Williams and returned the INT 35 yards for a touchdown with 3:18 left in the game, pushing the score to 52-35 and ending Illinois’ comeback attempt.
Gameball goes to… Chase Daniel, who saw a second quarter INT brought back for a touchdown, but settled down and finished the game with three TDs, 323 yards passing and 47 yards rushing.
Stat of the game… 1,081: The Tigers and Fighting Illini combined for over 1,000 yards of total offense in their second straight thriller in St. Louis.

Missouri’s defense didn’t look good, but Illinois deserves massive credit for hanging with the Tigers for four quarters. Even though they couldn’t pull out a win, the Illini needed a showing like this to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and that the program is making strides. Ron Zook is turning Illinois into a competitor and if Saturday night was any indication of what’s to come for them, the Illini are going to battle Ohio State and Wisconsin this year in a weak Big Ten.

As for Missouri, the defense was an issue but what an amazing offense. The season just started but I can’t wait for the MIZZOU-Kansas game.

In the weeks leading up to the kickoff the 2008 NFL Season, I’ll take a look at position groups that could potentially lift teams to new heights, or bury them and their postseason hopes. Today I take a look at the Miami Dolphins’ quarterback situation after the team added Chad Pennington.

To say the Miami Dolphins had quarterback issues in 2007 would be putting it lightly. Whether it was Trent Green, Cleo Lemon or rookie John Beck, the results were the same and losses piled up in the standings.

Heading into 2008, the depth chart has changed but will the results? Gone are Green and Lemon; in are former New York Jets’ starting quarterback Chad Pennington and rookie Chad Henne.

When Bill Parcells took over the football operations for the Dolphins this summer, one of the areas he knew he had to upgrade was quarterback. And after watching Henne and Beck struggle in camp over the summer, Parcells reached out to the recently released Pennington – the quarterback he drafted when he was the Jets’ head coach.

The book is already out on Pennington: weak arm, severely limited, can’t throw downfield, etc. But he’s also a fundamentally sound veteran and a solid leader that can hopefully help tutor Beck and Henne for the future. Pennington is also familiar with the division and new offensive coordinator Dan Henning used to be his QB coach in New York so he knows the offense.

Eventually the Dolphins have to see what they have in Beck and Henne. It’s wise to allow young quarterbacks develop slowly, but sooner or later they have to sink or swim on the field. And while Parcells has a tendency to prefer players that he had a hand in drafting, Miami did spend a second round pick on Beck last year, so it would be unfair to give up on him too soon.

But at the very least, Pennington buys Miami more time to see what they have at the position. It’s also fair to say that Pennington gives the Dolphins the best chance to win this season and Parcells did him a solid by drafting massive left tackle Jake Long with the first overall pick in last April’s draft. Long will be counted on to protect Pennington’s blind side and hopefully give the Dolphins a cornerstone tackle for years to come.

While it’s unlikely he’ll lead the Dolphins to the playoffs this year, Pennington at least gives the team a respected veteran presence in the huddle and on the field. Time will tell if Henne or Beck can develop behind him.

No. 24 Alabama thrashed No. 9 Clemson 34-10 in Atlanta Saturday night.

“Nobody can be satisfied with a one-game performance,” Saban said. “This will be a challenge for our team and it’ll be interesting to see how they respond.”

Still, as the Alabama band broke into Queen’s “We Are The Champions,” at the end, you had to wonder if they were honoring the Crimson Tide’s past, with 12 national titles and years of dominance in the Southeastern Conference under Bear Bryant, or gazing into the near future.

Tide QB John Parker Wilson was outstanding, throwing for 180 yards and two touchdowns on 22 of 30 passing. But Bama won this game by getting up early and completely taking away Clemson’s dynamic rushing attack. C.J. Spiller and James Davis came into the season as one of the best backfield tandems in the nation. But collectively they only rushed for 20 yards on eight carries. Outside of Spiller’s 96-yard kickoff return in the second half, the Tide owned the Tigers in every facet of the game.

Looks like Saban is turning around Alabama’s program in just a few short years while Clemson continues to underachieve under Tommy Bowden. Alabama is a very improved program, but this loss is rather devastating to a Clemson team that was supposed to have an outside shot at a BCS title appearance.

Two years ago, Rudi Johnson rushed for 1308 yards and 12 TD. In the two seasons before that, he rushed for at least 1450 yards and 12 scores. Today, he’s unemployed.

…the Bengals cleared out right tackle Willie Anderson, running back Rudi Johnson, and cornerback Deltha O’Neal on Cutdown Day to get down to the 53-player limit.

They all made Hawaii in 2005 as the Bengals celebrated the AFC North title. Johnson’s 1,458 yards and O’Neal’s 10 interceptions in that season are still in the book as club records.

“Obviously the play fell off in ’07, and we just haven’t seen a lot of change thus far this year,” said head coach Marvin Lewis in a late afternoon news conference. “It’s a hard decision to make.”

Even though he returned to practice last week, the Bengals apparently decided they hadn’t seen enough of the new and improved Johnson this summer and cut the man projected to once be their bell-cow running back in 2008.

It’s amazing how over-the-hill the 28 year-old Johnson seems right now. He had 1039 carries from 2004-2006, and it appears that they really took their toll. If he can get healthy, he can probably help someone, but for now he’ll join former top fiver Shaun Alexander in the ranks of the unemployed.

From a fantasy point of view, this is a big upgrade for Chris Perry (the current “starter”) and Kenny Watson. Perry has had his own injury problems in the past, so if you can grab both players, do so. Watson has always been productive when given the chance.

In the weeks leading up to the kickoff the 2008 NFL Season, I’ll take a look at position groups that could potentially lift teams to new heights, or bury them and their postseason hopes. Today I take a look at how the Oakland Raiders have built one of the better defensive backfields in the NFL.

He takes too many chances going for interceptions, is cocky and can sometimes be viewed as a selfish player.

He’s also one of the few shutdown cornerbacks in the NFL. He’s DeAngelo Hall, one of the Oakland Raiders’ newest additions in their secondary.

The Raiders acquired Hall from the Atlanta Falcons this offseason for multiple draft picks and immediately signed him to a seven-year, $66.28 million contract. While he’ll occasionally get burnt trying to jump a route for an interception, Hall has been one of the best defensive playmakers in the league. He’s also coming off his best season as a pro, hauling in five interceptions and amassing 63 tackles for the Falcons in 2007.

Playing opposite of Hall in Oakland’s secondary is the incredibly underrated Nnamdi Asomugha. Even though his interception total dropped from eight picks in 2006 to just one last year, stats don’t tell the whole story. Opposing teams often stayed away from Asomugha’s side, fearing his playmaking ability. But teams won’t be able to do that this year with the equally dangerous Hall on the other side.

The Raiders also signed Gibril Wilson this offseason, a talented safety who helped the New York Giants win a Super Bowl last year. Like Hall, Wilson is arguably coming off his best season as a pro, recording 92 tackles and four interceptions. Joining him at safety will be Michael Huff, the former top 10 pick who has come into his own despite having to play multiple positions in his first two seasons.

Even though there are some concerns about Hall having to play with a cast after breaking bones in one of his hands in preseason, Oakland has built one of the better defensive backfields in the league. It’s amazing to think that Hall will see plenty of action this season playing opposite from Asomugha, because Hall is incredibly skilled in coverage himself. And with Wilson now in the mix, Huff can concentrate on playing just one position and further developing his game.

The Raiders will rely on their secondary to set the tone for them on defense this year, but the front seven must get pressure on the quarterback. No secondary can be expected to hold up in coverage for long periods of time, so it’ll be up to Derrick Burgess, Gerard Warren and Tommy Kelly to get a good push off the line. Still, it’ll be fun to watch Oakland defend the pass this year with so many talented players in the secondary.

ESPN is reporting that Ohio State running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Chris “Beanie” Wells left the Buckeyes’ game against Youngstown State with an apparet foot injury.

Wells fell to the ground in pain before he was even hit, fumbling the ball away on a first and goal at the Youngstown State 2 before grasping for his foot.

Wells writhed on the ground in pain while he was attended to by several doctors and trainers, with his teammates standing around him watching. Coach Jim Tressel also ran onto the field.

The junior had 111 yards on 13 carries, including a 43-yard touchdown burst as the Buckeyes rolled to a 26-0 lead at the time of his injury.

This would be a massive blow to No. 2 Ohio State if Wells’ injury is serious. Hopefully it’s not and he won’t miss anytime, but Buckeye fans have to be incredibly concerned.

Cory McCartney breaks down the Clemson-Alabama contest – SI.com’s Game of the Week in college football.

Three Things You Should Care About

1.Clemson has tons of talent and tons of hype. Can it live up to its billing? The Tigers head into the Georgia Dome with their highest preseason ranking since 1991 and 15 returning starters, including James Davis, Cullen Harper and C.J. Spiller, who finished 1-2-3 in the ACC preseason Player of the Year voting.

2. Ladies and gentlemen, Julio Jones is in the building. There’s no arguing with the recruiting prowess of Nick Saban, who has brought in recruiting classes ranked 10th and first in two seasons at Alabama. The latest class includes five-star wide receiver/kick returner Julio Jones and linebacker Don’ta Hightower, both of whom who will be in the starting lineup Saturday.

3. Atlanta and the Crimson Tide: two things that don’t bode well for the Tigers. Since Clemson joined the ACC in 1953, Hotlanta has been a city of horrors for the Tigers, who are 7-31-1 all-time in the Georgia capital. That figure includes trips to conference foe Georgia Tech and the Peach/Chick-fil-A Bowl, where the Tigers are 1-6. Since 1992 that bowl has been played in the Georgia Dome — where they’ll face the Tide on Saturday.

The Pick:
Clemson 24, Alabama 14. It would be a colossal disappointment for Bowden and the ACC if the conference’s best team choked in a high-profile opener. But it’s not going to happen. These Tigers are out to prove they’re beyond tripping on their own feet, and a win in an atmosphere that will be the closest they’ve seen to a BCS game would be a solid start. Clemson’s rebuilt offensive line could be an issue, but with so many weapons at the Tigers’ disposal, getting in the backfield may not help ‘Bama anyway.

This is a great test for Clemson, who always seems to underachieve under Tommy Bowden at one point during the season. This is the most talented Clemson team Bowden has had so it’ll be interesting to see if he can keep his team focused to not only make a run at the ACC crown, but also a national championship.