Ken Rosenthal of FOX SPORTS.com has been all over the C.C. Sabathia trade rumors of late, reporting Friday that the Brewers were interested in the Indians’ ace. Now Rosenthal is saying the Dodgers are after Sabathia as well.

However, the Dodgers’ bid for Sabathia is complicated by their pursuit of Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson as a replacement for the injured Rafael Furcal, sources say.

To get Wilson, the Dodgers would need to trade the Pirates some of the same players that the Indians want for Sabathia, leaving Los Angeles with a choice of one deal or the other.

While the Dodgers might not offer a prospect better than Brewers Class AA left fielder Matt LaPorta, their proposal for Sabathia would include three players, sources say.
Class AA right-hander James McDonald, Class AAA shortstop Chin-Lung Hu and third baseman Andy

LaRoche are among the Dodgers’ prospects likely drawing consideration form the Indians.
But the addition of Wilson, 30, would fill the void created by the absence of Furcal, who will be out at least eight more weeks after undergoing back surgery.

If Rosenthal’s sources are right, it appears that the Brewers are offering the sweeter deal for Sabathia with LaPorta in the mix. It’ll be interesting to see if Furcal’s injury handcuffs the Dodgers’ chances of landing C.C.

THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL GUYS took every program in the Big 12 and compared them to hot celebrities.

Nebraska - Cindy Crawford. At one time the “super” standard by which others followed, however with time became old and outdated as others “passed” on by. Distinctive features that cannot be removed - a mole and Tom Osbourne. Maybe their school became a Coke campus…

Oklahoma - Pamela Anderson. Big, brash and performance enhanced under Switzer. Spent time with lesser suitors. Got back up with a surprising year, but still can’t break back through with a big time win. Embarrassing “incidents” cost them money and respect.

Oklahoma State - Anna Nichole Smith. Married to famous oil billionaire. Famous outbursts, one in reality and one on reality TV. One hopes their future plays out a little differently.

Texas - Jenny McCarthy. America’s favorite girl. Well dressed. Larger than life. Many consider them annoying. Made it big when “matched” with the right show/QB. Steady performer. Enjoys yearly shootout with similar looking rival.

That Nebraska-Cindy Crawford comparison is fantastic.

Thought the Brian McNamee-Roger Clemens circus was over? Not a chance.

Tests of syringes and other steroid paraphernalia that trainer Brian McNamee submitted to federal agents will test positive for Roger Clemens’ DNA, according to a brief filed in court by McNamee’s lawyers, ESPN reported.

Although there has been considerable speculation about the materials McNamee submitted to federal agent Jeff Novitzky in January, his attorneys had refused to discuss them publicly until the filing of the brief.

The brief, in support of McNamee’s attempt to obtain an early dismissal of a defamation case Clemens filed against him or have the case moved to New York, was filed in court on Tuesday.

The paraphernalia, including syringes and bloodied gauze pads, “will test positive for Clemens’s DNA,” the brief asserts. “Once the DNA results are revealed, there will be little dispute about who is telling the truth.”

This back and forth crap has to end. Let’s all hope something comes out of these tests so one of these guys can be called out for being the lying scumbag he is. (Let’s be honest though – they’re both lying scumbags no matter what the tests reveal.)

FOX SPORTS.com’s Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Brewers are offering Matt LaPorta in a proposed deal for Indians’ ace C.C. Sabathia.

Class AA shortstop Alcides Escobar also may be in the Brewers’ proposed deal, one of the sources says.
And the Indians scouted the Brewers’ Class A Brevard County (Fla.) affiliate on Wednesday night, looking at third baseman Taylor Green, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

The Brewers likely would prefer to substitute a lesser player for Escobar, or perhaps would insist upon additional talent if the Indians demanded his inclusion. But if the Brewers indeed were willing to give up both LaPorta and Escobar, the Sabathia sweepstakes might be over before they started.

“I can not imagine anyone would top that,” the first source said.

LaPorta, 23, and Escobar, 21, would be a steep price for Sabathia, who is headed for free agency at the end of the season. But the Brewers, facing a potentially dramatic off-season makeover, are in a more urgent position than other clubs, rival executives say.

Giving up two top prospects for free-agent-to-be Sabathia seems like a desperation move right now for the Brewers. Although if the club feels like they’re only one player away from a World Series, it’s hard not to make a big splash.

This seemingly would be a great deal for the Tribe if it went through. Sabathia is probably gone at the end of the year anyway, so why not land two top prospects in the process? Especially with the 2008 season already falling by the wayside for Cleveland.

- Even with Dustin Pedroia’s big night (4 for 5, HR, 2 RBI, 3 runs), the Red Sox couldn’t avoid being swept by the red hot Rays. Tampa knocked off Boston 7-6 as top rookie prospect Evan Longoria went 3 for 4 with three RBI and a run scored. The Rays are now 3.5 games up on the BoSox in the AL East.

- The Tribe fell 6-5 to the White Sox, but Grady Sizemore had himself a night, going 3 for 4 with two home runs, two RBI and four runs scored. But the story of the night was A.J. Pierzynski, who homered in the second off Indians’ ace C.C. Sabathia and again in the 10th off reliever Masa Kobayashi for the walk off.

- The Yankees absolutely scorched the Rangers with a nine run seventh in route to an 18-7 victory. Both A-Rod and Jason Giambi hit home runs for the Bronx Bombers, who had more runs (18) than hits (16).

- The Halos’ Joe Saunders is off to quite an impressive first half, as he won his 12th game of the season in the Angels’ 7-4 victory over Oakland. Saunders went 6.1 innings, yielding four runs on six hits and striking out five.

- The Twins are trying to keep pace with the White Sox in the AL Central and a 7-0 win over the Tigers helps. Minnesota used a five run third inning to top Detroit, who has now lost three in a row.

Before the 2007 NFL Playoffs, Mr. Optimism and Mr. Pessimism gave their thoughts on the 12 postseason teams and their chances of winning the Super Bowl.

The duo is back again to give their insightful analysis, this time offering their opinion on all 16 NFC teams with training camps ready to fire up across the country.

If it weren’t already obvious by their names, Mr. Optimism likes to find the positive in every team. He likes to stroke the fire of… well… optimism, and provide hope to your favorite team and their chances of winning in 2008.

Mr. Pessimism is that guy you want to round house kick in the face because no matter what you say about a team, he’s always there to put a negative spin on things. Mr. Pessimism can easily find faults in every team and has no problem making it known that both you and your team are going to choke on applesauce this season.

Neither is very good on their own, but together they form one of the greatest duos in the history of sports analysis. This week they take a look at the NFC teams – next week they scout the teams in the AFC.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys
Mr. Optimism: This team should have gone further in the postseason last year because they were the best team in the NFC. The Boys have the most talent of any team in the conference and have two of the best minds in football in head coach Wade Phillips and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Tony Romo (right) is about to have an MVP season.
Mr. Pessimism: Sure they should win the NFC East again, but then what? This team is the ultimate choke-artist when it comes to the playoffs and what will make this year any different? Their playoff-win drought will continue because Phillips never gets his teams over the postseason hump.

New York Giants
Mr. Optimism: Where is the respect for the defending champs? Eli Manning officially turned the corner last year in the postseason and thanks to a solid running game and a fantastic defensive line, the G-Men are poised for another Super Bowl run. Not to mention they have one of the most coveted defensive minds in all of football in DC Steve Spagnuolo.
Mr. Pessimism: Manning finished last year on a tear, but he’s still never put together a full season. And now that everyone will be gunning for the Jints this year, they’ll be lucky to win more than nine games. And how good will that defensive line be without veteran Michael Strahan?

Philadelphia Eagles
Mr. Optimism: This is the year Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid prove just how good they really are. McNabb and Brian Westbrook are going to put together injury-free seasons and the addition of Asante Samuel is going to be an incredible boost to the secondary.
Mr. Pessimism: Samuel was a product of New England’s defense and he’s going to get exposed this year. McNabb and Westbrook stay healthy? Fat chance. Plus who the hell is McNabb going to throw to? Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis? This team didn’t improve much from last year and still have some of the same issues.

Washington Redskins
Mr. Optimism: The way the Redskins came together at the end of last season will do wonders heading into 2008. Quarterback Jason Campbell was really making strides last year before he was injured and with a healthy Clinton Portis for a full season, the offense is better than people think. Adding a dynamic piece like rookie receiver Devin Thomas to the offense should provide another dimension to the passing game, too.
Mr. Pessimism: The Redskins were a nice story last year with the emergence of long time backup quarterback Todd Collins and the team coming together after the death of Sean Taylor. But they overachieved and it’s going to take at least a year for the Skins to get accustomed to new head coach Jim Zorn.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals
Mr. Optimism: Talk about building a talented offense – Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Matt Leinart (assuming he’s healthy), Levi Brown and Edgerrin James (right) are a solid core. With the addition of rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Antrel Rolle moves to free safety (joining underrated Adrian Wilson) and suddenly the Cards’ secondary looks solid. Plus Ken Whisenhunt showed last year that he’s putting his stamp on this team and will only improve heading into his second year as head coach.
Mr. Pessimism: These are the Cardinals! Every year they offer some kind of excitement and every year they disappoint. There’s no need to go into details – this team is hopeless!

San Francisco 49ers
Mr. Optimism: The 49ers have a solid, young core on offense. Quarterback Alex Smith is entering his fourth year and showed promise at times last season. It will once again help having Frank Gore and Vernon Davis by his side, and nobody should underestimate what veteran Isaac Bruce brings to the field. The defense has improved dramatically too, with 2007 Defensive Rookie of the Year Patrick Willis manning the middle and the defensive line getting a boost in the pass-rush department with the signing of Justin Smith.
Mr. Pessimism: Remember how everyone got excited last year when the 49ers signed Nate Clements and Michael Lewis in the offseason? Then the games started and it was the same 49er team that has stunk for some time now. If Alex Smith doesn’t get it done this year, San Fran will start looking for a replacement. Same thing goes for head coach Mike Nolan.

Seattle Seahawks
Mr. Optimism: Mike Holmgren’s last year is going to be his best. Matt Hasselbeck knows Holmgren’s offense like the back of his hand and the combination of Julius Jones, Maurice Morris and T.J. Duckett is going to be hard to contend with. Plus, the defense lost nobody of importance and was a major bright spot last season. There’s no reason to believe the Seahawks will take a step back in 2008.
Mr. Pessimism: Holmgren’s potential retirement from coaching will be a major distraction all year and to think the combination of Jones, Morris and Duckett is going to form this three-headed monster is a joke. The defense was average at best – they gave up close to 20 points a game last year and the pass defense ranked 19th. They may win the division again because the West is weak, but the Hawks won’t go much further.

St. Louis Rams
Mr. Optimism: There’s no way a talented group like the Rams will be as bad this year as they were in 2007. Marc Bulger should return healthy and Steven Jackson is going to have a bounce back year with the return of tackle Orlando Pace. And how good is that defensive line going to be with the addition of Chris Long? Talk about a high motor – he and Leonard Little are going to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks this year.
Mr. Pessimism: You’re assuming that all of these players come back healthy. Pace and Little are still banged up and are taking it easy in camp. And it takes a while to get the verbiage down in new OC Al Saunders’ playbook, so assuming the offense is going to run like clockwork is a stretch, too. Last year wasn’t an aberration – the Rams are that bad.

NFC North

Chicago Bears
Mr. Optimism: Kyle Orton is the most talented quarterback on the Bears’ roster and he deserves a shot to be the full-time starter. Rookie running back Matt Forte is going to surprise a lot of people this year and the defense is still incredibly good led by linebackers Brian Urlacher (right) and Lance Briggs, as well as the best defensive tackle in the league in Tommie Harris. Oh, and Devin Hester will get this team in prime field position on every offensive series.
Mr. Pessimism: Hester got the Bears in prime field position on every offensive series last year and it still didn’t matter! The fact of the matter is that this team did next to nothing in the offseason to address the offensive line and Forte (and Orton for that matter) is still largely unproven. And what will happen with Urlacher’s contract situation? Can Harris stay healthy? There are more questions than answers in Chicago.

Detroit Lions
Mr. Optimism: Part of the problem during the Lions collapse after starting 6-2 in 2007 was that Mike Martz foolishly abandoned the run during games. New offensive coordinator Jim Colletto isn’t going to allow that to happen this season and head coach Rod Marinelli has done a fantastic job of rebuilding the culture in Detroit’s locker room. The offense is still one of the best in the conference.
Mr. Pessimism: Somehow the worst defense in the league actually got even worse. Shaun Rogers might be lazy, but he was also the Lions’ best defender and they’re going to have a Grand Canyon-sized hole in the middle of their defense now. And who are the starting corners? Brian Kelly and Travis Fisher? Good luck with that.

Green Bay Packers
Mr. Optimism: Aaron Rodgers proved against Dallas last year that he can compete in this league. He also has one of the most underrated offensive lines protecting him and several weapons at his disposal in receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, as well as an emerging talent in running back Ryan Grant. The defensive line is also one of the best in the league led by Aaron Kampman, and the Pack have the best cornerback duo in the NFL in Al Harris and Charles Woodson.
Mr. Pessimism: I see you didn’t mention his lordship and how this team is sunk without #4. Face it – Brett Favre made this overachieving team into a competitor last year. Without him, they’re nothing better than 8-8 and Rodgers is going to fold like a deck of cards once defensive coordinators figure out his weakness (if they haven’t already).

Minnesota Vikings
Mr. Optimism: This is everybody’s chic pick this season, and for good reason. The Vikings have two elements that always breed success in the NFL: A solid running game and a defensive line. Adrian Peterson (right) will again run wild behind the Vikes’ solid offensive line and Jared Allen added another dimension to an already stout defensive front four. The secondary also improved with the addition of safety Madieu Williams and quarterback Tavaris Jackson is ready to take the next step.
Mr. Pessimism: The secondary improved with the addition of a safety taken from the Bengals’ defense? Please! And Jackson isn’t ready to lift this team to new heights – nor will he ever. You can count on Peterson heading for a sophomore slump and let’s see if Allen can keep out of trouble before we crown him as the best defender in the league.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons
Mr. Optimism: Every year a team emerges from seemingly out of nowhere to shock the league. Rookie Matt Ryan should have no problem earning the starting quarterback role during preseason and thanks to a bevy of young talent in Michael Turner, Jerious Norwood and Roddy White, the Falcons are in better shape than people think. Plus the new front office and coaching regime has this team believing it can win again.
Mr. Pessimism: Ha! The defense lost two of its best players in DeAngelo Hall and Rod Coleman, they have no offensive line and Ryan is going to wish he were back at Boston College by Week 3. This is by far the worst team in the league and might not win more than four games again.

Carolina Panthers
Mr. Optimism: Jake Delhomme should be healthy again and the running game got a big boost with the addition of Jonathan Stewart and offensive tackle Jeff Otah. They also have one of the games most dangerous weapons in Steve Smith – a player that can score at any moment. And there is no way Julius Peppers struggles like he did in 2007. John Fox’s teams are always prepared.
Mr. Pessimism: This team can never hold it together when injuries strike, so why should this year be any different? If Delhomme goes down again, Matt Moore proved last year that he couldn’t hack it and Fox will feel the pressure of the hot seat all season.

New Orleans Saints
Mr. Optimism: The Saints had a terrific offseason, adding linebacker Jonathan Vilma, corner Randall Gay and drafting defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis. This is by far the most improved team in the NFC South (if not the entire NFC) and this will be Reggie Bush’s bounce back year. Sean Payton has one of the most innovative offensive minds in football and a solid quarterback in Drew Brees (right) at his disposal.
Mr. Pessimism: Deuce McAllister can’t stay healthy and Bush can’t run between the tackles. That defense might have gotten an expensive facelift, but the linebacker corps is still slow and the Saints have had a revolving door at corner opposite Mike McKenzie for years.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mr. Optimism: Jon Gruden proved last year all he needs for his offensive to be success is a solid game manager. He found that in quarterback Jeff Garcia and everyone saw how efficient the Bucs’ offense could be. Garcia will also love how much center Jeff Faine brings to the offensive line and Cadillac Williams should be ready to roll again after having season-ending knee surgery last year. Coordinator Monte Kiffin always gets the most out of his defenses and the secondary will improve dramatically with playmaker Aqib Talib now in the fold.
Mr. Pessimism: You’re assuming Garcia will even play this year after spending the entire offseason bitching about his contract. Come on – this team overachieved last year and doesn’t have enough talent to win the division again. Kiffin is one of the best, but his defense was already old three years ago.

Peter Schrager of FOX SPORTS has 32 burning questions surrounding each NFL team.

Chicago Bears
Q: Is the Bears offense the worst unit in the entire league?
A: Well, the quarterback duo of Grossman and Orton has to be in the bottom half of the league. The running attack — a trio of unproven guys not named Benson or Jones — has to be in the bottom quarter of the league. The offensive line — anchored by a rookie tackle out of Vanderbilt — is a giant question mark. And the receivers? Well, there may be no worse depth chart in the NFL.
So, Bears fans, you tell me.

Cleveland Browns
Q: Can the Browns defense stop a Junior Varsity offense?
A: Upgrades had to be made and they were. In comes Shaun Rogers, Corey Williams and linebacker Beau Bell, a rookie projected to go as early as the first or second round but who slipped all the way to the fourth round. The offense is simmering. The defense is getting there. Cleveland’s got a real shot at the franchise’s first divisional title in 19 years.

Green Bay Packers
Q: Does life go on without Brett Favre?
A: Yes. But please give the national sports media a few years to recover. Remember, Brett Favre was and is the most important American to ever walk the Earth.

New England Patriots
Q: Can the Pats go undefeated in 2008?
A: The odds in Vegas are currently 15:1 that they do. Sure, there’s been SpyGate, that whole Nick Kaczur Donnie Brasco thing, and more arrests than the Bengals this offseason. But the Pats are playing angry and their schedule is actually more manageable than it was in ‘08. Now, if they can just find someone to play cornerback.

The NFC North will be interesting on a whole this year. Are the Vikings the team to beat, even with Tavaris Jackson at quarterback? Did the Packers overachieve last year and therefore come crashing down to earth without Favre? Is the Bears’ offense that bad? Is the Lions’ defense that bad? It’s going to be a fun year.

THE BEARDOWN put a photo gallery together of the top 20 American women participating in the upcoming Olympics, including Jennie Finch (softball) and Brittany Dircks (trampoline).

ALL BALLS (great name for a blog by the way) ranks the 10 best moments of celebrities playing sports, including Billy Crystal’s attempt at hitting major league pitching.

#3 Billy Crystal At The Bat - A lot of people thought Billy would be “running scared,” but he was a regular “city slicker” at the plate. After “analyzing this” videotape, I think Billy really is one of “America’s sweethearts.”

#1 Star Jones Gets Served By Jason Sehorn - As the bald man at the end of the video says, “you can’t see Star hit by that football enough.”

I still think Crystal held his own in that batter’s box. The man’s 60 years old for cribbs’ sake.

- Matt Garza is starting to fulfill on some of that promise. Garza threw seven strong innings, yielding just one run on five hits in the Rays’ 3-1 win over the Red Sox. Tampa has now won three in a row and has opened up a 2.5-game lead over the struggling BoSox, losers of four straight.

- The Angels used a three-run eighth to top the A’s 5-3. Vlad Guerrero singled in a run in the eighth to tie the game, while Garrett Anderson followed up the single with a two-run blast that eventual put the Halos ahead for good.

- Matt Cain has been inconsistent all season, but his work Tuesday night proves the 23-year old has massive potential. Cain threw eight shutout innings against the struggling Cubs, striking out ten and limiting Chicago to only two hits. The Giants came away with a 2-1 victory.

- Aaron Cook gave up just five hits and shutout the Padres 4-0 in Colorado. Cook is now 11-5 on the season for the fourth place Rockies.

- Randy Johnson continues to struggle. Johnson lasted just 3.2 innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits as the Brewers beat the Diamondbacks 8-6. The Big Unit is now 4-7 on the season with a 5.46 ERA.

THE LOVE OF SPORTS ranks the top 50 strangest moments in baseball history and for your viewing pleasure, also has the video of some of those moments.

6. Double-A manager Phillip Wellman’s tirade includes crawling on the field, hurling bases into the outfield and throwing the rosin bag at the umpire as if it were a grenade.

5. Minor league right fielder Rodney McCray runs through the outfield wall in pursuit of a fly ball.

2. Millions of tiny bugs, called midges, swarm Jacobs Field during Game 2 of the 2007 ALDS between the Yankees and Indians.

1. An earthquake rocks Candlestick Park minutes before Game 3 of the 1989 World Series between the Giants and Athletics.

That video of Double-A manager Phillip Wellman is absolutely insane. It makes you wonder if either A.) The guy was hammered drunk or B.) If he was paid to do it as part of a comic act for minor league fans. Great list.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chipper Jones is expected to land on the disabled list before the Braves take on the Phillies Tuesday night. He’s missed eight straight starts battling a quad injury.

We’re expecting Chipper Jones to go on the 15-day disabled list this afternoon, which is obviously bad news for the Braves, who don’t win nearly as frequently without their best hitter in the lineup.

Jones was off to one of those years that baseball fans could just sit back and marvel at. He’s currently hitting .394, with 16 home runs and has driven in 46 RBI. At 36 years old, Jones has been one of the many breaths of fresh air during this baseball season and here’s hoping he recovers quickly.

Someone check this girl for HGH…she’s obviously on something.

Awesome Catch by Ball Girl - Celebrity bloopers here

Now that interleague play has concluded for another year in MLB, it’s appropriate to ask: Does it still work for the league and perhaps more importantly, the fans? SPLICE TODAY doesn’t think so.

That said, and here’s one of those curveballs, I can’t stand inter-league play, even though it pumps up attendance and allows fans to see star players who were once a mystery aside from the All-Star game (which, of course, has devolved into a meaningless exhibition game instead of a proud showcase) or the World Series…I just don’t like the disruption of the season’s rhythm, the fake “rivalries” cooked up by MLB schedule makers—sure, the Cubs and White Sox make sense, but the Rockies and Tigers?—for the sake of novelty and profit.

…What bothers me is that when playoff spots are at stake I’d rather have my team, the Red Sox, play more times against their competitors; the Sox, for instance, won’t square off against the Tigers again in 2008. Lucky for Boston that Detroit was off to a feeble start when they played their paltry seven games, but when the wild card is up for grabs in September and both teams are possible contenders for that slot, it seems like a waste that 18 games were blown on inter-league play. It’s a losing battle, and hard to argue when the Washington Nationals drew their best crowds of the years since opening day playing the Orioles, but I’ll continue to carp.

I’d have to disagree. The article makes a good point that a series like the Tigers-Rockies is a fixed rivalry set up by the league to generate money, but the buzz in Chicago when the Cubs play the Sox is fantastic. And the Angels and Dodgers just had one of the tightest series of the season, which I could only imagine was fun for fans on the West Coast.

With a 162-game schedule, interleague does nothing to interrupt the flow of the season and it has a minuet barring on how the postseason shakes out. The season is so long that it provides a fresh change of pace. I still think it works for both the fans and the league.

MLB:

- Jamie Shields held Boston to only two runs on five hits over 6.1 innings to help the Rays top the Red Sox 5-4. The home team has dominated every contest in this series this season and the Rays have now opened up a 1.5 game lead over the Sox in the AL East.

- Roy Halladay threw his 10th career shutout, limiting the Mariners to four hits in the Jays’ 2-0 win. It was the third straight victory for Halladay.

- The Cubs got back on track Monday by gorilla-smacking the Giants 9-2. Barry Zito is obviously the cure for what ails all struggling clubs. Mark DeRosa had a banner night, going 3 for 4 with two home runs (including a grand slam), six RBI and three runs scored.

- Jhonny Peralta went 5 for 5 with three RBI and three runs scored, but the Tribe fell to the White Sox 9-7. Gavin Floyd won his ninth game of the year for the Chi Sox, who are now 2.5 games up on the second place Twins.

NFL:

- Patriots’ defensive back Willie Andrews was arrested Monday for allegedly pointing a gun at his girlfriend’s head after she accused him of cheating on her. Couple that charge with the gun-related charge he got in 2002 while playing at the University of Baylor and Andrews is building up quite a track record.

Awful Announcing stumbled upon one of the more hilarious sports headlines in some time, not too mention one of the more ridiculous online gaffs. A Christian news network One News Now has a filter that changes the word “gay” into “homosexual.”

So when Tyson Gay became the new 100-meter World Record holder recently, the headline at One News Now read something like this:

“Homosexual eases into 100 final at Olympic Trials”

The craziest part of the whole thing is that when you click on the story it links to the AP version with the correct version of the runner’s name. Too funny and it might be time to update your homosexual editing software, One News Now.

Hilarious, and once again, absolutely ridiculous. Great find by the guys at Awful Announcing.

Former Lions’ head coach Steve Mariucci took a shot at his former GM Matt Millen recently.

“Matt Millen has changed 58 coaches already, and he’s now finally changing players,” Mariucci said. “Sure I’ve stayed in touch with some of them and some of the coaches, and on occasion Bill Ford Jr. — I respect the heck out of Bill, he’ll take that team over some day.”

I hate to sound like I’m defending Millen, but it’s not like Mooch did much to keep his job while in Detroit. He was often regarded as a pushover in the locker room with certain players and he had absolutely no clue how to handle the mess that turned out to be Joey Harrington. Millen is a disaster, but it’s not like Mariucci got a raw deal in Motown.

THE SPORTING NEWS ranks the top 10 NFL coaches on the hot seat heading into the 2008 season.

1. Wade Phillips, Cowboys. Coaches from playoff teams aren’t usually on the hot seat. Then again, not many coaches preside over teams that haven’t won a playoff game since 1996, are expected to go to the Super Bowl in 2008 and have the next head coach, Jason Garrett, ready to step in at a moment’s notice.

Wade Phillips has the temperament to withstand the pressure. Besides, he’s no stranger to being fired. But it doesn’t make the pressure any less real.

So if the Cowboys don’t make the postseason, or if they don’t win a game or two once they get there, Wade won’t be back in 2009.

Phillips will lose his job because Jerry Jones wants Garrett to be his head coach, like, yesterday. It’ll have nothing to do with whether or not the Cowboys win a playoff game this year.

MLB:

- The Twins’ Kevin Slowey went the distance for a complete game, 5-0 shutout of the Brewers Sunday. Slowey yielded just three hits and fanned eight, while Delmon Young hit his second dinger of the season.

- John Lackey won his fourth straight start, mowing down nine while giving up just three hits and zero runs in the Angels’ 1-0 victory over the Dodgers. Every game in this three game series produced a shutout.

- A.J. Burnett struck out 11 over seven innings and gave up zero earned runs in the Blue Jays’ 1-0 win over the Braves. The 11 K’s were a season-high for Burnett.

- Just one week after the Cubs swept them at Wrigley, the White Sox exacted their revenge, taking three from their in-city rivals over the weekend. The Chi Sox got home runs from Jim Thome, Carlos Quentin and Brian Anderson as the topped the Cubs 5-1 on Sunday Night Baseball.

NFL:

- The Bucs gave running back Ernest Graham a new four-year, $11 million contract. Graham will be insurance in case Cadillac Williams doesn’t recover from the season ending knee surgery he had last season.

- The Arizona-Republic doesn’t think Anquan Boldin will get a new deal this summer, but Cardinals’ GM Rod Graves has apparently been in contact with Boldin’s agent.

- It appears more and more likely that the Falcons will just cut Joe Horn. Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitrof confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the Cowboys have not expressed interest in the aging receiver.

Patriots’ wide receiver Wes Welker took a mild jab at cornerback Asante Samuel, who spurned New England to sign a $57 million contract with the Eagles in the offseason.

“Asante’s a great player, so it hurts not to have a guy like that. But then again, it’s part of the business of the game,” Welker said. “He chose money over championships, and that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Whoa, whoa, whoa – slow down, Wes. Now that you guys can’t videotape other teams’ practices, defensive signals, film sessions and daily meetings, don’t just assume that you’re going to keep winning championships. Your team didn’t look to hot against the Jints without the use of cheating.